Stonehouse Pond – Barrington, NH

Bridge at the head of the entry trail by the pond

Dam on the edge of the pond

Rock face from the parking area

Little pine cones, still attached to the tree, found at the top of the rock face

I never thought I would see something like this sitting in the middle of a town in southern NH, but it’s here and it’s got an amazing view! It’s a little steep to get up to the hill, but so well worth the climb. When you arrive at the top, you’ll see the pond below and in the distance, the Blue Hills of Strafford. And trees. Lots of trees.

While sitting atop the rocks, you can usually see duckies floating on the pond, sometimes a kayaker floating along as well. It’s very peaceful and relaxing, which helps after the steep upclimb. Unfortunately, no swimming is allowed here, but there is ‘Cartop Boat Access’, so you’re more than welcome to row, canoe or kayak the pond. The pond is managed as a ‘fly-fishing trout pond’, so fly-fishing is allowed, but only at certain dates. Please check the bulletin board when pulling into the parking lot for rules on fishing at this pond.

There are two access entries to this pond, but it really just ends up being a loop and depends on how steep you want your path up and back down to be.
The first entrance can be found at the parking area just below the pond. To the right of the bulletin board, follow the stream to the dam, where you’ll find a small branch-bridge. Cross this bridge and follow the footpath you’ll find. Unfortunately, the footpath isn’t marked so you’ll have to follow the trail as best you can. This path is very steep; please proceed with caution.
The other trail entrance is back a bit from the pond. As you’re coming down the road to the pond, you’ll find a widened area where there is room enough for four to six cars depending on how you park. On the right side of the road, there are orange markers. In the winter, this is a snowmobile trail, but you can follow it, all the same, to get to the rock face. This side of the trail is marked which, by my understanding, makes it easier to travel.

To find Stonehouse Pond, follow Route 202 into Barrington. It is located 1.9 miles from the Rt 202/Rt 9 junction in Rochester and 3 miles from the Rt 202/Rt 4 junction in Northwood. The entry is marked with a fish and game sign and can be found on the East side of the road.

Have fun and be safe!!

Pickering Pond – Rochester, NH

 

Overall Rating: 3/5
Swimming Not Allowed (Not really suggested, either…)
Handicap Accessible

Pickering Ponds is an odd but lovely little place for a quiet walk. It’s nicely tucked away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Rochester, albeit in a slightly unnatural setting at one point (on one end of the pond, you’ll find the water treatment plant). There are a couple different trails here; one which loops around the main pond area and another which loops down to a walk along the Cocheco River for a bit, then back to the main trail.

For the most part, this is a pretty easy hike; there’s barely any elevation, including walking down and back up the hill to get to the river. The trail isn’t really marked, per say, but it’s easy to tell where the paths are and which direction you’re supposed to go. Even if you take a little side trail, it all ends up looping back together at some point. This is great for a day when you need to get your exercise in, but don’t want to over-exert yourself!

One of my favorite things about Pickering Ponds is to go midday when the sun is pretty high in the sky and it reflects and glows off of the pond. I don’t know if many other people love this like I do, but I find myself taking pictures like that quite often.  I don’t know what it is about that setting, but it makes my soul happy.

Besides the walk down to the river, the trail is pretty handicap and wheelchair accessible. That part might even be too, but I’ll leave that up to you who wish to venture.

To find Pickering Ponds, take Pickering Rd into Rochester. The parking area is across from 612 Pickering Rd. The parking area leaves about two spots abutting the gate and room enough for about four more cars down the drive.

Have fun and be safe!!

{Edit: I did a little bit more research on this area after drafting this post; when these photos were originally taken, we had visited in November 2016. As many across the country know (I may be assuming that, but I remember hearing it a lot on the national news), New England had a pretty terrible drought last year, and we’re just barely coming out of it now. As you can tell from one of the photos, the pond level was low around the edges and the dirt underneath was bone dry. However, I just want to point out that this is most definitely not the way you’d normally find this area and I don’t want it deterring anyone. As per pictures I have seen, this pond is usually much fuller, especially around snow melt and spring run off season, if not year round. I hope you still find yourself visiting here and enjoying yourself, despite how low the water looks in these photos. Have a good time out there!}

Sabbaday Falls – Waterville Valley, NH

Upper Falls

View of lower fall from bottom

View from the walkway

Overall Rating: 4/5
Swimming Rating: not allowed within 500ft of falls (correction: at all)
Hike Time/Distance: 15min/.3mi
Hike Difficulty: Easy
Fee: $3/car
Restrooms Available / (Supposedly Handicap Accessible?)

