Notch to Coast: New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine in fall color

The Valley Train is a 55-minute, 11-mile round trip from the 1874 station in North Conway (38 Norcross Circle) to Conway and back. All departures leave from North Conway. It's on Day 2, Wed Oct 7. Day 3 (Thu Oct 8) is shown for comparison only: that day is Mount Willard and the Loon gondola, out of Lincoln.

Booked: the 11:00 AM Coach on Wed Oct 7 (back 11:55), 2 adults + her as a toddler, booking #383305608, $50.88 paid. We leave Salem at 7:30 and reach North Conway at about 10:20 after the 2 h 50 drive. If we're running late, call the ticket office (603-356-5251) about moving to the 12:45 PM Coach.

Time slots

Live from the railroad's booking calendar (FareHarbor), checked Fri Oct 2, 2026. Seats move fast in peak week, so book soon.

"Open" means bookable online with no low-seat warning. "Call to book" means none left online; call the railroad.

Ticket prices

Prices are from the railroad's Valley Train page and can vary through the year. Every rider needs a ticket. Her free Coach ticket is booked together with the adult tickets.

Good to know

• Cancellation: cancel up to 72 hours before boarding (so by 11 AM Sun Oct 4 for the 11:00 train) to rebook, or get a credit good for a year. It's not a refund.
• Arrive 30 min early (by 10:30), as the booking asks. The station opens at 8:30; traffic into North Conway Village backs up in foliage season and parking by the station is limited. The platform and 1874 station are the photo spot.
• With a 2-year-old: Coach has open seating, so grab a window on the side away from the platform. The Gertrude Emma's opening windows are fun, but keep little hands inside.
• Skip the Mountaineer, the 4–4.5 hour Crawford Notch train. It's too long for her, and Coach is $31 for under-3s.

Sources: Valley Train fares · booking calendar (FareHarbor) · Valley Train

Built around a Nikon Z6 + Nikkor Z 24–70 mm and a DJI Osmo Pocket 4 (1-inch sensor on a 3-axis gimbal, 4K up to 240 fps, 10-bit D-Log M, 107 GB built-in storage). It assumes one adult often has her on their back in the carrier, so everything has to work one-handed and pack light.

What each camera is for

Add these to the kit

Must-have

• Circular polarizer (CPL) for the 24–70: 72 mm for the f/4 S, 82 mm for the f/2.8 S. This is the single biggest upgrade for foliage. It cuts glare on wet leaves so the reds and yellows saturate, darkens the sky, and sees through reflections at the waterfalls. Turn it until the leaves look richest; take it off for portraits in shade.
• Spare batteries. Z6: 3–4 × EN-EL15b/c. Expect roughly 300–400 shots a charge, much less with video and in the cold. The b and c versions charge in the camera over USB-C. Pocket 4: the battery is built in (rated about 4 hours, closer to 2.5 h at 4K), so carry a USB-C power bank or DJI's battery grip, and top it up in the car. With a 65 W charger it reaches 80% in about 18 min.
• Memory cards. Z6: 2 × CFexpress Type B (or XQD on an original Z6; the Z6 II and III also take SD). Pocket 4: 107 GB built in, plus one 256 GB+ V30 microSD as overflow (it takes up to 1 TB). 4K 30p on the Z6 runs about 65 GB an hour.
• Travel tripod with an Arca-Swiss ball head, under about 3 lb, that folds to fit in a carry-on (for example Peak Design Travel, Sirui or Ulanzi carbon models). It's for the lighthouse at dusk, the Artist's Bluff family shot on self-timer, silky waterfalls and the covered bridge at blue hour.
• Rain cover for the Z6 (a simple sleeve is fine), a microfiber cloth or two, a lens blower, and a couple of zip bags.

Nice to have

• ND filter: a variable ND or ND8 + ND64 for the 24–70. It gives silky water at ½–2 s and keeps video at 1/50 s in daylight. Pocket 4: a magnetic ND set for smoother motion in bright light (check it's made for the Pocket 4).
• Shoulder-strap clip (Peak Design Capture or similar) on the carrier or daypack strap, so the Z6 rides on your chest and both hands stay free on the trail.
• Pocket 4 accessories: an extension rod / mini tripod handle (family selfies, over-the-rail shots at the gorges, and standing it on a ledge for timelapses), a phone-style suction or vent mount for a windshield timelapse on the Kancamagus (mount it low, never blocking the driver's view), and a backpack-strap clip for hands-free walking clips.
• Microphone for talking clips: a DJI wireless mic pairs with the Pocket 4 directly (no receiver). On the Z6, a small on-camera shotgun with a furry windscreen (the coast and the bluffs are windy).
• Backup each night: a small SSD (1–2 TB) plus a card reader for the phone or laptop. Back up every card before you format it.
• Remote shutter, or SnapBridge on your phone, for group shots from the tripod.

