Betty and Barney Hills' Vacation Trip Timeline on September 17-20, 1961

September 18, 1961: Betty and Barney were enjoying their drive through Ontario, taking in the sights, and sampling a variety of culinary delights, when late in the afternoon their car emitted a squealing sound. They crossed a bridge into Upstate New York where they found an American service station. The service station's attendant inexpensively fixed the problem by greasing a squeaky wheel. 

Soon the Hills continued on their way toward Montreal but grew tired and decided to stop for the night one hundred and twelve miles west of the city. Barney pulled up to a friendly looking motel and Betty registered the couple and their pet dachshund Delsey. (*The words “friendly looking” are a direct quote from Barney.)  

September 19, 1961:  Feeling well rested from the night before the Hills ate a large breakfast at a restaurant a short walk across the street from the motel. They were anticipating taking in the sights of the big city and experiencing the cultural events that Montreal had to offer, so they departed along a four lane highway on their journey toward the city. 

The Hills' Route Through Ontario to Montreal, Quebec

Along their route they saw an advertisement for Sainte Catherine Street, Montreal’s nine mile primary commercial artery across the metropolitan area. It is known for its department stores, specialty shops, restaurants, commercial buildings, and theaters. At the end of an afternoon exploring the sights and dining on French cuisine, the couple had planned on taking in a show at one of the glamorous theaters.

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

But first they made plans to secure lodging. The hotels in downtown Montreal were inaccessible to a couple with a tight budget, and Barney was disappointed at the thought of driving to the bustling city’s outskirts and then turning around and negotiating the confusing route back to Sainte Catherine Street in downtown Montreal. The city road map was difficult to navigate, and this delayed his journey toward the city’s edge. Feeling a sense of frustration, Barney decided to abandon his plans for an evening of Montreal's nightlife and instead turned onto the highway that led to New Hampshire.

Barney did not enjoy the hustle and bustle of large cities. He preferred the peace, quiet, and natural beauty of lakes, mountains, and country farms. His favorite childhood memories were of the times he spent on his aunt’s and uncle’s farm in Virginia. Likewise, Betty spent her early years in the tranquility of a poultry and dairy farm in Southern New Hampshire. As an adult she resided in the small port city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, only twenty miles from her beloved family. Barney loved Portsmouth but his heart ached for his beloved sons in Philadelphia. He saw them as frequently as possible. 

He drove 172 miles along the highway that led from Montreal to Canaan, Vermont. The drive would have taken approximately three and a half hours if they had not stopped. However, they stopped twice: once at a snack stand a few miles outside Montreal and again at a restaurant in Coaticook.

As they entered the restaurant in Coaticook, they observed a few young men with haircuts that Barney associated with hoodlum behavior. He immediately went on guard but was relieved to discover that they were respectable young men. He and Betty were treated well. The restaurant was crowded with French speaking people and the Hills had difficulty with the French only menu. Their order of French fried potatoes (pommes frites) came as potato chips (croustilles), hardly a substantial meal. Frustrated over the language barrier, they left the restaurant without placing a second order.

Downtown Coaticook, Quebec 

Before leaving Canada Barney filled their gas tank with his remaining Canadian money. The couple went through US Customs in Canaan, Vermont, and drove the short trip along US Route 3 to Colebrook, NH. Pleased to be back on home territory they sought the burning lights of an open restaurant. It would be their last opportunity to dine and drink a cup of coffee.

It was only a 45 minute drive  from Coaticook to Colebrook, but potato chips and a soft drink hardly satisfied the Hills’ appetites.  The couple arrived in Colebrook a little after 9:00 PM and stopped at  Howard's Restaurant near closing time.  

Howard's Restaurant, Colebrook, NH

They took a seat at the counter at Howard's Restaurant in Colebrook, and a Native American woman who had worked there for years, waited on them. Barney ate a cheeseburger and Betty slowly savored a piece of chocolate cake spread with a sweet layer of frosting. Both drank a cup of coffee and enjoyed the quiet ambiance of the restaurant. 

Having ingested their meal, the couple checked the time on their watches against the clock on the wall. They departed from the restaurant at 10:05 PM. They wound their watches and Barney calculated their approximate arrival time. The 185 mile trip would place them in Portsmouth between 2:00 and 3:00 AM. They turned on to US Highway 3 and headed south. 

