Crawford Notch in Fall: Fog, Foliage, and One of New Hampshire's Best Drives
There are fall drives, and then there is Crawford Notch in early October with fog sitting low over the mountains. They are not in the same category.
I was there on October 8th, 2023, heading into the notch along US Route 302, which follows the Saco River through Harts Location. The foliage was at its peak, reds, oranges, and yellows packed so densely into the hillsides that the evergreens poking through looked almost out of place, like they had not gotten the memo about the season. And then the fog rolled in over everything, making it all look like something out of a painting that was still drying.
Fog and fall foliage together are one of those combinations that should not work as well as it does. The mist softens the colors instead of washing them out, and it adds a kind of quiet mystery to the landscape that a clear blue sky cannot replicate. I have driven this road in good weather and in weather like this, and both are worth it for completely different reasons. On a clear day, you see the scale of the mountains. On a foggy day, you feel like you are inside the mountains.
Crawford Notch State Park covers roughly half of Harts Location, and the drive through it is genuinely one of the best in the White Mountains. Route 302 takes you through the heart of the notch, past the Saco River, past Silver Cascade, past pull-offs that keep appearing around every bend, and makes you feel like you have to choose between stopping and making progress. The answer, if you have time, is always to stop.
If you are planning a fall trip to New Hampshire, this drive needs to be on your list. Go on a morning with low clouds if you can. Bring patience for the pull-offs. And do not be surprised if you end up staying in the notch longer than you planned, because that is just what Crawford Notch does.
