Description
This "waterfall" (loosely defined in this instance) can be found in the Flume Gorge of
Franconia Notch State Park. The state park is located in the White
Mountain National Forest and runs for about eight miles along I-93 from Flume
Gorge at the southern end to Echo Lake on the northern end.
This is not a free state park. Park hours and rates can be found
here.
There are several other good waterfalls within Franconia Notch State Park,
including
Avalanche Falls and
Liberty Gorge Cascade (within the Flume Gorge area), The
Basin,
Cascade Brook Falls,
Cloudland Falls, and
Kinsman Falls, to name a few.
The view is certainly worth the extra bit of hiking. It's not every day
you can photograph a covered walking bridge and waterfall in such a picturesque
setting. The combination of flume gorge and waterfalls make this park a
great stop on any vacation.
Getting There
Flume Gorge is well marked. Your best bet is to
visit the Franconia Notch
State Park website for
directions.
Hike Details
The Pool is on a hiking loop within the park that includes Flume Gorge,
the Liberty Gorge Cascade, and The Pool. The trail begins behind the
visitor's center. The less adventurous can hitch a ride to the bottom of
Flume Gorge on one of the park's passenger buses.
Starting at the visitor's center, the round trip hike to the falls, Liberty
Gorge Cascade, and The Pool is just over 2 miles. For just The Pool,
the hike is 1.5 miles one way if you go through Flume Gorge, closer to 0.5 miles
if you go to The Pool first. Taking the shuttle bus will cut your
distance (through Flume Gorge) by 0.5 miles.
For more details on this popular loop hike, check out this
great
description on GORP.
Photo Tips
I shot the photo above at 50 mm focal length so somewhere in that range
should work when shooting from the overlook. You certainly won't need a
wide angle lens.
Any kind of breeze will blur the trees and foliage in the picture, making a
long shutter speed problematic. You may have to compromise as I did with
an intermediate shutter speed. Again, digital photos are cheap so play
around with a bunch of settings. Keep in mind that there is a high range
of contrast between the dark foliage and the lighter waterfall and bridge so
some exposure compensation may be in order here as well.
You will definitely
need a polarizer
to reduce glare on the rocks and foliage and the water.
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