With a three year old who refuses to be carried, insists on snack breaks and stops frequently to compare his hand size to leafs, it took us about two and a half hours. All in all the loop takes roughly an hour. Flume, and back down through a garden of boulders before reconnecting with the Flume Path. The last leg of the loop from Sentinel Pine Bridge follows the Wildwood Path uphill past a scenic viewpoint of Mt. Anyone over six feet tall need not enter. Once across the bridge brave children, and even braver parents, have the option of entering the Wolf Den, a narrow cave that involves crawling. Liberty Gorge is also dwarfed by the neighboring Sentinel Pine Bridge crossing the Pemigewasset River and The Pool, a forty-foot-deep basin surrounded by 130-foot cliffs.
Having just traversed Flume Gorge, it’s a sprinkle of ho with a dash of hum. If placed anywhere along the Appalachian Trail, Liberty Gorge would be a waypoint worth marking. The trail soon crosses Cascade Brook with a couple viewpoints of Liberty Gorge. The Ridge Path delivers a pleasant downhill jaunt ‘neath a forest canopy that glows like a lampshade on a sunny morning. Once above the falls there’s the option of taking the Rim Path back to the Flume Path and the shuttle pickup, or continuing along the Ridge Path to complete the two-mile loop. Just a hunch, but I’m betting that’s not the original paint job. The Flume Covered Bridge, originally built in 1886.
The walkway circles past Bear Cave and above the falls to a nice rest spot, a viewpoint and a rain shelter. Note to parents: it can get a little chilly in this section of the Flume, so you might want to pack a layer for little ones. Prepare to get a little wet as the boardwalk passes close enough to the falls for visitors to be showered in mist. The Flume’s grande finale will delight waterfall hunters with the roaring 45-foot Avalanche Falls. In places it appears as though the gorge’s plumbing has sprung a leak with spouts of water shooting from the rock walls. Children from one to a hundred will enjoy eyeballing the gorge walls, a mesmerizing 70 to 90 feet high, as well as running their hands along the slick, moss-covered granite. The connection with Flume Brook is highlighted by Table Rock, an exposed section of granite worn smooth by the swift current.Īt this point you’re merely a hop, skip and a jump from the Flume Gorge, for which passage is made possible by a wooden boardwalk with railings. From here Flume Path gradually climbs past Boulder Cabin (the drop-off point for shuttle bus visitors) and soon parallels Flume Brook. The trail then circles down to the the Pemigewasset River and crosses the cherry-red Flume Covered Bridge. Once on the trail, your first photo-opp with the kiddos will arrive in the enlarged form of Glacial Boulder. Before leaving the Vistor Center, make sure to check out the gravity-defying image of the boulder lodged in the Flume until a titanic rainstorm swept it away in 1883. The two-mile loop begins at the Gilman Visitor Center with the Flume Path. Try to think of the experience as a charitable donation to the New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation, and the wondrous flume seems like a value-add. There is an admission fee to experience the Flume (as of May 2012, it’s $14 per adult, $11 per child, under five and senior residents are free), which can seem pricey for a White Mountain activity that doesn’t feature train rides, water slides, bear shows (at least, hopefully not), or fairy princesses. He practically packed himself into the car. We simply told our son we were going waterfall hunting. For residents it’s a great starter activity for piquing children’s interest in outdoor activities. A perfect retreat for tourists looking to take in New Hampshire’s natural and historic beauty with minimal risk of rolling an ankle or missing dinner reservations. To further the point, please see Exhibit A ->Īs far as nature walk’s go, Flume Gorge is exceptional. 7 of a mile round trip, is an automatic disqualification. Not to mention the optional shuttle bus, which shortens the “trek” to. Hiking requires a trail that’s not navigable by a golf cart with at least the threat of breaking a sweat. Let’s first make one thing clear: Flume Gorge is a bonafide nature walk, not a hike. Warning: the New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation is not liable should someone inadvertently receive light exercise on this trail.
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