It was a light, bright night so Barney able to drive was able to move along at the maximum speed allowed by the law.  He pushed aheadto 60 miles per hour on some sections of the highway, whereas the curved mountainous areas required a slower speed. 

This 1960-1961 map shows the Hills' route through upstate New Hampshire on US Highway 3.

Town of Lancaster, NH

© Kathleen Marden

Although the Hills’ initial report stated that Betty had observed a strange moving light in the sky near Groveton, when they retraced their route they realized that they were south of Lancaster when Betty’s eyes were drawn to a rapidly moving light that arced upward into the sky. According to Betty’s statements, her initial sighting took place thirty miles south of Colebrook at approximately 10:55 PM. As Barney drove south, Betty watched the moving starlike object as it traveled in the southwestern sky.

They were south of the small town of Twin Mountain when the object began to move in their direction and close in on their vehicle. Betty asked Barney to stop at a sideroad off the highway because their dog was growing restless and needed to be walked. Barney pulled to the side of the road near the Mount Cleveland Picnic Area. This was only seventeen miles south of Lancaster. He and Betty observed the encroaching craft through binoculars but left the area quickly and headed south toward Franconia Notch.  

The Hills' first observational stop

©Copyright Kathleen Marden

Cannon Mountain as seen by Betty and Barney Hill on US Highway 3 at the north entrance of Franconia Notch

© Kathleen Marden

This uncanny craft had so sparked Betty’s insatiable curiosity that she would not be satisfied until she could identify it. Barney was weighing a few prosaic possibilities in his own mind because he felt certain that extraterrestrial visitation was impossible. They pulled to the side of the highway for their second observational stop by the Old Man of the Mountain, only a mile south of Cannon Mountain and five miles south of their first stop at Mount Cleveland. 

The Old Man of the Mountain, Franconia Notch

© Kathleen Marden

Through binoculars the Hills’ witnessed the craft hovering beside the 48' long Old Man of the Mountain's profile. It was one and a half to two times the length of the profile. The rotating craft appeared to be lighted on only one side. Barney compared its movement to that of a spinning top. It then assumed a vertical position and began to move.

Profile Lake is located at the base of the Old Man of the Mountain. Betty and Barney watched as the craft tilted vertically and descended in a stair-step pattern above the lake. As he watched in amazement, it suddenly bounced back and forth in the sky. Barney said, "like a ball attached to a wooden paddle with a rubber band. You hit the ball with the paddle and it shoots out in a straight line. Then it returns in a straight line without making a circle." Today’s observers have compared this motion to the back and forth action of a ping pong ball.

The Hills quickly returned to their car and headed south toward the town of Lincoln and the familiar motels and tourist attractions that lined the highway.  

Along the way, they pulled to the side of the highway for a brief moment but drove on because trees blocked their view of the craft. Soon they exited Franconia Notch and passed by a natural stone landmark known as Indian Head. Barney was relieved to have left the barren wilderness of the mountainous area and to view the familiar motels in Lincoln's tourist section. 

Indian Head Rock Profile 

© Kathleen Marden

   The Indian Head Resort in 1961 

September 20, 1961: Almost directly in their path, the couple encountered a huge flattened circular disc with a row of lighted windows along its forward edge. Barney slammed on the brakes and stopped in the middle of the road, blocking both lanes. He grabbed his binoculars and opened the car door for a less encumbered view, standing in the middle of the highway. The silent, hovering aerial vehicle had descended to an estimated two hundred feet or less above their vehicle. He stepped back and the craft moved across the highway and descended lower, perhaps to one hundred feet overhead. 

The "Close Encounter Field" on US Highway 3 is a short distance

south of Indian Head. Original photo by Walter Webb. Illustration by Kathleen Marden

Barney left the car motor running and the driver's side door open illuminating the car's interior. He turned and followed the craft into the field while Betty remained seated on the passenger seat. 

The silent enigmatic craft was huge; maybe sixty to eighty feet in diameter. As he approached it, two red lights at the end of fin-like structures parted from the sides of the craft, and it tilted toward Barney. 

