New Hampshire Route 112 (abbreviated NH 112) is a east–west state highway in northern
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
. The highway winds across the state, connecting
Bath to
Conway through the heart of the scenic and mountainous
White Mountain National Forest
The White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) is a federally managed forest contained within the White Mountains in the northeastern United States. It was established in 1918 as a result of the Weeks Act of 1911; federal acquisition of land had alrea ...
.
The eastern portion of NH 112 is known as the Kancamagus Highway, running through the
White Mountains from
Lincoln
Lincoln most commonly refers to:
* Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States
* Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England
* Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S.
* Lincol ...
to Conway. of the highway have been designated a
National Scenic Byway
A National Scenic Byway is a road recognized by the United States Department of Transportation for one or more of six "intrinsic qualities": archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic. The program was established by Co ...
by the
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the President of the United States and ...
under the name "Kancamagus Scenic Byway". The highway is known for its views of autumn foliage and is a popular drive in September and October for leaf peeping tourism.
The Kancamagus Highway stays open all winter, although it occasionally closes for short periods while crews clear heavy snows. Its only major intersection is Bear Notch Road, which connects with the town of
Bartlett, but it is closed all winter.
Much of the western portion of NH 112 is also in the White Mountain National Forest, passing through
Kinsman Notch
Kinsman Notch (elev. ) is a mountain pass located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, United States. It is the westernmost of the major notches through the White Mountains (the others being Franconia Notch, Crawford Notch, and Pinkham Notch ...
with the
Lost River tourist attraction. The section between
NH 116 and
North Woodstock is called Lost River Road.
Route description
Bath to Lincoln
NH 112 begins in the town of Bath at
US 302
U.S. Route 302 (US 302) is an east–west spur of U.S. Route 2 in northern New England in the United States. It currently runs from Montpelier, Vermont, beginning at US 2, to Portland, Maine, at U.S. Route 1. It passes through the states of Verm ...
and
NH 10 approximately east of the
Vermont
Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
border. The highway runs southeast along the
Wild Ammonoosuc River, then climbs through Kinsman Notch. NH 112 crosses into the town limits of
Woodstock
Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. ...
and descends along the
Lost River, meeting the northern terminus of
NH 118 before continuing east to the village of
North Woodstock. The route passes through the center of the village, crossing
US 3
U.S. Route 3 (US 3) is a United States highway running from Cambridge, Massachusetts, through New Hampshire, to the Canada–US border near Third Connecticut Lake, where it connects to Quebec Route 257.
Massachusetts Route 3 connects t ...
and interchanging with
I-93
Interstate 93 (I-93) is an Interstate Highway in the New England states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont in the United States. Spanning approximately along a north–south axis, it is one of three primary Interstate Highways ...
before entering
Lincoln
Lincoln most commonly refers to:
* Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States
* Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England
* Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S.
* Lincol ...
. NH 112 passes through downtown Lincoln as Main Street.
Lincoln to Conway (Kancamagus Highway)
![Kancamagus pass](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Kancamagus_pass.jpg)
The Kancamagus Highway portion of NH 112 begins just east of the town center. The state highway reenters the White Mountain National Forest, following the
East Branch of the Pemigewasset River
The East Branch of the Pemigewasset River is a river located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Pemigewasset River, part of the Merrimack River watershed.
The East Branch is a longer and larg ...
for approximately , then the Hancock Branch for another , steadily ascending as it progresses eastward. Following a series of hairpin turns, NH 112 crosses the height of land at Kancamagus Pass and begins to descend along the
Swift River in the
Saco River
The Saco River (Abenaki language, Abenaki: ''Sαkóhki'') is a river in northeastern New Hampshire and southwestern Maine in the United States. It drains a rural area of of forests and farmlands west and southwest of Portland, Maine, Portland ...
watershed, which it does for its remaining . Eventually the highway leaves the National Forest and enters the town of
Conway, where it terminates at Main Street (
NH 16 /
NH 113) west of downtown.
