North America's First Aerial Tramway Is A Breathtaking Ride Up New Hampshire's Tallest Mountain

In New England, the further you get from the Atlantic coast, the wilder the landscape. That's largely thanks to the Appalachian Mountains, which steam through western Connecticut and Massachusetts before splitting into the Green Mountains of Vermont and White Mountains of New Hampshire. Dense forests surround and turn miraculous shades of red, yellow, and orange during foliage season, drawing millions of peepers. This was also the case 100 years ago, inspiring the construction of North America's first aerial tramway on Cannon Mountain in Franconia Notch State Park, home to some of the best fall foliage in New Hampshire. The inaugural ascent to 4,080 feet on June 28, 1938 brought the first of the 6,581,338 passengers that would ride it until its retirement and replacement in 1980.

Today, the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway carries up 80 passengers per trip year-round, taking less than 10 minutes. Along the way, riders are treated to sweeping vistas of forests and protrusions of the white granite that gives the Granite State its moniker. They can also follow the trails below that fill with snow, skiers, and snowboarders through the winter. At the summit, see even more from the 360-degree observation deck. On clear days, the views stretch to Vermont in the west, Maine in the east, and Canada in the north. Extend the stay on several hiking trails from the peak, including the Kinsman Ridge Trail, which roughly follows the tramway route back down to the parking lot.

The aerial tramway is not the only thing to do in Franconia Notch State Park. During winter, this is prime ski country, and 25 miles of trails slalom down Cannon Mountain and the adjacent Mittersill peak. Learn more about skiing — 8,000 years of it, in fact — at the New England Ski Museum at Cannon Mountain. The exhibits include five of the six Olympic medals donned by New Hampshire native, Bode Miller, the winningest male skier of all time. Admission is always free, too. Snowmobiling is also popular here, thanks to a 20-mile (round trip) paved Franconia Notch State Park Recreation Trail that parallels the parkway running through Franconia Notch State Park.

The rest of the year is also dedicated to outdoor activities. Hikers can enjoy dozens of trails at all levels of intensity. This includes the Franconia Notch State Park Recreation Path, which replaces snowmobiles with bicycles in the warmer months. Also popular is Flume Gorge Trail, a two-mile romp through a granite gorge draped with moss and waterfalls. Afterwards, take a cool mountain dip at Echo Lake. You can also pay tribute to the Old Man on the Mountain, a rock formation that remains a New Hampshire symbol despite collapsing in 2003. The Old Man of the Mountain Profile Plaza cleverly recreates the view with seven steel "profilers." 

You can experience more outdoor thrills in the White Mountains of this New Hampshire town 45 miles to the northeast and see one of America's most colorful roadways just 23 miles south.