Sight · Franconia Notch State Park
A hard climb opens onto Franconia Ridge and the Kinsmans.
Overview
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
Mount Liberty via Liberty Spring Trail“Whitehouse Trailhead is coming up, the starting point for Mount Liberty via Liberty Spring Trail. This is a six-to-seven-hour day, about seven and a half miles round trip, with a very steep, rocky upper climb.”
Plays as you drive up to Mount Flume 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
Mount Flume is a rocky summit about 4,300 feet high at the southern end of the Franconia Range. It takes a substantial hike to reach; the summit is a separate outing from the short Flume Gorge walk. You can make Flume one of two summits by continuing north along the ridge to Mount Liberty, but the distance depends on your starting trailhead and route.
The Flume Slide approach reaches the summit over steep, smooth rock. It gets slick in wet weather and snow, so save that route for dry conditions and climb the slide rather than descending it. This is a demanding scramble, not a casual detour from the visitor center.
The summit is a rocky outcrop with several places to stop. The broadest views face west toward Franconia Notch and the Kinsman Range, with more of Franconia Ridge to the north; the eastward view is more limited. For a photo, use the rocky summit as foreground and frame west across the Notch toward the Kinsmans.
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
ModerateMount Pemigewasset Trail3.3 mi · 2.8 hr · 2.7 mi awayA steady forest climb to an open granite summit above the Notch.
ChallengingMount Liberty via Liberty Spring Trail7.5 mi · 6.5 hr · 2.7 mi awaySteep climb, big summit views, and Mount Flume’s slides.
ChallengingMount Liberty and Mount Flume via Liberty Spring Trail10.2 mi · 8 hr · 2.7 mi awayTwo rugged summits, a rocky ridge traverse, and broad mountain views.
ModerateFlume Gorge Trail2 mi · 1.8 hr · 2.7 mi awayA two-mile loop through a granite gorge, waterfalls, and a glacial pool.
ModerateCascade Brook Trail6.7 mi · 4.5 hr · 2.7 mi awayA brookside climb ends at Lonesome Lake beside an AMC hut.
ChallengingFranconia Ridge Traverse16.7 mi · 12 hr · 2.8 mi awayFour 4,000-footers, a long day, and miles of exposed ridge.
EasyRoaring River Memorial Nature Trail0.3 mi · 30 min · 2.8 mi awayA short woodland loop with a 1988 memorial gazebo.
ModerateBasin Cascade Trail2 mi · 2 hr · 2.9 mi awayCascade Brook's granite ledges and small falls earn the extra walk.Sight · 0.9 mi awayMount LibertyA long climb earns a rocky summit and wide Franconia Ridge views.
Campground · 1.1 mi awayLiberty Springs TentsiteA useful backpacking stop just below the Franconia Ridge junction.
Sight · 2.2 mi awayFlume GorgeFollow a brook through an 800-foot granite gorge and two bridges.
Sight · 2.4 mi awayLittle Haystack MountainThe waterfall climb ends at an open summit on the Franconia Ridge.
Visitor center · 2.7 mi awayGilman Visitor CenterTickets, park info, food and exhibits at the Flume entrance.
Sight · 2.8 mi awayCloudland FallsAn 80-foot fan of water is the payoff on an uphill hike.
Sight · 2.9 mi awayThe BasinA river-carved granite bowl and waterfall, reached by a short paved walk.
Sight · 2.9 mi awayMount LincolnA high Franconia Ridge summit reached only by a strenuous alpine hike.Parkwolf’s Franconia Notch ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
