Echo Lake Beach

Echo Lake Beach is the managed sandy swim beach on the north shore of a roughly 38-acre spring-fed lake beneath Cannon Mountain and Mount Lafayette. It’s a good place to cool off after a hike or spend a few hours swimming and paddling; if you only want a quick mountain view, choose another stop. The beach charges admission and manages entry by reservation during its seasonal operation. Book ahead: walk-ins depend on remaining capacity, and parking is limited on fine weekends. Summer can feel crowded on the small beach. Swimming is limited to the marked area.

You can swim from the sand, picnic by the water, or rent a kayak or pedal boat when rentals are operating and weather allows. The lake is stocked with trout, but fishing isn’t allowed in the swim zone. The seasonal Lakeside General Store sells ice cream, drinks, snacks, and beach supplies; plan another stop for a meal.

Personal boats and paddleboards can’t be launched from the beach. The public boat ramp is at the lake’s south end near the Aerial Tramway parking area, reached from Exit 34B. The lake is stocked with trout, but fishing isn’t allowed in the beach’s swim zone.

Echo Lake drew White Mountains visitors in the 1800s. The Profile House resort at the north end of the Notch operated a steam launch and boathouse on the lake; its first version opened in 1853. The rebuilt resort burned in 1923, and its former grounds are now part of the Cannon tram base area. This has been a place to get out on the water and look into the Notch for generations.

From the beach, the sandy edge and clear water lead your eye toward the Franconia Notch peaks. For a photo, keep a strip of water or the rental boats in the foreground so the mountain walls feel tied to the lake. Calm water can mirror autumn color, though still reflections depend on conditions.

For the elevated look down over Echo Lake, Cannon Mountain, and the Notch, take the separate 1.2-mile Bald Mountain and Artists Bluff loop. Its trailhead is across Route 18 by Cannon’s Peabody Base Area; don’t leave a car in the beach lot for that hike.