Best waterfalls in New Hampshire

New Hampshire’s falls live in the White Mountains, many of them an easy stop right off the Kancamagus Highway and the notch roads. The big ones — Arethusa, the state’s tallest — take a real climb, while flumes, basins, and roadside cascades suit every family. Spring melt and fall foliage are the headline seasons.

Arethusa Falls140 ftModerate hike · Hart’s Location · 2.8 mithe tallest single-drop fall in New Hampshire, in Crawford Notch.Ripley Falls100 ftModerate hike · Hart’s Location · 1.2 mia long sliding cascade in Crawford Notch.Bridal Veil Falls (Franconia)80 ftStrenuous hike · Franconia · 6.4 mia long slide-and-plunge reached by the Coppermine Trail.Crystal Cascade80 ftShort walk · Pinkham Notch · 0.6 mia tall cascade on the way up Mount Washington.Diana’s Baths75 ftShort walk · North Conway · 1.2 mia kid-friendly staircase of pools and small falls.Glen Ellis Falls64 ftShort walk · Jackson · 0.6 mia powerful plunge a short walk from Pinkham Notch.Sabbaday Falls45 ftShort walk · Waterville Valley · 0.6 mia flume-and-pothole fall right off the Kancamagus Highway.Lower Falls (Swift River)15 ftRoadside · Albanya popular swimming-spot fall on the Kancamagus Highway.The Basin15 ftRoadside · Lincolna glacial pothole and cascade in Franconia Notch, a roadside classic.

Flows change with the season and recent rain — many falls roar at spring snowmelt and slow by late summer. Check conditions and any permit or reservation rules before you go.