Arethusa Falls

Arethusa Falls is the tallest single waterfall in New Hampshire — a graceful ribbon of water that drops about 140 feet over a broad rock face in Crawford Notch State Park, deep in the White Mountains. Set in a forested glen reached by a popular mountain trail, the falls fan out beautifully over the rock, especially full and dramatic in spring and after rain.

The roughly 1.3-mile trail to the falls climbs through hardwood and hemlock forest along Bemis Brook, and many hikers continue on a loop to the dramatic Frankenstein Cliff, with its sweeping views over Crawford Notch and the chance to see trains on the cliff-hugging railway trestle. Surrounded by the rugged scenery of Crawford Notch, Arethusa Falls is a treasured natural icon of New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

Arethusa Falls is reached by a popular roughly 1.3-mile trail climbing through the forest to the base of the tall cascade, with many hikers extending the trip on a loop to Frankenstein Cliff for sweeping views over Crawford Notch (passing the dramatic railway trestle). The surrounding Crawford Notch State Park and White Mountains offer abundant more hiking, scenic drives and the Conway Scenic Railroad. Hiking to the tallest falls in the state, and looping to Frankenstein Cliff, are the signature draws. The combination of a graceful tall waterfall and dramatic notch scenery makes it a beloved hike.

Spring and early summer bring the fullest, most dramatic flow as snowmelt and rain swell the brook, while fall brings spectacular White Mountain foliage along the trail (and clear cliff views), and summer offers lush green and pleasant hiking. Winter turns the falls into a striking ice climb for the experienced. The falls are fullest in spring; the foliage peaks in fall. Spring for the fullest falls and fall for the color are the highlights — come after snowmelt or rain for the most dramatic cascade, and start early on busy weekends.

Crawford Notch and the White Mountains are significant to the Abenaki people and became famous in the 1800s as a destination for tourists, artists and writers drawn to the dramatic notch scenery. Arethusa Falls — named for a figure of Greek mythology (a nymph turned into a spring) — became a celebrated natural attraction. The cliff-hugging railroad through the notch (now the Conway Scenic Railroad’s Notch Train) is a historic engineering feat. Arethusa Falls preserves the tallest waterfall in the state and its dramatic setting, a treasured icon of New Hampshire.

Arethusa Falls drops about 140 feet over a broad, steep face of ancient granite and metamorphic rock in Crawford Notch — a deep, glacier-carved pass through the White Mountains. The brook plunges over the resistant rock ledge, fanning out over the face, in a glen shaped by the Ice Age glaciers and the long erosion that carved the notch and its cliffs (including nearby Frankenstein Cliff). The hard rock, the glacial carving of the notch and the brook dropping over the ledge created the tall, graceful falls.

The forests of Crawford Notch around Arethusa Falls host black bears, moose, white-tailed deer, beavers, and a birdlife of boreal species, woodpeckers, warblers and the peregrine falcons that nest on the notch cliffs, while the brook holds trout and the cool glen shelters amphibians. The range from forest to cliff supports varied wildlife. While visited mainly for the falls, the trail and the surrounding notch offer glimpses of White Mountain wildlife, with peregrine falcons on the cliffs among the highlights.

Arethusa Falls lies in the forested ecosystem of Crawford Notch — northern hardwoods, hemlock and spruce-fir cloaking the steep slopes, with the cool, moist glen around the falls supporting mosses, ferns and shade-loving plants, and the brook and its riparian zone adding habitat. The notch concentrates rich forest and cliff habitats. The falls’ glen and the surrounding forest are sensitive to heavy trail use. Protecting the brook’s water, the glen and the surrounding forest sustains both the ecology and the beauty of the tallest waterfall in New Hampshire.

Arethusa Falls holds a treasured place among the icons of New Hampshire — the tallest waterfall in the state, a graceful cascade in the dramatic, historic Crawford Notch that drew the tourists, artists and writers of the White Mountains’ golden age of tourism. Named for a Greek nymph and set amid spectacular notch scenery, the falls embody the beauty of the White Mountains. Arethusa Falls is a cherished natural icon of New Hampshire.

Arethusa Falls is in Crawford Notch State Park in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, off U.S. Route 302 between the towns of Bartlett and the Crawford Notch summit, about 30 minutes from North Conway. There is a trailhead parking area (which fills on busy days); the falls are a roughly 1.3-mile hike, with the Frankenstein Cliff loop adding distance. There is no fee for the trail (parking is limited). The notch has other trailheads and the scenic railroad. Check NH State Parks and the White Mountain National Forest for trail conditions and parking before visiting.

NH State Parks and the White Mountain National Forest protect Crawford Notch and Arethusa Falls. Visitors help by staying on the trail to protect the forest and the falls’ glen, not climbing on the slippery falls or the cliffs, respecting peregrine-falcon closures, packing out everything, preventing wildfire, and following Leave No Trace on this popular trail. The glen, the forest and the cliff-nesting falcons are sensitive. Protecting the brook, the glen and the surrounding forest sustains both the ecology and the beauty of the tallest waterfall in New Hampshire.

The trail to Arethusa Falls is moderately strenuous, rocky and can be muddy and slippery, with the Frankenstein Cliff loop adding steep, exposed sections near cliff edges — wear sturdy footwear, watch your footing, and keep back from the cliff edges and the slippery rocks at the base of the falls (do not climb on the falls). Mountain weather changes fast; carry water and layers. Winter brings ice (the falls become an ice-climbing route for experts only). Respect the rocky trail, the slippery falls, the cliff edges and the mountain weather.

There is no trail fee, but parking is limited (do not park illegally). Stay on the trail; do not climb on the falls or cliffs. Respect any peregrine-falcon cliff closures. Camp only where permitted under White Mountain National Forest rules. Pets must be leashed/controlled. Drones are restricted. Prevent wildfire; follow fire rules. Pack out all trash; follow Leave No Trace. Check NH State Parks and the White Mountain National Forest for trail and parking conditions and rules before visiting.

Crawford Notch State Park with its other waterfalls and trails, the town of North Conway and the Mount Washington Valley, the Conway Scenic Railroad’s Notch Train, Mount Washington and the Presidential Range, and the rest of the White Mountains lie near the falls. Crawford Notch and the White Mountains define the region. Arethusa Falls anchors the scenery of Crawford Notch, a centerpiece of a White Mountains adventure, easily combined with Mount Washington, the scenic railroad, North Conway and the other notch waterfalls.

Hike the roughly 1.3-mile trail to the base of the tallest waterfall in New Hampshire — come in spring or after rain for the fullest, most dramatic flow, or in fall for spectacular foliage — and consider extending to the loop over Frankenstein Cliff for sweeping notch views (and a look at the historic railway trestle). Wear sturdy shoes for the rocky, sometimes muddy trail, carry water and layers, arrive early on busy days for parking, and combine your visit with the rest of Crawford Notch and the Mount Washington Valley.