In almost the middle of the Kancamagus Highway sits Sabbaday Falls. It goes without saying that this is one of the most beloved (or maybe just most visited) waterfalls in the state. On any summer or fall day, you can find the parking lot overflowing with visitors, whether they be locals or tourists. With several turns and tiers, it’s pretty astounding to see!

A .3 mile hike to the 45′ falls makes it one of the more easily accessed waterfalls in the White Mountains. From a bit a research, what I’ve found so far says that the falls are handicap accessible if taking the upper trail which overlooks the entire waterfall. Be aware, the trails are dirt, so spring/snow melt season may not be the best time to visit if you’re expecting to take the handicap route.
If you take the route to the lower falls, a lovely pool can be found below. There is no swimming allowed at the falls, but if you’re close enough and there’s a heavy enough flow, you’ll feel a nice refreshing mist from the falls. You can sometimes even feel this up on the walkway above!

To find Sabbaday is pretty easy. It’s 15.5 miles/20mins from the Conway intersection of NH16 and Rt112, on the left. It’s 20.3 miles/30 mins from the Lincoln intersection of Rt112 and Rt3, on the right.

Have fun and be safe!!

Silver Cascade – Hart’s Location, NH

Overall Rating: 5/5
Swimming Not Possible (Don’t even try it, people have died here…)
Hike Difficulty: Easy / Roadside
Hike Distance/Time: Negligible
Fee: None
Handicap Accessible (Please Read Below) 

One of NH’s tallest waterfalls, Silver Cascade is also one of the easiest to see! Roadside on 302, it’s a great stop if you’re headed north… or anywhere, really. The height is well debated; some say 160ft, some say 200ft, the actual being well over at 250ft. It’s not the tallest in the state, but it comes in second (or… with silver… haha…)

You are welcome to climb over the guardrail in front of the falls and climb up the rock face a bit, but please, I beg you, be careful!!! Like previously mentioned, people have died here trying to get closer to the falls. While that is fun to do and more than welcome, the rocks can be slippery, no matter the time of year. The current is so strong here that the falls will take you down river fast. I don’t want this at all to deter you from exploring, just to remind you to be mindful of what you do and where you step.

I mentioned that this is handicap accessible, which kind of depends on just how comfortable you are with going across 302. The parking lot is across the road from the falls but on a hill. There’s a sidewalk in front of the falls, as well, so it’s definitely ‘accessible’ but the actual safety of access is questionable. Take your own risk with this one, folks.

To find Silver Cascade, follow 302 into Hart’s Location. If heading from North Conway, it’ll be 25.1 miles out after North Conway, on the right, parking area on the left. If heading from Twin Mtn./Caroll, NH side of 302, it’ll be 10 miles from the Rt 3/302 intersection on the left, parking on the right.

Have fun and be safe!!

 

Glen Falls – Fairlee, VT

View of Lake Morey from parking area

Lower Falls

Overall Rating: 4/5
Swimming Not Allowed
Hike Time/Distance: 5min/.2mi to lower falls // 8min/.3 to upper falls
Hike Difficulty: Easy
Fee: None
Restroom Available

Around the area of Glen Falls, there’s a couple different things to see and enjoy. Glen Falls is one of them, of course, but there’s also Lake Morey along with hiking at Bald Top Mtn. and the Palisades Trail, along with many others (find a good list here). It’s a lovely natural place!

Glen Falls is much more than my pictures even begin to show. There’s a lovely lower falls (pictured) and an upper falls, which was completely frozen over. If it were spring, summer or fall (or pretty much anytime that doesn’t have snow), I would say the entire hike is easy. However, when you’re me and forget your boots, and your sneakers lack sufficient tracking… well, you’ll at least be able to see the lower falls, but upper falls might be a little bit of slippery trek.

