The Flumes Gorge in Franconia Notch

The Flumes Gorge

Over the years, as a child, I have enjoyed coming here with my family, now as an adult, I take my family here. The Flumes George is located in Franconia Notch, off exit 34A. It is a beautiful place to come visit alone, with your loved one, or with your whole family! You start at the Flume Visitor Center. Inside you get your tickets, they have bathrooms, a place to eat lunch, and a gift shop with some great New Hampshire and White Mountain souvenirs. When you leave the Center, it's like a huge circle. You head to the right and go through a The Flume Covered Bridge. Then you will hit The Flume Gorge which is so beautiful. The Picture up above is close to the start of the Gorge. Here is another picture of me looking back when we were half way through the Gorge:

 It is really amazing to walk through, with walls on both sides and just a narrow walk way. You can see in the picture that there are people bending over looking at the water. There are so places that can be a little scary where you are up high, near the wall with water below. So, hopefully, you are not scared of heights!

There is a lovely waterfall when you reach the end of the Flume Gorge called Avalanche Falls. It is so beautiful. Now The Flume is a natural gorge extending 800 feet at the base of Mount Liberty. I have hiked up Mt. Liberty a few times so they water is cold, fresh mountain water and when it reaches the Flumes it comes down off the Falls into the Gorge. Now, after the Gorge you can continue around the loop, the whole loop is about 2 miles long from the Center. Here you will also see the Liberty cascades and go over the Sentinel Pine Covered Bridge. Walking a little further down you will see the The Pool which is beautiful.After seeing The Pool, you will head back to the Center. This trip around normally takes us about three hours or so to do. If its your first time, it will probably take you longer for you will want to take pictures of everything. 

The Flume Gorge is open daily from May 12th to October 23rd, 2011. Operating hours are 9:00 am  to 5:00 pm. I would say try to get there early and enjoy your whole day! The fall is such a lovely time to go for the trees are so beautiful with their leaves.

Admission is $14 for adults (ages 13+); $11 for children (ages 6-12); children ages 5 and under are admitted free with paid adult.

Now they also have Discovery Pass (Includes Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway & Flume Gorge): Adults: $26.00, children (ages 6-12): $20.00. So, if you haven't been to either yet, this can be fun to see both, do one in the morning, eat then go enjoy the other in the afternoon!

I hope this has been helpful and that you get to enjoy these wonderful places this fall or next spring!

Flumes: Great place to visit!

If you are ever in the Franconia Notch area a great place to stop and check out in The Flumes. All you have to do is get off Exit 34A and it's right down the road. You park at the The Flume Visitor Center and then start your adventure! The Flume is a natural gorge that is about 800ft long at the bottom of Mt. Liberty. The pathway through the gorge is rebuilt every spring for the safety of the guests. It also have caves to explore and beautiful New England Bridges to walk through. The trail itself is over a mile long but is so worth to visit! I go just about every year to see this natural wonder!

Here is a picture I took as I was entering the Gorge. It can be slippery so wear good shoes. The walk path to the left is small but there are railings to hold on. The journey through the gorge is with every penny! It's amazing!

Franconia Notch Hikes and more

I love to travel through Franconia Notch. There are some amazing mountains to hike, I have gone there to climb cliffs, to see some of the attractions, historic sites, there is a campground, and some beautiful waterfalls. I have hiked Mt. Liberty last year. It was a beautiful hike and had some amazing views. You could see all the way down Franconia Notch which was great! I have also hiked Mt. Lincoln. It was about two hours from the base. I loved the view, so peaceful on top. I hiked that mountain in the fall so the trees were so colorful.
There is also some awesome attractions you can stop to visit while passing through. I have been on the Cannon Mtn. Aerial Tranway. There are some trails on top of the mountain where you can see some views of Franconia Notch. There are also some passing trails so hikers can stop on top of the mountain if they need a rest.
I also love to stop at The Basin on my way through the Notch. There is a trail that takes you to the Basin from the road. There are some trails that start near the Basin. I have gone up a trail to Lonesome Lake. The lake was lovely and it was nice to see the new hut up that way called the Lonesome Lake Hut. Hikers can sleep up in the hut, there are restrooms and place to eat.
Another place to see along the Notch is the Flumes. Many visitors of the area love seeing the Flumes. There are some trails that start near the Flumes. That was were I started to get to the top of Mt. Liberty.
I hope to hike some new trails this summer and fall. I will add them to my list of awesome hikes! Stay tuned for more:)