Flume Gorge
852 Daniel Webster Hwy
Lincoln, NH
A natural chasm where a boardwalk clings to sheer granite walls just feet above rushing water, one of the White Mountains' great walks through the heart of the rock itself.
Flume Gorge is a natural chasm cut into the flank of Mount Liberty at the southern end of Franconia Notch, where Flume Brook has carved a narrow slot some 800 feet long between towering granite walls. The state has threaded a boardwalk through it, pinned to the sheer rock just above the rushing water, so that walking the gorge feels like slipping inside the mountain itself, cool and dim and loud with the sound of the brook.
The gorge is the heart of a scenic loop that also takes in waterfalls, a covered bridge, glacial boulders, and pool-clear stretches of the Pemigewasset River. It has been a beloved White Mountains attraction since the nineteenth century, when it was discovered, according to local tradition, by a ninety-three-year-old woman out fishing, and it remains one of the most rewarding short walks in New England.
What Guests Love
- Walking a boardwalk pinned to sheer granite walls with water rushing below
- The cool, mossy micro-world of ferns and dripping rock deep in the gorge
- A well-designed loop that packs waterfalls, a covered bridge, and forest into a couple of miles
- Fall foliage framing the gorge in brilliant color
Worth Knowing
- Tickets are timed and the site is seasonal; buy in advance in busy periods
- The loop involves many stairs and can be wet and slippery, so wear good shoes
- The full loop runs roughly two miles; a shorter option skips the steepest part
- It sits within Franconia Notch, so pair it with the Basin and other park highlights
Details
Lincoln, NH
Learn about Flume Gorge
Walking the gorge
The boardwalk carries you into the slot between walls of granite that rise sixty to ninety feet on either side, close enough in places to touch both sides at once. Below, Flume Brook rushes and drops over ledges, and the walls stay damp and green with moss and ferns even on the hottest days.
The full loop is a couple of miles of trail and stairs that climbs up through the gorge and returns through the forest, passing waterfalls, a glacial pool, and viewpoints along the way. It is a walk that packs a great variety of White Mountain scenery into a modest distance, which is part of why it has endured as a favorite for well over a century.
How the gorge formed
The gorge began as a seam in the granite. Long ago, molten rock called basalt forced its way up into a vertical crack in the surrounding granite and hardened there as a dike. Basalt weathers faster than the tougher granite around it, so over immense spans of time water gradually wore the softer stone away, leaving the narrow, steep-walled slot you walk through today.
The White Mountains themselves were later sculpted by ice-age glaciers, which ground out the great U-shaped trough of Franconia Notch and scattered the boulders you see along the loop. The gorge is a small, intimate example of the same forces that shaped the whole dramatic landscape around it.
Franconia Notch
Flume Gorge sits within Franconia Notch State Park, a deep pass between the Franconia and Kinsman mountain ranges that ranks among the most scenic in the Northeast. For generations the notch was famous for the Old Man of the Mountain, a natural rock profile high on Cannon Cliff that was the symbol of the state until it collapsed in 2003.
The park offers far more than the gorge alone. Nearby are the Basin, a smooth granite pothole carved by the river, the Cannon Mountain aerial tramway, swimming at Echo Lake, and miles of hiking trails. The Flume makes an ideal first stop on a day exploring the whole notch.
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
1 miles away|Learn More ›
Things to Do Near Franconia Notch
The Basin
About 3 miles, a 5 minute drive
A smooth granite bowl and waterfall carved by the Pemigewasset River, a short walk from the highway.
Cannon Mountain
About 5 miles, a 10 minute drive
An aerial tramway to a summit with sweeping notch views, and the site of the former Old Man of the Mountain.
Clark's Bears
About 6 miles, a 10 minute drive
A classic family attraction in Lincoln with trained bears and a vintage steam train.