Aside from the falls, at the parking area there’s a couple benches where you can sit and overlook Lake Morey and mountains in the background (I apologize, I don’t know the name!!)

I’d love to make a revisit to this place and I can’t wait to post about it. I love it here, not just the falls, but there area and things to do around it. I’m not sure if they’ll being having it this year (2017) but last year, Fairlee had a Forest Festival in the Village Center with all sorts of stuff about wildlife and nature! The festival was held Saturday and guided hikes were held on Sunday. It looked like a cool event from what I saw, so keep your eyes peeled if you’re interested in going! (I’m truly hoping they have another this year!!!!)

To find Glen Falls, take Lake Morey Rd W in Fairlee to the boat launch (you’ll see a sign that says ‘ Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife Access Area MOREY LAKE’), park here. You’ll be across from two of the Bald Top Mtn trails, but don’t take the trails for the falls!! Instead, head up the road, toward the tennis courts and on the right side of the road, before the bridge going over Glen Falls Brook, you’ll see a path through the woods. Take this path along the brook and you’ll find the falls in no time.

Have fun and be safe!!

Beede Falls – Sandwich, NH

Road to the Falls

Main falls and pool

Top of the lower falls

View from just down the road

Overall Rating: 3/5
Swim Rating: 3/5
Hiking Distance/Time: .25mi / 5min
Hiking Difficulty: Easy
Fee: None

About half an hour from NH-16, tucked away in Sandwich Notch Park sits a neat place called Beede Falls. It’s not just another waterfall in the White Mountains; there’s a bit more to it than that! Not only will you find a main waterfall here flowing into a refreshing wading pool, you’ll also find a lower falls that doubles as a natural water slide (several for that matter!) Each tier is short enough, each along with a pool shallow enough to slide down into! The pool at the upper falls is shallow enough (only about knee/calf deep while regular flow) to stand under and behind the falls.

The water here, at least the few times we’ve been, is very chilling. However, I suspect this is due to the fact that there was no sun shining when we visited. It’s a wide enough open area for the sun to hit, so I can only imagine that this would be quite different on a warm and sunny day. Like I previously stated, it’s really only deep enough to wade in, however, I’ve seen astounding pictures when there’s is high water flow and it looks like you could really go for a deep swim! PLEASE, I BEG YOU, if you decide to make that crazy choice, be safe, be careful…. really just don’t be stupid. If you’re not a strong swimmer or the current looks intense, stay away! No thrill is worth your life.

Along with the falls, there’s a couple other things to check out at and around the area. There’s Cow Cave, for one. The story goes that a cow wandered off from a long ago nearby farm. It went missing for a good chunk of the winter and was later found hiding in the cave near the falls. I’m going to have to take another gander, but all the references I’m finding say the cave is the one just under the waterfall. However, I remember seeing a sign after the footbridge, just beyond the falls, that pointed towards the Mead Base Trail. If you know where the cave actually is, please inform me!
Ah, that’s another trail to take! The Mead Base Trail will lead you on a moderate hike back to the Mead Explorer Base Camp. If you decide to take this route, after arriving at Base Camp, the hike is about a half an hour back to the parking lot at the falls.
One last place to stop as you’re making your way back from Sandwich Notch Rd, is an overlook on Diamond Ledge Rd. There’s enough room on the east side of the road to pull over and take in the view of (I believe) Dinsmore Pond. It’s a breath taking view, as you can see from a couple of the pictures above, especially at sunset.

To find Beede Falls, take 109 or 113 to Diamond Ledge Rd. Instead of going straight to the Base Camp, take a left at Sandwich Notch Rd. Follow the road for about .9mi; the parking lot will be on your right.

Have fun and be safe!!

Diana’s Baths – Bartlett, NH

A small piece of bark along the trail.

One of the middle falls.

A side stream along the trail.

A wild father in his natural habitat!

Part of the falls iced over!

