Description
This is another great and easily accessible waterfall in the beautiful state
of New Hampshire.
The Ellis River has carved a bit of a flume into the granite at the top of
the waterfall before mostly freefalling to the base.
The waterfall is certainly powerful. I was there in a normally low flow
time of the year so I can only imagine the pounding sound and spray one would
find in the Spring and Winter seasons.
There is also another great waterfall nearby -
Crystal Cascade. The hike for Crystal Cascade is a short 0.6 miles
round trip and is well worth the small effort.
Both waterfalls are extremely accessible and highly recommended if you're in
the area.
Getting There
Glen Ellis Falls is located next to Route 16 just north of the AMC Pinkham
Notch Visitor Center parking lot. Great directions to the visitor center
can be found on the
Appalachian Mountain Club website. There is a very well marked parking
area for the waterfall on the west side of the highway.
Hike Details
This is a short walk from the parking area. The path goes underneath
Route 16 via a tunnel and then turns downhill. A series of rock steps will
take you to the base of the falls.
Photo Tips
The main problem here is light. There is too much of it. If
possible try to get here early or on an overcast day. The sky also peeks
through above the waterfall and is almost impossible to eliminate. If it
is sunny or a bright overcast day, try bracketing your exposure. You can
blend the photos together later.
A polarizer
is a must at this waterfall. The water spray keeps the rocks wet and shiny
all around. The polarizer will cut out the glare on the rocks as well as
the reflection on the pool. The water color here is fabulous.
Choices on composition are few. To your left as you face Glen Ellis
Falls is the side of the mountain with no points for shooting. To your
right is the Ellis River and several more small drops in the river. There
might be some good angles on the far side but the crossing would be dangerous
and not recommended. It would be better to cross somewhere downstream and
hike back up if that is even possible.
Shutter speed? This one is personal preference. I tried both fast
and slow shutter speeds but personally preferred the slower ones. For
slower speeds you will need a tripod.
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