United States to United States
New England at its best, the Kancamagus Highway, Mount Washington and a granite coast at the end.
Direct
780 km
484.7 mi
Scenic route
1050 km
652.4 mi
Days
4
about 8.2 hr direct
Tolls
£35
one way, per car
The drive
Get out of the city on the Taconic Parkway rather than the interstate, then work north through Vermont into the White Mountains.
The Kancamagus Highway has no fuel, no shops and no phone signal for 55 km, which is exactly why it is worth driving. The Mount Washington Auto Road adds a climb to the summit if the weather allows.
Finish on the coast of Maine, with the Park Loop Road at Acadia and the first sunrise in the country from Cadillac Mountain.
The first three weeks of October for colour, June for quiet.
Worth the detour
New Hampshire
Kancamagus Highway
White Mountain sweepers with no services and the best autumn colour in America.
9.0 / 10 · 55 km
New Hampshire
Mount Washington Auto Road
Twelve kilometres of climb to the worst weather in America, with no barriers at all.
8.8 / 10 · 12 km
Maine
Acadia Park Loop Road
Granite coast, Sand Beach and the climb to the first sunrise in the United States.
8.7 / 10 · 43 km
Where to break the drive
Woodstock, Vermont
Covered bridges and a civilised first night.
North Conway
At the eastern end of the Kancamagus.
Camden
Harbour town two hours short of Acadia.
Questions
About 780 km, roughly 484.7 miles, by the most direct route. The scenic version described here runs closer to 1050 km.
Around 8.2 hours of driving on the direct route, which most people split over two days. The scenic route takes 4 days without rushing.
Budget about £35 one way per car in tolls, vignettes and crossings, before fuel and hotels.
The first three weeks of October for colour, June for quiet.
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