The lower falls

Overall Rating: 5/5
Swim Rating: 3/5
Hiking Distance/Time: .6mi / 25min
Hiking Difficulty: Easy
Fee: $3/car
Restrooms Available (Year Round) // Partially Handicap Accessible

If you visit Cathedral Ledge and Echo Lake in Bartlett, you should most definitely take a short trip up the road and visit Diana’s Baths! An easy walk through the woods will lead you to an astounding waterfall with many tiers. It’s beautiful in summer, in autumn, in winter – pretty much year round!

If you’ve ever wondered where the name comes from, here’s a bit about the name origin taken from Wikipedia:
“These curious circular stone cavities on Lucy Brook originally were known as the Home of the Water Fairies; tradition says evil water sprites inhabited the ledges, tormenting the Sokokis Indians until a mountain god answered the Indians’ prayers and swept the sprites away in a flood. But sometime before 1859 a Miss Hubbard of Boston, a guest at the old Mount Washington House in North Conway, rechristened them Diana’s Baths, presumably to evoke images of the Roman nature goddess. The pools are also called Lucy’s Baths.”

Diana’s Baths is a wonderful swimming hole in summer – it’s also extremely popular, so get there as early as you can!! There’s little wading pools all along the way, below each tier’s fall. I’ve heard that all the way at the top, there’s a pothole that you can swim in, but I have yet to see it. Hopefully this summer, though!

The walk is very simple and easy on the body. It’s also one of the best ones to go on with small children. It isn’t paved, but the walkway doesn’t have too many rocks or branches, so the trail, for the most part, is handicap accessible up to the lower falls. After that, it’s a bit tricky unless you have an ATV type wheelchair.

To find Diana’s Baths, take West Side Road into Bartlett. It will be on the east side of the road, but really, you can just follow the millions of signs you will surely see!!

Have fun and be safe!!

Screw Auger Falls – North Oxford, ME

Upper Falls

Lower Falls

Natural Arch

Tributary near parking lot

Upper Falls

(Not to be confused with Screw Auger Falls in Gulf Hagas, ME)

Overall Rating: 3/5
Swim Rating: 3/5
Hike Time / Distance: Negligible / Less than .1mi
Hike Difficulty: Easy
Fee: 3$/person for ME resident // 4$/person for non-resident // 1$/senior citizen (65 & older)
Restrooms Available // Partially Handicap Accessible (There is an access trail to see the upper falls)
A pdf with more information on Grafton Notch State Park and Mahoosic Public Lands can be found here.

Just a half mile up from Step Falls in Newry on Route 26 sits Screw Auger Falls. As you first walk in from the parking lot, you see the upper falls, which, in all honesty, can leave you slightly unimpressed. But, a short walk to the left will lead you to a pretty impressive gorge and an awesome natural arch. (Okay, so it’s a tiny little arch, but it’s not man made and I call that pretty awesome.)

I thought this waterfall was cute, but it honestly left me, overall, a bit unimpressed. I try to keep direct opinions off of here and just give overall summaries, but maybe it’ll help you along on your trip, so here goes. I don’t know if it was the fact that there wasn’t much to explore and see or the fact that you’re paying a bit too much for what you’re seeing, but something about this place left me kind of feeling… for lack of a better word, ‘meh’. The gorge was cool and the natural arch was probably my favorite, but other than that, I was bored. And, let’s be real, I don’t normally get bored at waterfalls. I looooove them (if you couldn’t already guess by most of my posts).

Don’t get me wrong, if you’re interested in visiting this location per pictures or other posts you’ve seen online, you should! Many people love it here and I don’t blame them, but everyone also has a different opinion. If you’re going to visit, unless you’re going in the summer time, I might suggest planning a day trip to make a stop here and then visit other waterfalls/hikes in the area, such as Step Falls, Mother Walker Falls, or Moose Cave along with a few others (check out the pdf link above!)

To find Screw Auger Falls:
If coming from the east, take Route 2 in Newry and turn onto Route 26. The falls will be about 9.8 miles up on your left.
If coming from the west, take Route 26 east towards North Oxford/Grafton Notch State Park. It’ll be on your right (at different distances depending upon where you access Route 26).

Have fun and be safe!!

Albany Covered Bridge – Albany, NH

View from the bridge looking downstream

Overall Rating: 3/5
Swim Rating: 3/5
Hike Distance/Time: less than .1mi/less than 5min
Hike Difficulty: Easy
Fee: $3/car
Handicap Accessible // Restrooms Available
Covered Bridge #49
More information on the bridge structure and history can be found here.