Lifting his binoculars to his eyes, he spied a group of strangely "not human” figures moving about with military precision. As the craft tilted downward and began to descend toward him, one of these strange creatures, who remained at the window, communicated a frightening message. Something unknown began to extend from the bottom of the craft, and this gave Barney the immediate impression that he was in danger of being plucked from the field “like a bug in a net.” Overcome with fear and with all of the strength that he could muster, he tore the binoculars from his eyes and raced back to the car.  (Words in quotation marks are from Walter Webb's Confidential NICAP Report.)

Barney at the Close Encounter Field on Route 3 in Lincoln, and his sketch drawn on the morning of September 20, 1961 

© Kathleen Marden

Barney's feet pounded on the pavement as he fled to the safety of his car. He looked back and saw the craft moving in his direction. Breathless, trembling, and in a near state of hysterics, he warned Betty that they needed to get out of there or they were going to be captured. He threw his binoculars onto the seat and accelerated rapidly to escape the craft. But his effort was futile. Suddenly, rhythmic "buzzing" tones struck the trunk of the Hills’ vehicle and they sensed a penetrating vibration in their bodies.

Thirty  miles down the highway, once again they heard the same buzzing sounds. This time they were restored to full conscious awareness. They looked for but could not see the craft. They had vague memories of finding themselves on an unpaved road lined with tall trees, a roadblock, and a red-orange orb.

Feeling a desire for human comfort, they were on the lookout for a police officer or a restaurant that was open, but they could find neither. They continued on their route home arriving hours late.  

 This 1960-1961 New Hampshire map shows the Hills' close encounter route and observational stops. The yellow dashes indicate the section of highway during their period of dual amnesia. The red line on the smaller insert indicates their route from Lancaster to the second series of buzzing sounds that restored them to full awareness. © Kathleen Marden

This 1961 New Hampshire map indicates the Hills' route to their home in Portsmouth, NH. US Route 3 continued straight onto US Route 3B. They did not take US Route 3 to Meredith and Laconia. They heard a second set of buzzing tones strike the trunk of their vehicle near Northfield. Interstate Highway 93 was under construction and had been completed as far north as Northfield/Tilton. They drove south to Concord and headed east on US Highway 4 to their home in Portsmouth. 

When the Hills arrived home they felt "clammy" and feared that they had been contaminated by ionizing radiation or cosmic rays because the craft had hovered so close to their vehicle. They took long showers and then sketched pictures of the craft from memory. 

Later that day, they were startled to find shiny concentric circles on their car’s trunk precisely where they had heard buzzing tones hours earlier. They had not been there the previous day. When they held a compass over the spots, the needle whirled indicating a magnetic field. But when they moved it to another area of the vehicle the needle dropped down.

Their watches had stopped and never ran again, the leather strap on their binoculars had been severed, Barney's best dress shoes were ruined with deep scrapes on the toes, and Betty's favorite blue dress was torn in several places.  It had been in fine condition when she dressed on the morning of September 19, but when she arrived home, there was a 2 inch tear in the stitching at the top of her zipper and the thick zipper fabric was torn. The lining was torn from waist to hemline and the hem was down on the same side. She did not wash her dress. Later, she discovered a perplexing pink powdery substance on many areas of her dress. It has been analyzed in five scientific laboratories, but no scientist has discovered a prosaic explanation for the mystery.

The tops of Barney’s best dress shoes were so badly scraped that he had to purchase new shoes. Vegetative matter speckled his pant legs. Later, a concentric circle of wartlike growths appeared on his groin. A laboratory determined that they were not venereal warts. 

In the days and months that followed, an aura of mystery surrounded the Hills' shocking events on the night of September 19-20, 1961. The physical and circumstantial evidence played constantly in their minds as they quietly sought answers to their questions. They filed reports with Pease Air Force Base on September 21, and with the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena on September 26. They surreptitiously spoke with military officers and scientists, but because they were determined to keep their information confidential, they were not public about what they had observed.

Facsimile of shiny spots on the trunk of Betty's 1957 Chevy

(Created by Kathleen Marden from memory.) Unlike Kathleen's creation, the concentric circles were perfectly shaped and smooth.