A scenic drive along NH 112

NH 112 crosses over the Wild Ammonoosuc River at Beaver Pond (October 2005)

In my opinion, New Hampshire State Route 112 from Swiftwater to North Woodstock is an overlooked New England scenic drive. Although not as popular as the Kancamagus Highway that NH 112 follows as it continues east over the White Mountains, this western segment of NH 112 still has amazing scenic views especially in the fall. I thoroughly enjoyed this drive in the autumns of 2003 and 05.

I picked up NH 112 at its western beginning at US 302 near Bath. This is only a few miles from where US 302 enters New Hampshire from Vermont over the Connecticut River. Immediately at the start of the route is an abandoned truss bridge that once carried US 302 and NH 10 over the Wild Ammonoosuc River.

The former US 302 bridge over the Wild Ammonoosuc River (Top: October 2005 / Bottom: October 2003)

Continuing east about two miles on NH 112 from US 302, the Swiftwater Covered Bridge sits just to the north at Porter Road. Erected in 1849, the bridge is actually the fourth to cross the Wild Ammonoosuc here. The first bridge was built in 1810 but would be destroyed via flood eight years later. A new bridge was immediately built and lasted for about ten year until another flood destroyed it. The third span would be built in 1829 only to be demolished and replaced by the current span in 1849.

Throughout NH 112's journey along the Wild Ammonoosuc, there are some amazing views. Views that are breathtaking any time of year. As the highway continues eastwards towards North Woodstock, peaks of the White Mountain Range - some of which tower over 4,000 feet - come into view

At the Beaver Brook Trailhead - where the Appalachian Trail crosses the highway, a scenic overlook at Beaver Pond provides an opportunity for some great views especially in the fall.

From this point, NH 112 heads into the Lost River Valley into North Woodstock before continuing east to begin its journey as the Kancamagus Highway towards Conway.

All photos taken by post author - October 2003 & October 2005.

How To Get There:

Comments

Paper Highways: The Unbuilt New Orleans Bypass (Proposed I-410)

There are many examples around the United States of proposed freeway corridors in urban areas that never saw the light of day for one reason or another. They all fall somewhere in between the little-known and the infamous and from the mundane to the spectacular. One of the more obscure and interesting examples of such a project is the short-lived idea to construct a southern beltway for the New Orleans metropolitan area in the 1960s and 70s. Greater New Orleans and its surrounding area grew rapidly in the years after World War II, as suburban sprawl encroached on the historically rural downriver parishes around the city. In response to the development of the region’s Westbank and the emergence of communities in St. Charles and St. John the Baptist Parishes as viable suburban communities during this period, regional planners began to consider concepts for new infrastructure projects to serve this growing population. The idea for a circular freeway around the southern perimeter of t

Hernando de Soto Bridge (Memphis, TN)

The newest of the bridges that span the lower Mississippi River at Memphis, the Hernando de Soto Bridge was completed in 1973 and carries Interstate 40 between downtown Memphis and West Memphis, AR. The bridge’s signature M-shaped superstructure makes it an instantly recognizable landmark in the city and one of the most visually unique bridges on the Mississippi River. As early as 1953, Memphis city planners recommended the construction of a second highway bridge across the Mississippi River to connect the city with West Memphis, AR. The Memphis & Arkansas Bridge had been completed only four years earlier a couple miles downriver from downtown, however it was expected that long-term growth in the metro area would warrant the construction of an additional bridge, the fourth crossing of the Mississippi River to be built at Memphis, in the not-too-distant future. Unlike the previous three Mississippi River bridges to be built the city, the location chosen for this bridge was about two

Huey P. Long Bridge (New Orleans, LA)

Located on the lower Mississippi River a few miles west of New Orleans, the Huey P. Long Bridge is an enormous steel truss bridge that carries both road and rail traffic on an old-time structure that is a fascinating example of a bridge that has evolved in recent years to meet the traffic and safety demands of modern times. While officially located in suburban Jefferson Parish near the unincorporated community of Bridge City, this bridge’s location is most often associated with New Orleans, given that it’s the largest and most recognizable incorporated population center in the nearby vicinity. For this reason, this blog article considers the bridge’s location to be in New Orleans, even though this isn’t 100% geographically correct. Completed in 1935 as the first bridge across the Mississippi River in Louisiana and the first to be built in the New Orleans area, this bridge is one of two bridges on the Mississippi named for Huey P. Long, a Louisiana politician who served as the 40th Gove

Gribblenation

Search This Blog