But the trip is well worth it since the geology of the gorge is fascinating to contemplate. Tourists who enter Flume Gorge should be prepared to navigate narrow ledges, walk up and down staircases, and walk along boardwalks, all of which can be slippery due to the extremely moist atmosphere inside the gorge.

Visitors Can Stroll The Boardwalks Through Two Gorges Related: Does New Hampshire Have A State Food? Here's What's Worth Eating While You're There A third, the Chesterfield Gorge Natural Area, is much smaller and less impressive since it lacks the tall granite walls found in the other two. In a simplified explanation: The cooling of molten rock deep beneath the earth's surface caused the rock to fracture, and with erosion over time, the fractures eventually became filled with water, creating the gorge and its multitude of waterfalls.įlume Gorge and the nearby Lost River Gorge & Boulder Caves are the most celebrated gorges in the region. The formation of Flume Gorge and others in the area happened millions of years ago, during the Jurassic Period, and there are detailed scientific reasons as to how and why. The notch refers to a mountain pass that links the Franconia and Kinsman mountain ranges. However, most of Flume Gorge's 800-foot length is considerably wider than 12 feet, and its wooden boardwalks and stairways escort visitors past its moss-covered sides, its waterfalls and ponds, and its boulders that make fun of hiding places for children.įranconia Notch State Park sits within the White Mountain National Forest, almost smack in the middle of New Hampshire. So it's a tight space tucked inside a steep crevice. At its most narrow point, the gorge is just 12 feet wide, while its granite walls reach 90 feet high. Exploring a gorge, which is similar to a canyon, only not nearly as wide, is not for the claustrophobic traveler, especially when it comes to Flume Gorge, the geological wonder that draws visitors to its location inside Franconia Notch State Park in New Hampshire's White Mountains.

Flume gorge new hampshire