221 properties in 145 towns, from a tenth of an acre to Nash Stream Forest’s 39,601
of trail open to off highway vehicles in summer 38
~1,200 mi
The Division of Parks and Recreation’s figure, across state, club and private ground together
longest wheelbase the Mount Washington Auto Road takes 55
176 in
And 93 inches wide including mirrors. A private toll road, so these are the road company’s limits rather than the state’s
acres of wilderness on the White Mountain National Forest 5
149,500
Six areas, from the 5,552-acre Great Gulf to the 45,000-acre Pemigewasset. The same page counts 23 developed campgrounds and 1,200 miles of hiking trail
designated roadside campsites on four forest roads 6
57
Gale River Loop 13, Old Cherry Mountain 9, Haystack 11, Town Hall 24. Elsewhere the forest orders decide
the Forest Service’s length for the Kancamagus byway 15
34 mi
The Federal Highway Administration measures the same road at 26.5 miles. Both figures are stated on this page
Three of them are National Scenic Byways: the White Mountains Trail, the Kancamagus Highway and the Connecticut River Byway
Buying a vehicle for this state
The honest advice is to buy short. Almost everything worth driving here is a two-lane gravel road with a town or a forest district deciding what it is kept to, and the tightest published limit in the state is the Auto Road’s 176 inch wheelbase and 93 inch width, which refuses trailers and motorhomes entirely.
A mid-size truck or a small van covers the notch roads, the Kancamagus campgrounds, the Kilkenny loop and the Coos County trailheads without ever being the wrong size at a gate. Save the big rig for the state park RV sites.
Buying a finished vehicle trades money for time. Someone else has already made the thousand decisions, and you can be traveling this season. A dealer who knows these vehicles can also tell you what a used one has been through.
What they offer
01New expedition vehicles, campers and vans
02Used and consignment vehicles
03Trade-ins, financing and delivery
04A proper walk-through of every system
05Service after the sale, or a referral to it
How to buy a finished vehicle
The questions are the same whether it is new or used.
01Ask for weights: empty, loaded, and the gross rating. Overweight expedition vehicles are common.
02Ask for the build documentation: wiring diagrams, component manuals and service history.
03On a used vehicle, have the chassis and the house inspected independently before you buy.
04Ask who services what after the sale, and where.
05Drive it, on dirt if they will let you.
What to have ready before you ask
Know the trip before you choose the truck.
01How many people travel, and for how long
02Where you want to take it, and what you need to park it
03New, used, or either
04A budget range, and whether you have a trade
05When you want to be on the road
Questions people ask
Is it cheaper to buy a finished vehicle or build one?
A used, finished vehicle is often the least expensive way into a capable rig, because builds rarely return what was spent on them. A new custom build costs the most and fits you best. Building it yourself costs the least money and the most time.
What should I check on a used build?
Weight against rating, water damage and leaks, the age and type of the batteries, heater and appliance service history, and the condition of the frame and suspension. Then have a mechanic check the vehicle underneath the camper.
Can I finance an expedition vehicle?
Often, through RV or specialty lenders, depending on the vehicle and how it is titled. Dealers who sell these regularly know which lenders will.
How high is New Hampshire?
From Conway at 461 feet to Mount Washington at 6,288.
Altitude decides what your engine, your brakes and your lungs have to work with, and how late in the year the passes open.
PittsburgThe Connecticut Lakes, and the last paved miles before Canada1,317 ft
ErrolThe junction town between Umbagog and the Thirteen Mile Woods1,228 ft
ColebrookThe Connecticut River town below Dixville Notch and Diamond Pond Road1,027 ft
BerlinThe city beside Jericho Mountain and its 4x4 trail1,012 ft
FranconiaThe north end of the Franconia Notch Parkway928 ft
LancasterThe Connecticut River side of the northern forest867 ft
LincolnThe western gate of the Kancamagus Highway835 ft
LittletonInterstate services on the western side of the forest824 ft
GorhamAt the foot of Pinkham Notch, six miles from the Auto Road794 ft
JacksonBelow Carter Notch, and one end of the Town Hall Road order760 ft
North ConwayThe commercial strip on the forest’s eastern side526 ft
PlymouthSouthern approach on Interstate 93 to Tripoli Road511 ft
LaconiaLakes Region services on the way north498 ft
KeeneThe southwest, and the approach to Pisgah State Park482 ft
ConwayThe eastern end of the Kancamagus, on the Saco461 ft
Passes, high roads and summits
Mount WashingtonThe state high point, and a 58.8-acre state park on its summit. USGS publishes 6,288 feet; our own reading of the elevation surface at its map point gives 6,2756,288 ft
Mount Washington summitMount Washington Auto Road6,288 ft
Mount AdamsOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, on the northern Presidentials in Coos County5,788 ft
Mount JeffersonOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, above the road that carries its name5,696 ft
Mount LafayetteOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, over the east side of Franconia Notch5,237 ft
Mount MoosilaukeOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, above the road the Dartmouth Outing Club plows4,795 ft
Cannon MountainOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, on the west wall of Franconia Notch State Park4,077 ft
Mount ChocoruaOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, the summit with its own camping and fire order3,467 ft
Carter NotchOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point. No road crosses it, which is why Pinkham carries the traffic3,398 ft
Jefferson NotchOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point. The Forest Service publishes no summit figure for the road that crosses it3,005 ft
Jefferson NotchJefferson Notch Road3,005 ft
Kancamagus PassOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, the high point of the byway2,869 ft
Kancamagus PassKancamagus Scenic Byway, Route 112: Lincoln to Conway2,869 ft
Pinkham NotchOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, on Route 16 below the Auto Road2,031 ft
Kinsman NotchOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, where Route 112 leaves Lincoln westward1,872 ft
Franconia NotchFranconia Notch Parkway, Interstate 93: The Flume Gorge to Echo Lake1,826 ft
Bear NotchBear Notch Road, Forest Road 26: Bartlett to the Kancamagus Highway1,771 ft
Sandwich NotchSandwich Notch Road1,380 ft
Pass, road and summit elevations are the figures published by the agency that manages them. Town elevations are the town’s or county’s own
figure where it publishes an exact one; the rest are from the U.S. Geological Survey (3D Elevation Program at the place’s official coordinates),
retrieved September 18, 2026. Every source is listed at the foot of the page.
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