Franconia Notch State Park: New Hampshire Fall

10.11.2017


“We were standing under what was often called the “Kissing Bridge” at the picturesque Flume covered Bridge over Pemigewasset River. The fall had pleasantly arrived on the Columbus day weekend and we had the zest to explore as many Fall outings as we could. There were times when the wind almost blew us making our ears pop on top of the Cannon Mountain at 4,080 foot summit but after we had survived the windy and cold Mt Washington, we were ready for more and more!”


The Sentinel Pine Bridge
For previous posts on New Hampshire, click here


How was the Flume Gorge formed?

Nearly 200 million years ago, the Conway granite that forms the walls of the flume was deeply buried in molten rock. As it cooled, the granite was broken by closely spaced vertical fractures which lays parallel. Sometime after the fractures were formed, small disks of basalt were forced up along the fractures. The basalt came from deep within the earth as fluid and because of pressure was able to force the Conway granite aside. The Basalt crystallized quickly against the relatively cold granite causing the basalt to turn into a rock. Erosion slowly lowered the earth’s surface and exposed the disks. As the overlying rock was worn away, pressure was relived and horizontal cracks developed, allowing water to get in. The gorge was covered by glaciers during ice age and as you’d walk you will see walls of the gorge where small trees are growing. The flume is a natural gorge at the base of Mt. Liberty.

 

Flume Gorge Tickets

We got the discovery pass from the Canon Ariel Tramway that included tickets to Flume Gorge. The tickets was for $30. Flume gorge is open until Oct 22 and will reopen again in Summer.

The Entries and Trails?

The entire walking loop through the flume and back to the Visitor Center by the way of the pool is 2 miles and takes 1 hour 15 minutes. We took a bus from Visitor center till Boulder cabin that frequently runs and started hiking after that. The bus runs from late June to mid October. The bus takes you on a very short ride and saves about 15 minutes of your time.

We came back walking. Please get the brochure from the visitor center with the map on trail. It’s easy walking loop to do.

The important highlights from the trail would be Table rock, The Flume Gorge, Avalanche Falls, Liberty Gorge, Sentinel Pine Covered Bridge, The Pool, The Wolf Den and The Glacial Boulder



Table rock is a section of conway granite that is 500 feet long and 75 feet wide. Over time, the rushing waters of the Flume Brook has exposed this large outcropping of rock!




The Flume Gorge









Lincoln, NH

Lincoln can be great base for stay for your fall travel to New Hampshire. It gives you easy access to Mt Washington, Franconia Notch and Kancamagus Highway. We had our food at the popular Gypsy Cafe which had brightly colored artsy installations in the restaurant.






 The whole of Lincoln is a great place to walk around or have food or groceries or have fun in some local festival. When we were there, the craft festival was taking place.




Echo Lake, NH

Another beautiful spot that I recently found on Instagram was Echo Lake. We missed it last fall but the views from Echo lake looks awesome. It is in Franconia Notch and it is a nice family spot with pretty views of the hills and a beach.

Echo Lake , New Hampshire (Image from Shutterstock)


Lake Winnipesaukee, NH

Our cottage "White Oak Motel & Cottages" in Holderness was with White Oak Pond.  It had two bedrooms + 1 kitchen + restroom.





The backside of our cottage. The view of White Oak Pond.

About 45 minutes from our cottage was Lake Winnipesaukee. Lake Winnipesaukee is the largest lake in the state of New Hampshire. It is approximately 21 miles long and contains 258 islands.  The Native American name Winnipesaukee (often spelled Winnipiseogee in earlier centuries means either "smile of the Great Spirit" or "beautiful water in a high place".

 Winnipesaukee is a glacial lake but an unusual one, since the last glaciation actually reversed the flow of its waters. Weirs Beach is Lake Winnipesaukee's most popular beach and you can take a cruise on Lake Winnipesaukee aboard the M/S Mount Washington.


It was rainy the day we arrived so we couldn't take the cruise.

Mt Washington to Canon Tramway drive


Pizza place near Franconia Notch



The 80 passenger cable car takes you to the Mt Cannon summit. At the summit you'll find walking path, observation deck, cafes and restrooms.

On a clear day you can see the mountains of four states and Canada from the summit!




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