Love waterfalls? Us too!
New Hampshire is full of beautiful hikes to waterfalls and this is the only guide you’ll need to hit the best waterfall hikes in New Hampshire!
By Bekah Whitney
I had no idea what to expect when we first ventured into Eastern Standard Time. The only time I had been to that side of the country was to go to NYC so you can imagine my shock when I found there were beautiful landscapes and amazing hikes in the Northeast. The biggest surprise was the amount of waterfall hikes in New Hampshire and I immediately became obsessed with finding the best ones.
When you start looking for waterfalls you’ll find there are a ton! From roadside attractions to long difficult hikes the 3 below are my absolute favorite!
If you like natural slides, this is the hike you have been searching for! The water is cold, but on a hot summer day, it is absolutely perfect. You can slide about 20 feet into a small pool and climb back up to do it again! A few kids were having the time of their lives while we were there and so was Sawyer.
Length: 6.8 Miles Round Trip, Out & Back
Elevation Gain: 423 ft
Trailhead GPS Coordinates: 44.06411, -71.58770
Or Type in: Lincoln Woods Trailhead
Getting there: Head towards Lincoln on I-93 and take exit 32 to get onto NH-112 E. Drive 11 miles down Highway 112 until you see the White Mountain National Forest Parking Area sign. You may park inside the parking lot (there is a fee) or park on the side of the highway. Make sure to park between the signs or you may get a ticket or be towed. There are a few different trailheads here, and Franconia Falls trail starts on the opposite side of the river from the parking area. There is a walking bridge and then you will see a sign pointing you down the trail.
The hike: This hike is one of the easiest waterfall hikes we found in New Hampshire. It has minimal elevation gain for most of the trail. When you hit the bridge near the end of the trail, take a left and you will hear the falls as you approach them on your right!
The falls: Once at the falls you can set up shop on one of the rocks. If you are lucky enough to hike on a hot day there are a lot of different places you can get in the water. The first slide looks a little sketchy as there are some big rocks at the end, but after watching some kids hit the “slide” about 50 times and never coming close to hitting the rocks we decided to hit it!
There is also a large cold tub that fills with swirling water that is a nice place to cool down.
The most popular slide is above these first falls. Make sure you are a strong swimmer as the current can pull you in and keep you from swimming out. After jumping or sliding, swim towards your left and the other current will push you out and over to where you can climb out. Sawyer also caught a few little brook trout here! Sliding and fishing together makes for a pretty great day.
There are so many waterfalls in New Hampshire that it is hard to hit them all, but this hike is an absolute must! There are multiple ways to hike to Arethusa falls, but we recommend hiking up the Bermis Loop to hit Bermis Falls, Fawn Pool, and Coliseum Falls.
Length: 2.8 Miles Round Trip, Out & Back with a bit of a loop.
Elevation Gain: 784 ft
Trailhead GPS Coordinates: 44.14824, -71.36650
Or Type in: Arethusa Falls Trailhead Parking
Getting there: There are a few different ways to get to the trailhead based on where you are coming from. Ultimately, you will get onto Highway 302 with the trailhead on your right if heading East. There is a fee to use the parking area of $5 and there is an upper and lower parking lot.
The hike: The trailhead starts across the railroad tracks to the left. After about a mile, the hike splits into two. Take the trail on your left to hike to Fawn Pool , Bermis Falls, and Coliseum Falls, as they are well worth it! After passing all three attractions you will come across a steep and root-filled part of the hike. Because of this section, we recommend hiking up this way instead of down. At the top of this section the trail will reconnect with the main Arethusa Falls trail. You’ll have (look up how much longer) until you reach the falls!
The falls: Arethusa Falls is definitely one of our favorites. It’s sheer cliff drop and beautiful round rocks make the perfect place to sit and meditate. Our favorite viewing spot is across the small creek and up the side of the cliff a bit. There you can really appreciate the beauty of the light hitting the waterfall from the side and get a stunning photograph.
The Ammonoosuc is a local secret. People hit the river to beat the heat and the crowds.
Length: Not an actual hike, one mile at the most.
Elevation Gain: na
Trailhead GPS Coordinates: 44.26645, -71.41660
Or Type in: Bridge at Upper Falls
Getting there: There are a few different ways to get to the trailhead based on where you are coming from. Ultimately, you will get onto Highway 302 and turn onto Base Station Rd. Continue for about 2 miles and you can either use one of the pullouts to access the Ammonoosuc River or go all the way to the falls.
Ammonoosuc River: Whichever pullout you decide to park at, it should be fairly easy to find a small path down to the river. One spot features a fun little slot canyon with slow moving water that you can swim in. A short bit upriver are small holes with rushing water that you can use as a bubbling cold bath. Wander up river a bit further and you will find an amazing little man made riverstone dam that creates a large, deep pool of water. We spent most of our time at Upper Falls in this area, enjoying the river.
The falls: The main attraction at Upper Falls is cliff jumping! The river is deep enough here that you can jump off almost any section. A word of caution; When I jumped from a medium sized cliff, I touched the bottom with my feet, so I would advise against any type of diving.
If you are more interested in the falls, head to the bridge and look up-stream. Upper Falls is full of beautiful flowing water and deep pools.
Hi! I’m Bekah, but you can call me Beks, all my friends do! I travel full-time in a tiny home on wheels that my partner, Sawyer, and I built from a cargo trailer shell in 2019. We started out in beautiful Colorado and have been all over the United States over the years. This space is designed to inspire and guide the nature obsessed nomad, weekend warrior, and future roadlifer. I’m so excited you’re here!
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There are a lot of options in Littleton, New Hampshire for food, but as you know we only like to eat places that are animal friendly. The whole town of Littleton seems to have a ban on having animals on patios so we headed over to the cute little town of Bethlehem, New Hampshire and hit up Rek-Lis Brewing Company. Rek-Lis has some amazing specials that change monthly!
I love these boots for day hiking with a light pack. Their thick sole, arch support, and squishy insoles are perfect for hiking in extreme conditions.
If you have never owned a pair of Teva’s before I would suggest going to try some on, as I feel they run large. I have gone down half a size on these hiking boots as well as my sandals.
If someone tells you the type of socks you hike in are unimportant, they are dead wrong.
Wool socks help keep your foot dry and able to breathe. Hiking specific socks provide cushioning in areas that are susceptible to rubbing.
If you ever see me hiking in socks other than SmartWool, it’s because I need to do laundry soon as they are my absolute favorite and are already dirty.
Sawyer turned me onto Osprey packs a long time ago. There is literally a perfect size for every activity out there!
The reason I love this pack is the awesome waist strap with pockets, the compact size, and how light it feels when I put it on!
