Sight · Franconia Notch State Park
A public put-in for your own boat on Echo Lake.
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Franconia Notch Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Franconia Notch State Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Franconia Notch audio tourRecorded for this place
Echo Lake Boat Launch“You're approaching Echo Lake Boat Launch, the public put-in beside the Cannon Tramway parking lot. This is the put-in for your own boat or paddleboard, where Cannon's ski slopes reach the water.”
Plays as you drive up to Echo Lake Boat Launch in the Parkwolf Franconia Notch Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Echo Lake’s public launch is on the south shore, at the left side of the Cannon Tramway parking lot. Come via I-93 Exit 34B and Tramway Drive. This is the access for your own boat or paddleboard; the managed swimming beach and its rentals are a separate stop at Exit 34C.
Echo Lake is a spring-fed, 39-acre lake. Cannon’s ski slopes reach the water, with the Franconia and Kinsman ranges framing the notch. The lake is listed for both flat water and quickwater, so don’t assume every stretch will be completely still.
The Lakeside General Store and boat rentals are at the seasonal beach operation at Exit 34C, not at this public put-in. The launch’s own fee, hours, permitted craft types and facilities aren’t clearly established; beach passes and amenities don’t answer those questions.
Wildlife
66 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
38 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
19 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
19 sightingsGreat Blue HeronMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
13 sightingsTurkey VultureMost seen around noonSighting map
23 sightingsRavenMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Franconia Notch. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingCannon Mountain via Kinsman Ridge Trail4.1 mi · 3.5 hr · 0.3 mi awayA hard climb earns a clear view across Franconia Ridge.
ChallengingKinsman Ridge Trail15.8 mi · 12 hr · 0.3 mi awayA full day across Cannon, the Cannon Balls, and both Kinsmans.
ChallengingMount Lafayette via Greenleaf Trail6.6 mi · 6.5 hr · 0.4 mi awayEagle Pass, Greenleaf Hut, and a hard climb to Lafayette.
EasyPemi Trail4 mi · 2.5 hr · 0.6 mi awayA rough river trail connects Profile Lake with The Basin.
EasyProfile Lake via Pemi Trail1.3 mi · 45 min · 0.6 mi awayA short, rocky shore walk below Eagle Cliff
ModerateArtists Bluff and Bald Mountain Loop1.3 mi · 1.3 hr · 0.7 mi awayEcho Lake below, big peaks ahead, in a short two-viewpoint loop.
ModerateBald Mountain Trail0.7 mi · 30 min · 0.7 mi awayA short scramble to open rock and Franconia Notch views.EasyCannon Mountain Rim Trail Loop0.4 mi · 45 min · 1.1 mi awayA short summit loop with Franconia Notch views and exposed ledges.
Sight · 0.2 mi awayNew England Ski Museum (Franconia Branch)New England ski history, from vintage gear to the 10th Mountain Division.
Sight · 0.2 mi awayCannon Mountain Aerial TramwayA 1938 lift that carried generations of skiers to the summit.
Sight · 0.2 mi awayOld Man of the Mountain MuseumFive granite ledges shaped a face woven into New Hampshire's story.
Beach · 0.4 mi awayEcho Lake BeachA mountain-framed swim beach with kayaks at the water’s edge.
Campground · 0.4 mi awayCannon Mountain RV ParkSeven RV sites beside Echo Lake Beach, close to Franconia Notch.
Sight · 0.6 mi awayArtists BluffA short, steep climb buys the Notch's best Echo Lake panorama.
Sight · 0.6 mi awayCannon Mountain Ski AreaA steep, old-school hill that puts skiing ahead of frills.
Restaurant · 0.6 mi awayCannonball PubPub food and a deck view of Cannon's ski runs.Parkwolf’s Franconia Notch ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
