New Hampshire
Kancamagus Highway
New Hampshire’s Scenic Byways
New Hampshire is home to 20 scenic byways, totaling over 1,000 miles and showcasing a variety of beaches, mountain ranges, agricultural places, and historic sites; all of which highlight New Hampshire’s unique character. As one of the nation’s original 13 colonies, the scenic byways highlight many renowned landmarks special to the state, including Fort Constitution (formerly known as Fort William and Mary) and Fort Stark, located along the Coastal Byway.
Key Points
- New Hampshire is home to three national scenic byways and 17 state scenic byways.
- A study found that in 2019 alone, the direct travel impacts resulted in $5.9 billion in total spending and $321 million in tax revenue.
- In the White Mountain region, 10,600 jobs were supported by travel spending in 2019.
- Travel generated $5.9 billion in direct spending.
New Hampshire Byways
Map Key:
- National Scenic Byways
- State Scenic Byways
National Scenic Byways
State Scenic Byways
Byways Provide Access to Public Lands
New Hampshire byways provide access to the state’s most spectacular public lands, including two national parks, 93 state parks, one national heritage area, 23 national historic landmarks, and 117 state forests.
About the National Scenic Byways Program
The National Scenic Byways Program, established by Congress in 1991, recognizes historic, scenic, and culturally important roads, all of which promote economic development and tourism in communities around the U.S. There are more than 1,200 byways in all 50 states.
All scenic byways exhibit one or more of six core intrinsic qualities — scenic, historic, recreational, cultural, archaeological, or natural. For a road to be named a national scenic byway, it must first be designated a state, tribal, or federal agency scenic byway. Once achieving that, a road may apply for national scenic byway designation, but its intrinsic quality must be of regional significance. All-American Roads are the very best of the national scenic byways, demonstrating at least two intrinsic qualities of national significance.