What could break up a rainy-day drive along the Kancamagus Highway better than a trail run in which to visit a beautiful waterfall? Travelling end-to-end along the 30-mile stretch of mountainous terrain, we opted to visit a popular, easy hike to stretch our legs and check out the Franconia Brook Cascades following days of heavy rain - we were certainly not disappointed.

Located along the Kancamagus Highway (US Rt 112), several miles east of Lincoln, New Hampshire, we parked at the spacious Lincoln Woods Trailhead parking area. Offering accommodations for 170-vehicles, the lot charges a modest $5 fee in which to park, but features seasonal restrooms and a US Forest Service ranger cabin, which is generally staffed in summertime; today, despite the onslaught of rain, the friendly ranger was greeting hikers and backpackers from the safety of their porch, with a pup at their side.

*Erosion side-hilling the Lincoln Woods Trail*

The weather called for a low, persistent rainfall throughout the day; with weather not on our side, but still craving a ramble in nature, we opted to roam at low elevation, where we could remain warm and relatively safe. We had recently visited the Beaver Brook cascades on Mount Moosilauke and knew firsthand how lovely those swollen falls were, so, we decided to pay our first visit to Franconia Falls, to see how they faired from all this rainfall as well.

Immediately, passing the ranger cabin/visitor information center, we continued past the trailside kiosk as well, northwestward to cross the East Branch Pemigewasset River by way of a 160’ suspension bridge. Simultaneously, we noticed a much larger flow in the waterway than other times we had visited; even from the footbridge high atop the rushing water we could hardly hear each other talking above the clamorous crashing of the river as it careened over the smooth, rounded river boulders.

*Beginning along the Franconia Falls Trail*

With a right turn, we joined the wide path of the Lincoln Woods Trail, an old logging railroad grade which we would follow northward toward our ultimate destination. At 0.8-miles into the old railroad bed, we noticed that the forest service had finally put up a barricade fence on the highly eroded hillside to keep visitors from trekking too close to the precarious edge; in most seasons the original railroad bed can still be found, just east of the current trail - its mid-section has long been washed out, having been rerouted onto the current path which is also now falling down the steep slope.

Passing several tributaries, we noted the high water as it passed beneath several smaller bridged crossings. At 1.4-miles, the Osseo Trail diverges northwestward (left); again here, we noted the high water of Osseo Brook - anticipation of glorious falls not far ahead continued to rise with each soggy step.

*An elevated trail surface along Franconia Falls Trail*

At 2.6-miles from the trailhead, the Black Pond Trail departs, also on the left, toward its terminal destination at the beautiful Black Pond, from which glimpses of the Bonds can be had when the cloud ceiling is not so low. Several paces beyond the spur trail, a sign indicating the start of a measured 200-foot stretch of path begins. Always curious about its intended use, my questions were answered upon taking a Leave No Trace instructor course; now seeming blindingly obvious - hikers can use this measured distance to calculate how many steps it takes them to travel 200-feet: the distance one must camp and bathroom away from any water source.

Old railroad ties emerge from the wide trail surface as the Lincoln Woods Trail gradually swings northeasterly. Crossing Franconia Brook, a trailside kiosk can be found on the northside of the repurposed railroad bed, the Franconia Falls Trail begins at this location as well and is marked with wooden signs; several other posted signs warn hikers of high-water risks and slippery rock ledges, which edge the brookside.

*Franconia Falls Trail nearing Franconia Brook*

The Franconia Falls Trail departs the Lincoln Woods Trail atop an old woods road, which is evidenced by its initially wide and well-graded footbed. Through a dense forest of hemlock, fir and spruce, the Franconia Falls Trail meanders with gentle turns hither and thither. Today, the pathway had several standing puddles which we either stepped and leapt over or simply tracked straight through as to not widen the beautiful stretch of path any further.

Round and smoothed over boulders emerge from the trailside forest duff and rest like mossy eggs atop the warm-hued fallen conifer needle understory. Resembling raised garden beds, several wooden boxes retain elevated trail sections to prevent further erosion and soil loss. In areas, small patches of narrow roots emerge from the trail bed, all were found to be easily stepped over; however, the roots and any exposed wood were extremely slick when wet from precipitation.

As Franconia Brook begins a northward swing, several side herd paths can be found which guide visitors from the forested trail to the rocky water’s edge - as these are unofficial paths, some routes are extremely slick and feature an unusually steep grade - careful footing is a must while enroute to visit the brook and cascades.

Some of the finest chutes and pools can be found nearing the end of the 0.4-mile trail, as the waterway widens at the base of the main chute. Today, white water crashed, flowing atop the polished rock ledges, some guidebooks advise these chutes can be used as slides in times of better (warmer, drier) weather; today would have been a perfect equation for hypothermia, had a bather entered the fast flowing, chilly brook.

*Upper Franconia Falls, pools and undercuts*

From atop some of the grippier high-bank ledges and brookside boulders, we carefully gazed upon the various chutes and swirling pools. The main chute of the massive falls area is a 10’ plume of white water, which had been funneled and propelled from between several slabs of bedrock - quite a sight to behold!

We could now understand why, in the late 1990’s, the US Forest Service required visitors to obtain a permit; albeit free, this allowed a restricted volume of visitors to the fragile area at any given time. It is not hard to imagine hordes of tourists and visitors resting and sunbathing in the irresistible greenish white, whirling potholes and pools.

Further up the brook, above the main falls area, a gorge and grotto-like area can be found; an impressive undercut in the rock is located on the far bank; spruce delicately clings to the coarse, rocky surface despite its outermost roots being exposed and devoid of soil. Today, while we were able to trek very close to the cascades and roaring water flow, the broad, smooth ledges were extraordinarily slick from both rain and mist tossed into the air from nearby cascades.

After a brief stay, exploring and photographing the undercut rocks and cascading water flow, we reached the end of the Franconia Falls Trail, denoted by a wooden USFS sign which reads “END OF TRAIL”. As it was clear the old woods road continued on into the forest, we followed it upstream momentarily to see what else of interest might be offered. Following the herd path for several rods further, we became satisfied as the rain pelted down that we were only trekking away from the more scenic areas.

Turning back, we followed our footsteps, and while enroute to the Lincoln Woods Trail intentionally observed wildlife and vegetation on the trek - finding a plump frog attempting to scale an old, mossy tree; we also found remains of old trillium and many other microscopic details which would have otherwise been overlooked due to the wonderful waterfall to our east.

An easy trek over an old logging railroad grade, in which to reach such a wide area of waterfalls with nearly an acre of plumes and cascades should be on every hikers’ to-do list at some point or another. With ease of accessibility comes the loss of serenity on most weekends and holidays; I have witnessed visitors trekking toward the falls with miniature speakers dangling from their packs - this alone was enough to keep me from visiting the area - but if timed correctly, the Franconia Falls are one of the most unique and beautiful patches of land in the White Mountain National Forest.

Overall stats for the day:
7.2-miles
2hr 3 minutes
1,083’ elevation gain

Franconia Falls

North + South Tripyramid Mtn Slides

Mt Moosilauke: Beaver Brook Trail