A Fall Hike Through Flume Gorge

Every fall trip through New Hampshire should include scenic drives down unpaved, tree lined roads, strolls through quaint little villages, and consuming more than a few too many apple cider donuts.

But there's also no better time to be out in nature and on the trail than during fall.

So allow us to share a place that can check off virtually every box on your autumn hiking bucket list in just a two mile loop. There are picturesque covered bridges, cascading waterfalls, and fall foliage that puts on a spectacular display.

The Flume Gorge hike is among our absolute favorite fall hikes in New England and, in this guide, we've covered our personal experience on the trail. We'll walk you through exactly what you should expect, give you all the details on the cost and booking tickets, and we've even dropped in some recommendations at the end on what you should bring.

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Quick Overview

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Trail Length & Difficulty

The Flume Gorge trail is a self-guided, two mile hike with just under 500 feet of elevation gain. It usually takes between one and two hours.

The old Short Trail, also known as the Rim Path, is no longer open. Now, the two mile, one-way path is the only way to experience The Flume.

It's not a difficult hike, but there are a few sections of stairs that make for quick elevation.

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Hours and Entry Fees for Franconia Notch State Park

Franconia Notch State Park is open daily between 9 AM and 4 PM.

Online entry tickets cost $18 for adults and $16 for kids ages 6-12. Admission is free for children under 6 and no pets are allowed.

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Ticket Reservations

You can, and definitely should, make an online reservation for a one hour arrival window.

During peak season, it's unlikely that you'll find in-person ticket availability, as this is one of the most popular stops along any New England fall road trip.

Even if you do get lucky, entry will cost you $3 more at the ticket window.

Tip: Cell service is unreliable in the park, so be sure to take a screenshot of your confirmation email (with the QR code) or print your tickets ahead of time.

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Hiking Through New Hampshire's Flume Gorge

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Beginning The Hike

After waiting in line to have your tickets checked, you begin the hike by walking beyond the visitor center and making a right at the first fork.

You can stop by the restrooms at the rear of the visitor center before starting the trail, but there won't be any more until you've completed the two mile loop.

The trail is one-way, which is helpful along the narrow boardwalks and steep, sometimes wet, staircases.

You'll hit plenty of pedestrian traffic jams as people stop to take photos or just marvel at one of the sights, but it's better than having to squeeze past people going the opposite direction.

After a gentle curve in the trail going through the woods, you'll reach the first point of interest.

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Flume Covered Bridge

The large structure jumping out at you from the forest, with its thick wooden beams and bright red siding, is the Flume Covered Bridge.

It's one of the oldest in the state, though it's undergone multiple restorations.

The boardwalk takes you along the outside of the bridge, but you can step onto the road on the opposite side of the Pemigewasset River and take a photo looking straight on at it.

During the fall, the surrounding foliage lights up in a display of bright yellow and orange, making the bridge stand out even more.

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Table Rock

Past the bridge, the trail starts a gradual uphill climb along Flume Brook. Soon you'll pass Table Rock, a 500 foot long, 75 foot wide chunk of Conway granite that's been exposed over time by erosion.

It's important to stay on the trail here and all the way up the brook, because the rocks can be extremely slippery.

From here, you'll leave the gravel footpath, cross another small bridge, and join the narrow boardwalks as you make your way into the gorge.

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Flume Gorge

What immediately stands out about Flume Gorge in the fall is the dramatic contrast of the dark granite against fiery reds and oranges of the fall foliage and the vibrant green moss clinging to every rock.

This is the heart of the trail. The main attraction.

We took some time here to pause and soak it in. Closely examining the shade loving plants that spring from every tiny crevice. Listening to the water trickling over and through the sheer granite walls.

People seem to come in waves here. Arriving, marveling, snapping photos, and then continuing down the trail. If you step aside and wait long enough, you might find a moment or two of total peace.

And don't forget to look back. The views are just as beautiful in either direction.

Here is where you'll begin to encounter sets of stairs, which will take you up almost half the total elevation gain of the trail.

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Avalanche Falls

Near the top of this climb is Avalanche Falls. Even during autumn, when water levels are lower than spring or summer, it's an impressive sight.

The water here takes a multi-tiered trip down, lightly veiling the rock behind it and adding a hazy mist to the air.

You'll get several different views of the falls as you make the climb up the stairs, some better for a photo than others.

Tight spaces and leaf peepin' crowds make it difficult to grab a long exposure using a tripod without being "that guy". Rather than crowding an already narrow space, we decided to rely on the handrails instead of our tripod and managed to pull off some decent long exposures.

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Liberty Gorge Cascade

You've gone up, and now it's time to go down. From the height of the gorge, the trail descends steadily to Liberty Gorge.

Just after you cross over the stream, look for a short spur trail to the left that loops back for a better view.

Here you can look straight on at the cascade's wispy thin streaks of water, tucked back among the trees.

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Sentinel Pine Covered Bridge and The Pool

A short walk from Liberty Gorge, the trail crosses back over the Pemigewasset River.

The covered pedestrian bridge you see here is built on top of and named after the Sentinel Pine. It used to tower over the river bank, 175 feet tall, one of the largest white pines in New Hampshire. That is, until the hurricane of 1938 took it down.

A year later, its trunk was used as the main support for the Sentinel Pine Bridge.

From one side you'll be looking back up the river and, on the other side, down into The Pool, a 40 foot deep basin of water formed by glacial run-off. The granite cliffs surrounding The Pool reach to 130 feet high and boulders than have fallen into the river create another beautiful cascading waterfall.

The best view of these falls and the bridge above it are from a small observation deck down the trail.

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Wolf Den

After rejoining the main trail, you'll immediately come to the Wolf Den. This optional one way path is very narrow and requires you to crawl on hands and knees to squeeze between the rocks.

The remaining half mile of trail is mostly flat, with no major sights.

You'll pass by several giant glacial boulders, deposited here by one mile thick sheets of ice that once crept across the landscape.

The trail takes you directly back to the visitor center. There's a food court and gift shop inside, along with restrooms on the rear of the building.

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Getting to the Flume Gorge Trail

The entrance to Flume Gorge is right off I-93, five miles north of Lincoln, New Hampshire.

Its proximity to the freeway makes it easy to reach from elsewhere in New England. It's only two hours away from Boston, and two and a half from Portland, Maine.

But it should definitely be on your itinerary as part of a larger fall color tour of the state or, better yet, the whole region. We'd highly recommend it as a stop just before or after you drive the Kancamagus Highway.

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What to Bring on the Hike

The Flume is far from the most challenging hikes you could do in the Northeast, but it never hurts to come prepared.

Here are our recommendations for a few essentials you'll want to have with you for this hike. To see our full list of the hiking ten essentials, visit this storefront.

Sturdy hiking boots | Most important of all, especially during wet and slippery conditions of the fall. Make sure you're wearing some hiking footwear with reliable traction.

A reusable water bottle | Eco-friendly and practical. After climbing a few sets of stairs you'll have worked up a thirst. You can use the bottle filling station at the visitor center to top it off.

Rain gear | A waterproof outer shell will serve you well on this hike and during your visit to New England. Rain is almost always right around the corner this time of year.

A camera | Don't forget to bring along a camera so you can capture the stunning views of Flume Gorge. All our photo related gear recs can be found here.

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