Best Roadside Waterfalls in New Hampshire
These New Hampshire waterfalls are good picks when you want scenery without committing to a long hike.
Use the list for quick detours and easy add-ons, then open each guide for parking, trail notes, and on-site conditions. “Roadside” is about access, not a promise that swimming is appropriate.
Rank 1: Silver Cascade and Flume Cascade — Hart's Location
Viewing only, not a swim stop
Twin roadside cascades off US 302 on the east wall of Crawford Notch in Hart's Location.
- Can you swim?
- No swimming. View only
- Walk
- 5-10 min one way
Rank 2: Glen Ellis Falls — Jackson
Viewing only, not a swim stop
A 64-ft Ellis River plunge in Pinkham Notch, ~0.3 mi RT from the signed lot on NH 16 (Pinkham's Grant, New Hampshire).
- Can you swim?
- No swimming. View only
- Walk
- 20 min
Rank 3: Flume Gorge — Lincoln
Viewing only, not a swim stop
An iconic ticketed ~2-mile boardwalk loop through Franconia Notch's 800-ft granite gorge, climaxing at Avalanche Falls.
- Can you swim?
- No swimming. View only
- Walk
- 2 hr
Rank 4: Beaver Brook Falls (Colebrook) — Colebrook
Viewing only, not a swim stop
An 80-ft roadside waterfall at a 7-acre NH state wayside on Route 145 north of Colebrook.
- Can you swim?
- No swimming. View only
- Walk
- 5 min
Rank 5: Crystal Cascade — Green's Grant
Viewing only, not a swim stop
An 80-ft two-tier waterfall on the Ellis River ~0.3 mi up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail from Pinkham Notch Visitor Center.
- Can you swim?
- No swimming. View only
- Walk
- 20 min
Rank 6: Rocky Gorge Scenic Area — Albany
A classic Kancamagus stop where the Swift River cuts a narrow polished gorge — viewing only at the gorge itself.
- Walk
- 10 min
Rank 7: Lower Falls (Albany) — Albany
The iconic Swift River ledge-and-pool swim stop on the Kancamagus Highway in Albany.
- Can you swim?
- Conditional swim or wade access. Check flow and signage
- Walk
- 10-15 min one way
Rank 8: Jackson Falls — Jackson
An iconic series of Wildcat Brook ledges and pools right through Jackson village on NH 16B.
- Can you swim?
- Swimming allowed when posted rules and staffing say it is open
- Walk
- 10-15 min one way
Rank 9: The Basin — Lincoln
Viewing only, not a swim stop
A glacially carved granite pothole on the Pemigewasset River in Franconia Notch. Not a swim spot.
- Can you swim?
- No swimming. View only
- Walk
- 10 min
Rank 10: Cloudland Falls — Franconia
Viewing only, not a swim stop
A polished-granite cascade in Franconia Notch on Dry Brook, reached via the Falling Waters Trail from Lafayette Place.
- Can you swim?
- No swimming. View only
- Walk
- 1 hr
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