 

Covered bridges are one of the biggest attractions in New Hampshire, whether you’re a local or a tourist. Some have waterfalls just below them, some are old railroad bridges/trusses, some are now closed to actual traffic but left roadside just for viewing and historical purposes, and most of them span the width of some sort of waterway. Albany Covered Bridge spans the width of the Swift River and connects NH Route 112 and Dugway/Passaconaway Roads.

You could stop at just taking pictures in front of and from the bridge in the fall (the most popular time for visitors), but in other seasons, mostly summer, there’s lots of other stuff to do as well. The following are just a few:

• To the left and right, both before and after the bridge, there are rock paths down to the river. You can sit on the large boulders here and enjoy the coolness of the water and a picturesque view of the bridge.
• If you follow the bridge and head to the right after crossing, less than .1mi from the bridge, you’ll find the Boulder Loop Trailhead. From my findings online, the views are gorgeous from the top, but I have yet to climb the trail, so I can’t give you much more than that.
• About .9mi away from the bridge there’s Big Brook which feeds into the Swift River. Just before the brook is a driveway big enough for two cars (please be courteous; it’s not a place visited often, but it’s still nice to leave a spot if someone comes along and is interested). There are tiny little waterfalls created here by the boulders which sit in the brook. It’s nice, cool and relaxing to sit here and enjoy the water. Just a couple warnings: it’s super cold at the brook; the sun doesn’t really hit it because of such dense tree cover, which can be very shocking to the system if you’re not expecting it. Also, BRING BUG SPRAY. We threw some on the day we went, which helped a bit, but we noticed bugs flying all around us. Not sure it’s really a place you want to stop without spray.

There’s a few more things to do off of Passaconaway Rd, but that’s it for what’s close by the bridge. It’s a truly lovely spot with more to it than just a bridge.

The water is not extremely deep here, but the current is strong so please swim at your own risk. If bringing small children, I highly suggest taking them to the Dugway/Passaconaway Rd side of the bridge and heading to the right. There’s a little bench here and just below is a small sand area. The rocks can be a bit slippery even when dry, so the safest bet would be to head here.

Finding Albany Covered Bridge is pretty simple. If you’re heading west, it’ll be 6 miles from Rt 16. If you’re heading east, it’ll be 29.1mi from Loon Mountain Resort (since I can’t think of anything else over that side of 112… sorry guys…)

Have fun and be safe!!

 

 

Rocky Gorge – Albany, NH

Overall Rating: 4/5
SWIMMING NOT ALLOWED
Hike Difficulty: Easy
Hike Distance: .2 mi
Fee: $3 / car, but you can buy one pass and use it at other White Mountain Park locations
Handicap Accessible // Restrooms Available

In the middle of the eastern side of the Kancamagus Highway sits a lovely gorge that shouldn’t be ignored. And while there’s a bridge to walk across where you can see the gorge head on, you can also climb along the rock ledges to get different views and angles of the gorge. In fact, that’s become one of my favorite things to do here, especially in autumn. I’ll bring some crocheting or knitting, sit with my Dunks iced and enjoy the sounds of the rushing water (okay, and, I must admit, many tourists).  There are also picnic tables here as well, so bring a bag lunch to enjoy!

Autumn is probably not the best time to visit if you’re not a fan of crowds, but it is definitely the most beautiful time to see it. The seasonal colors envelop the area perfectly and make for some fantastic photographs. Ice and snow in the winter also makes for lovely photos, but we suggest going early in the season as the area is not plowed out, for parking or walking.

There is absolutely no swimming at the gorge and this is well posted about and strongly enforced.  Just like many other gorges in the region, the current is extremely powerful and dangerous. There’s far too much chance here to bother taking the risk, so please, stay out of the waters here. There are many other spots along this route where you can enjoy swimming.

As of Mar. 2017, there’s currently a daily pass 3$/car fee; you can stop at one scenic area, pick up a pass and use it at any other area where a pass is needed for that whole day. However, there has been a proposal to raise this fee. If the proposal is passed, the fee goes up to 5$/car in spring 2017. As soon as I find confirmation on this fee, I will update the page.

