Just drove the road a few days ago. It is not a simple drive. There are steep drop offs and no guard rails. The top is fogged in most of the time (the locals said), which makes it very difficult to see. On the day we drove up, we could barely see 10 feet in front of us - so we drove with our hazard lights flashing and went quite slow - just staring at the yellow line between the up/down lanes. There are many turns as well. But the difficult part is coming down - as even in the lowest gear, you need to put on your brakes almost all the way down - and from the smell, we clearly heated up our brakes beyond normal. There are many turn outs to sit and let your brakes cool off. We did that once. The day we went, the top was, as mentioned, completely fogged in, and you can't see more than 10 feet away. Keep a hold on kids, if you go up here and the visibility is just as bad. Also, it was also quite cold, with snow on the ground, even though it was in the 60s on ground level. So bring a rain resistance winter jacket if you drive up to the top. The other thing to consider is the cost. It costs $45 for a car + driver and an extra $20 for each occupant. So for a family of 4, the cost to drive up is over $100! At the top, there is a look out - but of course, with it fogged in almost every day, you won't see much of anything. There is also a small gift shop, restaurant, restrooms, and museum. We found the building by first finding the stairs, then the first building was closed, followed by an open building with porta-potties, followed by some cars parked, and from following the cars, we finally found the building - again - because with the low visibility we couldn't see it until we were right near it. All in all, I am glad we drove up, it was an experience. But, if you are afraid of heights and driving near the edge of cliffs, this may not be the drive for you.

Late April is good since tourist traffic is light compared to other times of the year. Snow often still covers the mountain peaks, so they will be scenic.. Snow often also still is on the trails at higher elevations. At lower elevations, the trails may have no snow . Trees will have no leaves in late April; they will be bare. NH 112 (Kancamagus) may be closed if snow is deep enough; if it is open, it will have the best views as you drive across the National Forest. Other highways such as US 302, I-93, and NH 16 will be open. Jackson NH has an excellent (and romantic) covered bridge beside NH 16. Conway NH has two excellent covered bridges also. A local visitor center (at Intervale) just north of North Conway has great views of Mt Washington. Several ski areas are in the National Forest; they may offer cross-country ski rentals and they may have trails for hiking. Google Translate (Portuguese): O final de abril é um bom semáforo turístico em comparação com outras épocas do ano. Muitas vezes, a neve ainda cobre os picos das montanhas, então elas serão panorâmicas. Neve também nas trilhas em altitudes mais altas. Em altitudes mais baixas, as trilhas podem não ter neve. As árvores não terão folhas no final de abril; eles estarão nus. O NH 112 (Kancamagus) pode ser fechado se a neve estiver profunda o suficiente; se estiver aberto, terá as melhores vistas ao atravessar a Floresta Nacional. Outras rodovias, como US 302, I-93 e NH 16, estarão abertas. O Jackson NH tem uma excelente ponte coberta (e romântica) ao lado do NH 16. Conway NH também tem duas excelentes pontes cobertas. Um centro de visitantes local (em Intervale), ao norte de North Conway, oferece excelentes vistas para o Monte Washington. Várias áreas de esqui estão na Floresta Nacional; eles podem ter trilhas para caminhadas.

So sorry I missed this. Depends where you stay. We have a service dog and brought her everywhere. Good luck.

Red Jacket hotel is nice

Here is what I found, upon doing some more digging: Lafayette Campground is located in the middle of Franconia Notch State Park, along the Franconia Recreational Trail. The campground is open for walk-ins beginning May 19 and reservable stays from Memorial Day through Columbus Day weekend....Winter camping is welcome; a vault toilet but no running water is available. It also looks like backcountry camping is permitted (no fee) - just need to look into parking overnight at trailheads. Hope this helps the next person looking for this info!

Tons...at varying prices.