franconia notch state park

I went to Franconia Notch back in October when the fall foliage was in full bloom. I was only there for one day and the weather was gloomy, but even with those conditions this was an absolutely wonderful day trip. I hiked the Bald Mountain/Artist Bluff trail (which had a GORGEOUS view of the lake & mountains) which was less than two miles and the view payoff was great. I also saw the Basin waterfall and the Flume Gorge, both of which were incredible. I barely had enough time to see what I saw and there was just so much to do I could have spent many more days there! Highly. highly recommend this place if you are in New England, as it captures the essence of New England's natural beauty.

if you love to hike..its the place..with so many trails and attractions, with spots for camping in the mountains..

There is so much to do here, I could write a book! I'm going to give one of my favorite family fun things to do that I Iove, the Bald Mtn-Artist Bluff Loop trail. It's located in the parking lot across the street from Canon Mtn. Pull in the lot, straight to the back and it's down on the left. It's less than 2 miles, but feels like a big Mtn experience for the kids. It has it all....an open granite summit on Bald with great views of the notch and Canon Mtn, and a really fun overlook on Artist Bluff. This is a year round experience and winter is when you can again bring the kids on a big Mtn experience without all the danger!! Most winter trips need light traction device or snowshoes, as they get lots of snow! I used this trail to get my son addicted to hiking and climbing Mtns in all seasons!There is another trailhead entry across street from Echo Lake Beach parking lot as well. Enjoy!

Franconia Notch is a beautiful area! There are things to do here for everyone. There is access to many hiking trails of all skill levels. There is a paved bike trail that runs up through the Notch to the Old Man in the mountain viewing area. The State Park campground is great! The weather changes constantly. We visited in July, and we had a few nights in the campground that it got down in the 40's with rain. If camping, make sure you are prepared for all types of weather. The Old Man in the Mountain is no longer there. The weather claimed him in 2003. There is plenty to see and do if you love the outdoors!

This is a huge tourist attraction in the White Mountains and with good reason. If you like hiking and the outdoors, make this place a must stop. Although it can be busy with other people, it is a nice walk through the notch and there are other trails to hike as well.

Inevitably there are lots of visitors at the information centre, around the car park and the facilities but get away from them and things are more pleasurable. That said the interpretation is very good here especially the film on geology and the landscape's development. Out in the open this is spectacular country.

We walked to Flume Gorge, very interesting, lovely walk, a good day. Good facilities, cafe with a nice range of snacks & drinks, clean loos, reasonable prices.

There are so many mountains to choose from and great views of the Presidentials. If you want to knock off a bunch of 4000 footers, this is a good place to go.

Lots to do here. Leaves were very pretty. Just the drive thru was a treat. Lot of traffic though. Some nice short hikes and lots of turnouts for photo ops. Definitely worth a visit.

Within the park, accessible by I-93 are hiking trails, bike trails, ponds with a beach, waterfalls, moose, bears, and a ski area with a tram open year round, all surrounded by scenic beauty.

We recently spent time in Fraconia Notch State Park. We purchased the Discovery Pass, which included the Gorge and Aerial Tram. It was absolutely beautiful and we enjoyed both attractions. It is important to note that the hike of the Gorge had a lot of steps and hills, so be sure that you have the ability to do this hike prior to buying your tickets.

On October 18th, we took a chance on the weather and went to Franconia Notch State Park to train on a real trail for a major climb we are doing in the spring.We got advice from the park rangers which discouraged us from going up Mount Lafayette because of icy conditions. It had already become a crampon-only hike.So we decided to go up as far as we could on the Green leaf trail and got to the Greenleaf Hut. It took us three hours in the cold, wet trail with temperatures at the freezing mark and falling.The rangers were right. Everything above the Greenleaf Hut was frozen over and represented a real risk for footing in hiking boots: crampons only!The staff at the Greenleaf Hut were preparing to close for the season but did offer us some hot chocolate and took down the seats they had already started to stack in preparation for the winter. Getting out of the elements at the Hut was such a relief. The Greenleaf trail is probably easier to negotiate in warmer dryer temperature but it has strewn with rocks which are slippery when wet and covered with leaves. We are used to trekking and considered this 2.5 hour up and 1.5 hour down trek as average exertion, with a limited amount of risk if you pay attention to your footing and deal properly with the weather element.The summit hopping from the Falling Water trail across to the summit of Mount Lafayette and down the Greenleaf Trail should be done before October unless you are really serious about trekking gear and come prepared to the hilt.

A great spot to enjoy nature. Worth the drive and there are many places for a quick hike. We visited at the end of the fall colors, but the area was still breathtaking!

I may not have this quite right, but you can research for yourself. We stopped at the Visitor's Center for what we thought was going to be a walk to the Flume (nice Visitor's Center by the way, worth the visit), but found out they charged $15 per person for the walk. What?! All of New Hampshire is so beautiful, I just couldn't justify having to pay to walk. So, we didn't - which means I cannot review that part. The tram would have been another $14 each. What we did instead was drive farther on (this is the part where I'm not sure where it was, but still in the Notch Park), parked for free and walked a small short walk labeled either "Baby Flume" or "Baby Basin:" under an overpass. From there, it was a very nice trail, easily accessible, which meandered alongside the river and came to a beautiful flume/basin. We wished we had had a picnic lunch as the sound of the rushing water, sights and clean smells were intoxicating (you must drown out the sound of the nearby highway). The walk is not terribly long or difficult and well worth a side stop. AND, free.

What a beautiful escape. I came here with my girlfriend this past summer and it was one of the highlights of our New England trip. You are essentially walking through a cleft in a mountain, flanked on both sides by sheer walls glimmering wet from the waterfalls that cascade down the rock face.The walk may be difficult for some elderly people, but I found it to be pleasant. Note though, that I do quite enjoy long hikes. There were no truly difficult portions, and many sections provide a sturdy wooden boardwalk through the narrow chasm.I would recommend this to anyone who loves nature and the outdoors.