To find Rocky Gorge, take Rt 112 (Kancamagus Highway) to Albany. If heading west, it’ll be on your right, 2.1 mi after Lower Falls. If heading east, it’ll be on your left, 1.6 mi after the Champney Falls Trailhead.

Have fun and be safe!

 

Snow Falls Gorge – West Paris, ME

Pictures courtesy of Jim Blackwood  

Overall Rating: 4/5
SWIMMING NOT ALLOWED. PERIOD.
Hike Time: Negligible
Hike Difficulty: Easy
Restrooms Available

In a truly beautiful little stop along Route 26 in Maine, you can find an absolutely stunning gorge. It’s really only worth a stop if you’re in the area, but it can also be nice to take a little time, enjoy the view and a pack lunch, and even explore a little!

There’s parking for a good lot of cars and even on a summer day (we visited in August on a Friday), there was very little traffic. The trail is easily seen and can easily be followed down the hill from the parking lot. Follow the stairs down the hill to the footbridge and you’ll have a view from right on top of the gorge. When you arrive, you may get the feeling that the sound is even more powerful than the view! Rushing water flows through the bends of the nearly 30ft tall walls of the gorge.

If you want to just see the gorge, you’ve found the right place to stop. However, if you’re like me, and like to see what’s around, head further over that foot bridge and there’s a few things you’ll find. To the left when you step off the bridge, you’ll see an old arch way with metal rungs. When we looked around a bit, we though it might have been part of an old mill. Further exploration led us to find that a small stream from the gorge leads through the archway and plunges back down into the Little Androscoggin River. As you can see in one of the pictures, I was trying to be a butt and prove to my dad that it was safe to sit near/on the little rock ledges that are in front of that arch, but to be quite honest, I was scared and I’m pretty sure it’s not as safe as I would like to say it is. Please take caution with little ones, that or assess the area yourself first.
If you walk to the right from the bridge, there’s a whole natural area with boulders and blocks from an old mill that you can sit on and enjoy the sounds and sights of the area around you. Keep going straight and you’ll come to a small peninsula of rocks where you can sit, sunbathe and dip your feet in the water.

One thing I must reiterate: do not, I repeat, DO NOT attempt to swim here. Like previously mentioned, upstream from the gorge, there’s a little area you can dip your feet in while sitting on the rocks, but, as we saw from a little duck struggling to head back upstream, there is an extremely strong current here. If you fall down that gorge, you could end up with some pretty severe bumps and bruises, if not… well, ya know: the worst of all. Just be aware, be cautious and be mindful of little ones.

While it may not be worth it to take a specific daytrip to Snow Falls, you should definitely stop if you’re in the area. To find Snow Falls Gorge, all you have to do is take Route 26 (Bethel Rd) into West Paris, ME. The rest area is on the south side of the road. Pull in, park and take a look around!

Have fun and be safe!

Royal River Walk – Yarmouth, ME

Overall Rating: 4/5
Hike Distance/Time: about 1 mile / 45 mins
Hike Difficulty: Easy
Fee: None
Restroom Available

A lovely paved walkway sits along the Royal River in Yarmouth, ME.  As far as we can tell, it’s a great place to visit year round! We visited once in the fall and once in early winter (it had only snowed about 4″ total at the time), and both times were equally enjoyable! The path was a bit icy but still walkable. As you can tell, the falls are also equally enjoyable in either drought conditions or after snow melt!

No fall along the river can really qualify as a ‘natural waterfall’ – even what looks like a real (small) waterfall ends up being created by remnants of the old paper mill that sat upon the falls. What looks like it could be the largest waterfall along the river is what others claim as a ‘rapid’. This may not be the best place for you if you’re looking for a true, mindblowing waterfall, but it’s so calming and peaceful to just go for a walk and have a seat at one of the benches along the trail and enjoy the sounds of the water.

To find Royal River Walk, the easiest place to park would be at William H. Rowe school, in the parking lot next to the basketball (tennis?) court. Follow the path down the right side of the court to the pathways.

Have fun and be safe!