Waterfalls and Swimming Holes Near North Conway & the White Mountains
This list is built for a North Conway or Mount Washington Valley base, pulling together Kancamagus river stops, Pinkham Notch falls, and Crawford Notch classics on one map.
It is the strongest regional page in New Hampshire when you want the biggest concentration of famous waterfall stops with a few real swimming holes mixed in. Use the map to group your day, then open each guide for parking, walk time, and current water conditions.
Rank 1: Diana's Baths — Conway
A ~1.2 mi RT granite cascade-and-pool system on Lucy Brook in Conway, from the WMNF lot on West Side Road.
- Can you swim?
- Conditional swim or wade access. Check flow and signage
- Walk
- 10 min
Rank 2: Lower Falls (Swift River) — 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 3: Sabbaday Falls — Albany
Viewing only, not a swim stop
A classic Kanc waterfall stop — short walk from the WMNF picnic area to a multi-tier gorge cascade in Albany.
- Can you swim?
- No swimming. View only
- Walk
- 15 min
Rank 4: 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 5: Emerald Pool — Chatham
A famous green plunge pool on Charles Brook at the foot of the Baldface Circle Trail in Chatham.
- Can you swim?
- Conditional swim or wade access. Check flow and signage
- Walk
- 10 min
Rank 6: 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 7: 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 8: Silver 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 9: 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 10: Arethusa Falls — Hart's Location
Viewing only, not a swim stop
Flagship long plunge in Crawford Notch State Park, reached by a ~3-mile round-trip mountain hike off US 302.
- Can you swim?
- No swimming. View only
- Walk
- 2-3 hr
Rank 11: Champney Falls — Albany
Viewing only, not a swim stop
A ~3.4-mile round-trip Kancamagus waterfall on Champney Brook under Mount Chocorua, from the Champney Falls Trail on NH 112.
- Can you swim?
- No swimming. View only
- Walk
- 2 hr
Rank 12: Ripley Falls — Hart's Location
Viewing only, not a swim stop
A tall fan-shaped waterfall on Avalanche Brook in Crawford Notch SP — ~0.6 mi up the Ethan Pond Trail.
- Can you swim?
- No swimming. View only
- Walk
- 1 hr