Dixville Notch and Table Rock
NH Route 26
Dixville, NH
The northernmost and most dramatic of New Hampshire's notches, a jagged cleft in the mountains crowned by the knife-edge perch of Table Rock, and home to the nation's first midnight ballots.
Dixville Notch is the northernmost of New Hampshire's great mountain notches and, to many, the most dramatic. Where the famous notches of the White Mountains are broad and U-shaped, Dixville is a narrow, jagged cleft, its walls broken into sharp fins and spires of upturned rock that give it an almost alpine severity. Route 26 threads through the gap, and short, steep trails climb to overlooks on either side.
The most thrilling of these is Table Rock, a slender blade of stone that juts out high above the notch, offering a vertiginous view straight down the pass and out over the North Woods. The notch is also famous for something entirely unrelated to geology: the tiny community of Dixville has long been first in the nation to cast and report its ballots, gathering just after midnight on election day in a ritual that draws national attention.
What Guests Love
- The sheer, jagged rock walls of the most dramatic notch in New Hampshire
- The heart-stopping view from Table Rock, a narrow fin of stone above the notch
- The lore of Dixville Notch as the first place to report votes on election night
- The deep quiet and moose country of the surrounding North Woods
Worth Knowing
- The Table Rock trail is short but steep and rugged, with real exposure at the top
- The overlook is a narrow ledge; keep well back from the edge and mind children
- This is remote country, so fuel up and carry what you need before heading in
- The area around the former Balsams resort has seen changes; the notch itself is public land
Details
Dixville, NH
Learn about Dixville Notch and Table Rock
The most dramatic notch
Dixville Notch was carved where layers of rock were tilted nearly on end and then eroded, leaving the sawtooth ridges and sharp pinnacles that make it look so different from the smoother glacial notches farther south. The effect is startling: driving Route 26 through the gap, the walls close in and rise in broken crags on both sides.
Because it sits so far north and off the main tourist routes, the notch keeps a wild, uncrowded feeling. It is protected as a state park, with picnic areas, small waterfalls, and trails that make the most of the rugged terrain.
Table Rock
The signature hike is the climb to Table Rock, a narrow horizontal slab of stone that projects out from the ridge like a diving board over the notch. The short trail to it is steep and rough, gaining elevation quickly, and the final perch is genuinely exposed, a thin ledge with long drops on either side.
The reward is one of the finest views in northern New Hampshire, straight down the throat of the notch and across a sea of forest toward the Canadian border. It is a place to move carefully and mind your footing, but the payoff for the effort is immense.
First in the nation
Dixville Notch entered American folklore through its voting tradition. For decades the handful of registered voters in the community have gathered in the small hours of election day to cast their ballots the instant the calendar turns, then report the result, making Dixville the first place in the country to announce its vote.
The ritual has drawn reporters and candidates from around the world to this remote spot, an outsized moment of national attention for one of the least populated places in the state. It is a quirk that has made the notch's name familiar to people who have never seen its cliffs.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Profile Motel & Cottages
Honorable Mention391 Styles Bridges Highway, Lincoln, NH
55 miles away|Learn More ›
Things to Do Near Dixville
Colebrook
About 12 miles, a 20 minute drive
The commercial center of the far North Country, with fuel, food, and access to the Connecticut River valley.
Beaver Brook Falls Wayside
About 12 miles, a 20 minute drive
A tall, graceful roadside waterfall with a picnic area just north of Colebrook.
Errol and the Androscoggin
About 15 miles, a 25 minute drive
A north-woods hub for paddling, moose watching, and access to the 13 Mile Woods along the Androscoggin River.