Length: 40 miles
Towns: Henniker, Hopkinton, Warner, Webster, and Salisbury
Highlights: Come stroll through the downtown villages and visit the riverside shops and restaurants. Count the covered bridges along the way or challenge yourself to a kayak ride on the Contoocook or Blackwater Rivers. Hike in Rollins State Park or stop by orchards and farm stands to pick your own apples for a fresh-baked pie. Whatever you choose, the Byway is your gateway to the heart of New Hampshire.
Website: www.currierandivesbyway.org
Travelers of the Currier and Ives Scenic Byway will pass many sites of historic, scenic, natural, cultural and recreational significance to the State of New Hampshire. Bookending the route are two nationally-important historic sites- Daniel Webster’s birthplace and the Franklin Pierce Homestead. But the real Currier & Ives experience lies between these two historic homesteads.
Tranquil farmland peppers the landscape, where moss-covered stone walls mark old property boundaries and open fields are still being hayed after more than 200 years. Views of Mt. Kearsarge, Pats Peak and surrounding hills beckon travelers and showcase vivid fall foliage colors. Historic churches and community buildings line the route in village clusters from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and embody quintessential northern New England town centers. Various festivals, fairs, summer concerts, and museums reflect the communities’ rich rural culture, drawing both residents and visitors from all over New England and the country.