Drone rules

Each Itinerary card has a drone badge for its stop: Drone OK, FAA authorization first, ask first (private land) or No drones.

• Before the trip (FAA, recreational flyers): carry your TRUST certificate, register the drone if it weighs over 250 g (0.55 lb), mark the number on it and fly with Remote ID on. Stay under 400 ft, keep it in sight, and never fly over people or moving cars.
• Not allowed: every NH State Park stop (Flume Gorge, Artist's Bluff, Echo Lake, Crawford Notch), the National Forest trailheads and Kancamagus pullouts (no landing within ¼ mile of trailheads and listed areas), Loon and Stowe resorts (even from outside), Vermont state land without a permit (Smugglers' Notch, Quechee Gorge), and the Harvard and MIT campuses.
• FAA authorization first: the Old Port (Portland Jetport Class C), Fort Williams if B4UFLY shows controlled airspace there, and Quincy (Boston Logan Class B). Request LAANC in a drone app; near Logan the ceiling can be 0 ft.
• Best bets: Stowe village and the church viewpoint, and Woodstock green, in uncontrolled airspace, early before the crowds. Ask first at farms, orchards and the Trapp Family Lodge.
• Rules change: open B4UFLY at each stop before you launch.

Shoes & hiking support

• Waterproof hiking shoes with deep lugs for both adults. Artist's Bluff is short but steep, rocky and rooty, and the granite at Flume Gorge and the roots and loose rock on Mount Willard stay wet and slick. Trekking poles help on the Willard descent with her on your back. Break them in before the trip.
• One trekking pole for whoever carries her, especially for the steep descent from Artist's Bluff. A collapsible one fits in the daypack.
• Child carrier with a rain or sun hood and a storage pocket for the Pocket 4, snacks and a layer for her. Adjust it at home, with her in it, before the trip.
• Wool socks, one spare pair each in the daypack.
• Headlamp in the daypack in case a hike runs late (already on the to-do list).
• Touchscreen gloves that work the Z6 buttons. It can be near freezing and windy on the Gondola, at Portland Head Light and on the bluffs at dusk.
• Daypack: water, the first-aid kit, snacks, her spare outfit, rain shell, and the camera rain cover.

Sun times

From the Weather section (live). The numbers here are calculated for each base. Golden hour is roughly the last hour before sunset; blue hour is about 10–35 minutes after. Mountains and valleys cut the light off earlier than the clock says.

Shot plan by stop

• Day 1 (sunset 6:18 PM): you're with family in Quincy at sunset and reach Salem after dark, so no shoot planned. Charge every battery and format cards at the hotel.
• Rocky Gorge (Day 2, 1:45 PM): the footbridge over the Swift River from the ledges downstream; a 1/4–1 s exposure from the bridge rail smooths the rapids.
• Artist's Bluff (Day 2, 3:45 PM): the trip's signature shot, with the White Mountains at or just past peak. 24–35 mm over Echo Lake and the notch, CPL at about half strength, bracket for the bright sky. Tripod and self-timer for the family on the ledge. Leave by sunset with the headlamp.
• Echo Lake (Day 2, 5:35 PM): from the beach, Cannon's cliffs catch the last light; shoot low across the water for the reflection, and switch to the Pocket 4 for her running on the sand.
• Conway Scenic train (Day 2, ~11 AM): platform portrait at the 1874 station, then the window seat with her face lit by the window; the Pocket 4 for a clip of the coaches rolling.
• Kancamagus Highway (Day 2, 1:15 PM): midday sun, so lean on the CPL to cut glare and deepen color. CPL on the whole drive; stop at the marked scenic overlooks for the layered ridges at 50–70 mm. Pocket 4 on a dash mount for a timelapse.
• Flume Gorge (Day 4, 9 AM): inside the gorge it's shaded and dim at opening, so raise the ISO and brace on the boardwalk rail; the red covered bridge at the entrance is the family portrait.
• Mount Willard (Day 3, about 10 AM on the ledge): morning light down Crawford Notch; 24 mm from mid-ledge with the road and railroad leading in, CPL for the haze; family photo well back from the edge.
• Loon gondola (Day 3, 3:15 PM): shoot the Pocket 4 against the cabin glass on the way up; at the summit, Herbert's Tower looks west to Franconia Ridge into the afternoon sun, so expose for the ridge and use the backlight on the foliage.
• Trapp meadows (Day 4, 5 PM): golden hour over the meadows toward the mountains, 70 mm to compress the ridges; her running through the grass at 1/500 s.
• Stowe (Days 4–5): the church spire from the Church viewpoint at 2 PM on Day 4 (50–85 mm stacks it against the color), the Stowe sign at Lake Champlain Chocolates at 3:20 PM; on the Day 5 gondola, hold the Pocket 4 close to the glass and wear something dark to cut reflections; Smugglers' Notch is shaded and best overcast.
• Apple picking (Day 5, 1:45 PM): 70 mm at f/4 for her reaching for apples; low angle against the sky.
• Woodstock (Day 5, 5 PM): the Middle Covered Bridge and village green at golden and blue hour, after checking in at The Shire.
• Quechee Gorge (Day 6, 9:30 AM): from the Route 4 bridge at 24 mm, CPL to see into the water.
• Old Port (Day 7, 12 PM): the walking-away shot on the cobblestones of Wharf St, and her lobster-roll moment at f/2.8 with the boats soft behind.
• Portland Head Light (Day 7, 4:30 PM, golden hour from 5:03, sunset 6:03): CPL for the sea and sky, 24 mm from the lawn and the cliff walk; tripod and bracket 3 exposures as the sun drops. The park closes at sunset. Optional sunrise (Mon Oct 12, 6:51 AM, 20 min from the hotel, on the free morning): one adult goes alone while the other stays with her; the sun comes up over the ocean beside the light.

