Northeast Climbs

Last Update: 25-OCT-05

Pass, Notch, and Gap Climbs

Below, several popular notch, pass, and gap hill climbs from the New England states are plotted. Lincoln Gap in the Green Mountains of Vermont is regarded to be the steepest climb around, with about 1.4 miles of sustained 20-24% grade near the top on the east side. A popular loop links up five other nearby gaps for a serious day in the saddle, or should I say, out of the saddle hammering (see rides page)! The highly scenic Kancamagus Highway (Rt 112) slices through the White Mountains of New Hampshire and offers the most vertical gain, plus it reaches a higher elevation than the other paved pass climbs. Many pass, notch, and gap profiles have been recently added, so the profile charts have been split into geographical areas to keep them readable.

New Hampshire and Maine Passes and Notches

I have ridden most of these passes over the years. The White Mountains of New Hampshire plays host for many organized centuries and charity rides. There are several ways to link up these climbs into big loop rides. Use the vertical info provided here with your maps to plan a great ride. The Kancamagus Highway (The Kanc) is one of my favorite roads to ride in New England. The scenery can’t be beat, and it’s a brute of a climb from either direction. You can park in Conway, ride to Lincoln and back, or vice versa for a 100+ km ride. What you miss seeing behind you going out you will see coming back. The only downside to riding the Kanc is there are no paved shoulders. During peak tourist times, traffic can be heavy. Avoid this road during fall color season. The road is being resurfaced starting from Lincoln, which is way past due. This will make descending that side far more pleasant, plus it looks like a bit of shoulder is being added.

Notch, Pass, or Gap Name	Beginning At	Ending At	Beginning Elevation (ft)	Maximum Elevation (ft)	Vertical Rise (ft)	Terrain Distance (mi)
Kancamagus Pass on Rt 112	N. Woodstock	Bear Notch Rd	728	2840	2112	23.5
Gonzo Pass on Rt 118	N. Woodstock	Warren	736	2529	1793	16.4
Jefferson Notch Rd*	Valley Rd (just off Rt 2)	Rt 302	1378	3020	1642	12.0
Thornton Gap* on Rt 49/Tripoli Rd	Rt 175, Compton	Rt 175, Woodstock	651	2278	1627	20.7
Pinkham Notch on Rt 16	Rt 302	Rt 2	581	2032	1451	22.4
Kinsman Notch on Rt 112	Rt 302 in Bath	Rt 118 near N. Woodstock	494	1906	1412	17.9
Crawford Notch on Rt 302	Bear Notch Rd	Rt 3	669	2026	1357	23.1
Hurricane Mtn Rd	Rt 113, N. Freyburg	Rt 302/16, N. Conway	388	1734	1346	11.5
Franconia Notch **	Rt 112	Rt 302	728	2046	1318	22.8
Bear Notch Rd	Rt 302	Rt 112	663	1778	1115	9.0
Evans Notch on Rt 113	N. Freyburg	Rt 2	390	1473	1083	21.3

* Gravel surface, loose at times

** Paved bike path along Rt 93 through notch

The Vermont 6-gaps Group

These six gaps are the soul of the Six-Gaps ride discussed in detail on the hillclimb rides page. There are so many paved gaps in VT that I had to break them up into two charts to show them. These six are tightly clustered together in the center of the state. They all crest above 2000 feet, and they gain 1500 to 1800 feet. Most have very steep grades, 10% or more. Lincoln gap from the east has sustained 20% grades, max’ing at 24%. It is perhaps the hardest climb in all of New England. When comparing the grade of these gaps to gaps in the other charts, note the bottom scale difference. 6-gaps only shows +/-10 miles, while the other two show +/-15 miles. Most of the vertical here is gained in 2-3 miles, while in the other gaps the bulk of the vertical is more spread out. Middlebury and Appalachian Gaps are included in the popular Green Mountain State Race held late each summer.

Notch, Pass, or Gap Name	Beginning At	Ending At	Beginning Elevation (ft)	Maximum Elevation (ft)	Vertical Rise (ft)	Terrain Distance (mi)
Lincoln Gap*	Rt 116 Bristol	Rt 100 Warren	626	2469	1843	12.1
Appalachian Gap	Rt 116 Bristol	Rt 100 Waitsfield	637	2414	1777	15.8
Middlebury Gap	Rt 7 Middlebury	Rt 100 Hancock	376	2145	1769	16.0
Brandon Gap	Rt 53 Brandon	Rt 100 Rochester	600	2185	1585	14.2
Rochester Gap	Rt 12 Bethel	Rt 100 Rochester	577	2150	1573	10.2
Roxbury Gap*	Rt 100 Warren	Rt 12A Roxbury	882	2382	1500	8.3

* Sections of packed gravel

Other Vermont and Massachusetts Gaps

The gaps are spread out across Vermont and western Mass. Petersburg straddles the border between NY and MA. Of these gaps, I have ridden Smugglers from Stowe, Tyson from Ascutney, Sherburne from Rutland, and Petersburg from Petersburg. I have driven Rt 9 past Olga and Prospect Mountains several times. Looks like a nice ride. Haven’t made it up to the Jay Peak area yet. The steepest sustained grade of this set can be found approaching the crest of Smugglers Notch from Stowe. The terrain in this narrow, deep notch is very interesting. As the pitch steepens, you see a sign that says road narrows. Then you see a sign stating no yellow line. The road essentially becomes a single lane that barely squeezes through house-size boulders. Petersburg Pass offers a very persistent, moderately steep grade from either side.

Notch, Pass, or Gap Name	Beginning At	Ending At	Beginning Elevation (ft)	Maximum Elevation (ft)	Vertical Rise (ft)	Terrain Distance (mi)
Olga Mtn – Rt 9	Brattleboro	Harriman Reservoir	281	2199	1919	21.5
Smugglers Notch – Rt 108	Jeffersonville Rt 15	Stowe Rt 100	456	2190	1734	17.6
Prospect Mtn – Rt 9	Bennington	Harriman Reservoir	682	2402	1720	18.8
Jay Peak – South, Rt 242	Montgomery Rt 118	North Tory Rt 101/105	550	2263	1713	16.6
Jay Peak – North, Rt 105	Steven Mills Rt 105A	North Troy Rt 101/105	497	2089	1592	15.1
Sherburne Pass – Rt 4	Rutland Rt 7	Killington Rt 100A	662	2180	1518	22.5
Petersburg Pass – Rt 2	Williamstown, MA	Petersburg, Rt 22	617	2087	1470	12.3
Tyson Road	Reading Rt 106	Ludlow Rt 100	751	1955	1204	9.8