Franconia Notch and North

I spent many vacations growing up in New Hampshire, went to college in a small New Hampshire town, and after getting my degree moved to New Hampshire. I've spent many hours exploring this great state. And yet, I always find there are new things to see to and do.

I spent this last week exploring Franconia Notch and a bit more north with my family (mother and brothers). For once we didn't explore in elevation, but stayed lower to sea level with waterfall hikes, meandering trails, and lakes. In this post, I'll lay out some of the highlights of the week, so maybe you will get the urge to go out and explore some too.

Georgiana Falls Path - a trial located at the southern tip of Franconia Notch. This trail clocked in at approximately 3 miles (give or take for some detours for views) total out and back. The trail ambles alongside a stream, which leads to 3 distinct waterfalls: Lower Georgiana Falls, Upper Georgiana Falls, and Harvard Cascades. There are some pretty steep sections of the trail as it follows along the stream up passed the waterfalls, but total elevation gain is 777 feet (according to AllTrails app). The view from the top of Harvard Cascades is great! You look out over the top of the waterfall down along the southern point of Franconia Notch. We had lunch at the top by a peaceful pool before the water drops over a pretty significant cliff. We got lucky with our timing, and we were the only ones there for quite a while. Definitely a hike I would recommend to beginners, families, or people just looking for a good hike with nice views.

Littleton, Bethlehem, Sugar Hill, and Franconia - all three are charming towns north of Franconia Notch. Bethlehem and Franconia are both a bit smaller than Littleton, but we loved the breweries. We visited Rek-lis (Bethlehem) and Iron Furnace (Franconia) and had a great time with great food. Littleton is a bit bigger of a town and has a great main street to walk on and visit a plethora of shops and restaurants. We visited Shilling Beer Co. which is located right on the river that runs through Littleton. The food and drinks (we partook of beers and ciders) were delicious. A good place to spend a relaxing day walking along and taking your time. In Sugar Hill you have to visit Polly's Pancake Parlor. I have been several times now in both the spring and summer and have always had a good experience - with both the food and the staff. Plus, the views from the front overlook most of the White Mountains from Jefferson over to Kinsman. There is a helpful panoramic guide that you can look at while you wait for your table that tells you which peak is which. I would highly recommend either getting there early or calling to put your name on the waitlist as it is a popular breakfast place, and while I absolutely believe it is worth it, there is almost always a longer wait.

Zealand Falls Trail - I have done this trail a few times in the spring and summer and have loved it each time. The trail itself has very little elevation gain, wandering along in the woods until you come to some ponds, marshes, and swampy areas. Supposedly this is a great area to see moose (although that particular animal has been elusive for me to spot). The trail is fairly easy until the last .2 miles which heads very steeply up to Zealand Falls hut. From there you can either sit on the porch and enjoy a snack or head down the few steps over to the waterfall. This year, with all the rainfall the falls were roaring! I've sat to have lunch on the falls before, but this time the water was so high that wasn't an option. But the view was still fantastic. This trail is approximately 5.4 miles total out and back with approximately 603 feet of elevation gain (according to AllTrails app). A pretty easy trail for beginners, families, or a nice walk through beautiful woods to a lovely view.

Third Connecticut Lake - up towards the Canadian border passed the town of Pittsburgh NH are the Connecticut Lakes. Originally from CT myself, how could we resist visiting where the river that used to run through my hometown started. We brought our kayaks and paddled around the perimeter. We were the only ones on the lake for about an hour before a solo fisherman arrived. But with the whole lake, we never crossed paths. It was quiet and peaceful. A great place to take a moment, take a breath, and simply enjoy nature with the lapping of the water against the side of the boat as you float along. I've never been up that far north in NH and while it was quite a drive, it was a scenic route, with no traffic.

I've always loved exploring New Hampshire. But typically, I head up, gain in elevation to gain views. This week was different, staying lower and enjoying from a different perspective. The views no less stunning than from a mountaintop. A lovely relaxing vacation before heading back to 'south' of the Notch.