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Speed Traps in the White Mountains

Jailhouse Moose outside Twin Mountain Police Station
Jailhouse Moose outside the Twin Mountain Police Station

If you drive up to the White Mountains for hiking or skiing there are a couple of notorious speed traps that you should be aware of.

Twin Mountain

The tiny town of Twin Mountain, New Hampshire is located at the junction of Route 3 and Route 302. Do yourself a favor and don’t drive over the limit anywhere near this town. The local police are very vigilant at pulling over speeders at the traffic light where Route 3 and 302 meet, particularly if you are driving north from Crawford Notch on 302. They also lie in wait in the parking lots that line Rt 3 in the middle of town and catch speeders driving east or west on Route 3.

Gorham

If you are driving east on Route 2 past the Northern Presidentials (Madison, Adams, and Jefferson), you will drive down a very steep hill that has a gravel emergency truck ramp at the bottom of it. There’s a speed trap here, right where the speed limit drops to 30 mph.

Franconia Notch

If you are driving south on Interstate 93, there is a speed trap just south of Franconia Notch, after the road splits back into two lanes. After driving the 45 mph limit through the Notch, drivers like to speed up to 65/70 mph even though the speed limit only goes up to 55 mph for the next mile. I see people get pulled over here by the New Hampshire State Police all of the time. When you exit Franconia Notch, don’t speed up until you see the speed limit sign that says 65 mph.

Concord City Line, Route 93

If you are driving south on Interstate 93, there is a well-established speed trap just north on the city of Concord, about a mile north of the bus station. It’s right where the speed limit drops from 65 mph to 55 mph. There is usually a State Police car parked at the turnaround picking speeders off in the late afternoon or evenings as they drive home from the Whites.

Massachusetts Border to Lincoln, NH

If you are driving northbound on Interstate 93 from Massachusetts, you should consider anything between the MA/NH border and Lincoln, New Hampshire (Exit 32) to be a giant speed trap, especially if you have Massachusetts license plates. Don’t think that you can get away with speeding at off hours, either. I once got a very expensive ticket driving in 93 North before sunrise, and since then, I stick to the 65 mph limit with cruise control whenever I head north to the mountains.

Do you know any other speed traps that I’ve missed?

13 comments

  1. You kind of mentioned it with your last one but more specific: I used to work up in Plymouth and would very often see a trooper sitting in the median at the bend right before (N-bound) or after (S-bound) exit 25.

  2. Excellent Post! These are certainly correct, except I wasn't aware of the one at truck ramp, its easy to cruise down that hill. By now I'm very familiar these, and have been pulled over at two of these. It was about 3am, and she said traffics light, so I'm giving you a warning. Whew. I called her sir at first by accident, I thought I was done haha.

  3. Great post topic. And remember to flash your lights at oncoming drivers to warn them of any speed traps!

  4. I like this blog very much, but this is the worst post ever! This post promotes speeding, people should stick to the speed limit! Besides, driving fast is bad for the invironment. I want next generations to enjoy the outdoors just like I do!

  5. Speaking of Concord on I-93. When you are heading Northbound and the speed limit goes from 55 back up to 65 MPH, this can be a popular spot especially early in the morning on the weekends. I've been driving for 25 years and got my first speeding ticket ever in this location. I could see the 65 MPH sign ahead of me and I had started increasing my speed from 60. The State Trooper said he clocked me at 70 in a 55 which was BS. I think he was just mad cause he pulled over my brand new car, thinking my temporary tag was expired and, when he found out it wasn't, got pissed off for making the stop.

  6. Hay outdoor guy. He is not telling you to speed. In fact he is telling you to slow down.

  7. Thank you Alan! Plus, it's impossible to speed up here anyway what with the hairpin turns, the icy roads, and moose who like to run out in front of cars!

  8. Outdoor guy, I think we all know the importance of slowing down in congested areas and driving at a safe speed, but these speed traps are designed to catch drivers in vulnerable positions. It's not fair to drivers and I don't think it really promotes safe driving as much as watching out for cops. I'm respectful with my driving through small towns and I don't need a $200 hassle because I was going 5 mph over with a MA plate.

  9. Saw a TON of people pulled over on rt. 89 South on Sunday. What a bad way to start the New Year…

  10. Good list. But it's seemed obvious to me for 40 years that speed stops in New Hampshire have a lot more to do with your license plate than with any particular location.

  11. Thanks for the info. I might be heading up that way this summer. I endeavor to always obey the posted limits but this will make me stay even more cognizant when in the area.

  12. Between mile marker 91 and exit 29 (thornton/campton) is a favorite. There is a cut across at mile 90 at the bottom of a hill that they love to sit at. Never speed in that area.

  13. In the early days 50 60 and 70s, when you were driving you seem to know what speed you were doing just by the feel of the car. Then all these electronics came along (power everything) and I am constantly going over the limit. Some how never a ticket. More to the point Rt 3 bypass before you get to the airport is a left curve then a very scenic view that takes your attention away from the speed limit signs. But when you do they drop from 60 to 35 to 15 within a mile of steep downhill hairpin curve to the right. Generally there’s a cop under the bridge and another radar guy at the bottom of the hill on Rt 3. I seldom hear of anyone 10 or less over on my scanner getting a ticket there unless they are habitual offenders.

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