Settings cheat sheet

Nikon Z6

• Foliage: RAW + JPEG, CPL, exposure −0.3 to −0.7 so the reds don't clip, white balance Cloudy on gray days.
• Her, on the move: shutter 1/500 s or faster, AF-C, Auto-area AF with eye detection (update to the latest firmware first), f/4 at 70 mm.
• Waterfalls: tripod, ISO 100, f/8–11, ½–2 s, 2 s self-timer, VR off on the tripod.
• Dusk and indoors: auto ISO up to 6400 is clean on the Z6; keep 1/125 s for a toddler.
• Video: 4K 24/30p, shutter 1/50 or 1/60 (use the ND in daylight), Flat Picture Control, e-VR on for handheld walking.
• Save a landscape setup to U1 and a kid-action setup to U2 on the mode dial, so switching takes one turn.

Osmo Pocket 4

• 4K 30p for general clips; 4K 120/240p for slow-motion moments (leaf piles, apples falling, her running). D-Log M only for clips you'll grade; otherwise the normal color profile looks great straight away.
• ActiveTrack: tap her on the screen and the gimbal keeps her in frame, so you can set it on a ledge and join the shot.
• Follow mode for walking; tilt-lock for steady pans across the valleys.
• Timelapse or Motionlapse for the drives and the sunset at Hancock Overlook; a 10–15 s clip per place is plenty.
• 37 MP photos are good for quick shares; let the Z6 do the keepers.

Cold & wet care

• Batteries drain fast in the cold: keep Z6 spares and the Pocket 4 in an inside pocket and swap or top up early.
• Condensation: before going from the cold car into a warm hotel or restaurant, put the Z6 in a zip bag and let it warm up sealed for 20–30 minutes.
• Wipe spray off the lens right away; the CPL is cheaper to scratch than the front element. The Pocket 4 is not weather-sealed: pocket it in rain.

What to wear for the photos

Solid, rich colors stand out against the foliage: deep blue, forest green, mustard, burgundy, cream. Avoid bright logos and neon, and dress her in one standout color (yellow or red) so she pops in the wide shots.

• Expect 35–60 °F in the valleys. Bring a warm hat, mittens and a fleece or puffy suit for her.
• Pack both a child carrier (Artist's Bluff, Mount Willard, Loon's Glacial Caves, Flume Gorge, the Trapp meadows, the Stowe gondola, Smugglers' Notch) and a light stroller (Echo Lake, Stowe village and path, Woodstock green, Quechee bridge, the Old Port, Harvard and MIT). Each Itinerary card says which one to bring.
• Summits are windy: a hooded jacket for her makes Artist's Bluff, the Gondola and the Maine coast at Portland Head Light much nicer.
• Trails at Flume Gorge, Artist's Bluff and Quechee can be wet, so wear shoes with grip. See Camera & gear for shoes, poles and the photo kit.
• Cell service drops out on the Kancamagus Highway. Download offline maps before you fly.
• Day 1: from Logan to family in Quincy for the evening and dinner, then about an hour north to La Quinta in Salem, NH, arriving around 9 PM. Pack her pajamas and a snack bag in the carry-on so she can change in Quincy and sleep on the drive.

Plan B

• Rain in the White Mountains on Oct 7? The train still runs and the coaches are covered; swap Artist's Bluff for the hotel pool and catch it on Oct 8 or 9 instead (it's on I-93, 15 min north). With two nights in Lincoln, Mount Willard can also move between Oct 8 and the Oct 9 morning.
• Stowe gondola not running or in cloud on Oct 10? Drive Smugglers' Notch, then spend longer at the orchard and in Waterbury on the way south.
• Rain in Portland on Oct 12? With two nights there's slack: take a long lunch in the Old Port and move the Head Light to the evening of Oct 11 (Oct 13 leaves at 7 AM for Harvard and MIT on the way to Logan).
• Wind or heavy rain forecast near peak? Check the fall color matrix the night before and move the best viewpoint earlier in the day.