The Kancamagus Highway is a very popular tourist destination due to its many scenic views and locations. Two scenic outlook sites are located along the Kancamagus Highway, including one from near the crest of Kancamagus Pass. There are six National Forest campground sites, along with numerous hiking trails.
History
The Kancamagus Highway opened in August 1959, after two dead-end stretches of road were linked, creating a connection between US 3 in Lincoln and NH 16 in Conway. Locally known as "The Kanc", the road was paved in 1964, and in the winter of 1966–67 it was plowed for the first time.
The highway is named after
Kancamagus
Kancamagus (pronounced "cain-ka-MAW-gus", "Fearless One", "Fearless Hunter of Animals"), was the third and final Sagamore of the Penacook Confederacy of Native American tribes. Nephew of Wonalancet and grandson of Passaconaway, Kancamagus ru ...
(pronounced "cain-kah-MAW-gus", "Fearless One"), third and final
sagamore of the
Penacook Confederacy of
Native American tribes. Nephew of
Wonalancet and grandson of
Passaconaway
Passaconaway was a 17th century sachem and later ''bashaba'' (chief of chiefs) of the Pennacook people in what is now southern New Hampshire in the United States, who was famous for his dealings with the Plimouth and Massachusetts Bay Colonies.
...
, Kancamagus ruled what is now southern New Hampshire. After English settlers arrested a number of Pennacook tribe members, he was forced to make the decision in 1691 to move north into upper New Hampshire and what is now
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
.
On February 9, 2004, University of Massachusetts Amherst student
Maura Murray
Maura Murray (born May 4, 1982) is an American woman who disappeared on the evening of February 9, 2004, after a car crash on Route 112 near Woodsville, New Hampshire, a village in the town of Haverhill. Her whereabouts remain unknown. She w ...
crashed her car on Route 112 near Woodsville. She disappeared shortly after this incident and her fate remains unknown.
Following
Hurricane Irene
Hurricane Irene was a large and destructive tropical cyclone which affected much of the Caribbean and East Coast of the United States during late August 2011. The ninth named storm, first hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 2011 At ...
in August 2011, two sections of NH 112 were closed, pending repair work and evaluation of damage. The Kancamagus Highway was closed from the Sabbaday Falls picnic area across Kancamagus Pass to the Discovery Trail parking area in the eastern part of Lincoln. A section of the western portion of NH 112 along the
Wild Ammonoosuc River was closed; as of September 6, 2011, a single lane of the western section had been reopened.
As of late June 2012, the highway had been completely reopened, though some stretches were in the process of being repaved.
Major intersections
Images along the highway
File:New Hampshire Route 112 at western terminus US302.jpg, At intersection of Cemetery Rd in Swiftwater, about two miles east of its western terminus at US 302
U.S. Route 302 (US 302) is an east–west spur of U.S. Route 2 in northern New England in the United States. It currently runs from Montpelier, Vermont, beginning at US 2, to Portland, Maine, at U.S. Route 1. It passes through the states of Verm ...
File:NH112 at US3.jpg, Intersection with US 3
U.S. Route 3 (US 3) is a United States highway running from Cambridge, Massachusetts, through New Hampshire, to the Canada–US border near Third Connecticut Lake, where it connects to Quebec Route 257.
Massachusetts Route 3 connects t ...
File:NH112 at I93.jpg, Intersection with I-93
Interstate 93 (I-93) is an Interstate Highway in the New England states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont in the United States. Spanning approximately along a north–south axis, it is one of three primary Interstate Highways ...
References
External links
{{commons category
Kancamagus Scenic Bywayfrom
FHWAkancamagushighway.com unofficial website
New Hampshire State Route 112on
Flickr
Flickr ( ; ) is an American image hosting and video hosting service, as well as an online community, founded in Canada and headquartered in the United States. It was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and was a popular way for amateur and professional ...
112 112 may refer to:
*112 (number), the natural number following 111 and preceding 113
*112 (band), an American R&B quartet from Atlanta, Georgia
**112 (album), ''112'' (album), album from the band of the same name
*112 (emergency telephone number), t ...
Transportation in Grafton County, New Hampshire
Transportation in Carroll County, New Hampshire