Crawford Notch State Park: Arethusa Falls Trail (Blog Hike #161)

Trail: Arethusa Falls Trail

Hike Location: Crawford Notch State Park

Geographic Location: northwest of North Conway, NH (44.14803, -71.36684)

Length: 3 miles
Difficulty: 7/10 (Moderate)

Dates Hiked: August 2004, August 2015

Overview: A rocky, steady, occasionally steep climb to the highest waterfall in New Hampshire.

Park Information: https://www.nhstateparks.org/find-parks-trails/crawford-notch-state-park/

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=719309
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From North Conway, head west on US 302 into Crawford Notch.  Continue west on US 302 in the town of Bartlett where Bear Notch Rd. turns left.  8.5 miles west of Bartlett, turn left onto the park entrance road, which is marked by a sign for Arethusa Falls.  There are two parking areas, the lower parking area immediately to the right after entering the park and the upper parking area which is located uphill further from US 302.  The upper parking area is closest to the trailhead, so try to park there first, retreating to the lower one if the upper parking lot is full.

The hike: There was a time when Bemis Brook babbled peacefully from the mountains to the west into the Saco River on its journey to the Atlantic Ocean.  That time ended several thousand years ago when the glaciers advanced south and scoured the walls of this once-shallow valley.  When the glaciers retreated, what remained was a deep rut flanked on either side by steep granite walls.  Today, Bemis Brook flows over these granite walls and plunges into Crawford Notch on its eastward route to the Saco River.  This plunge forms the tallest waterfall in New Hampshire, named Arethusa Falls.

The waterfall’s unusual name comes from that of a Greek mythical water goddess.  One visit and you will know why this waterfall deserves deistic nomenclature.  Since this is the tallest in the state, you will likely not be alone during your visit to the waterfall.  Also, the trail to the falls is not easy, as numerous sections are rocky, a few are steep, and the total elevation gain is 1050 feet.  Still, for those who are willing and able to put forth the effort, the reward is more than worth the climb.

Trailhead: Arethusa Falls Trail

            From the upper parking area, cross the railroad tracks belonging to a local scenic railroad and bear left as the trail enters the forest.  The dense forest at the lower elevations consists of northern hardwoods such as sugar maple, yellow birch, and beech trees.  In only 0.1 miles, the trail forks, with the blue-blazed Arethusa Falls Trail going right and the yellow-blazed Bemis Brook Trail going left.  The trails rejoin in only 0.4 miles, so I suggest taking the Bemis Brook Trail as the outbound trail and returning on the Arethusa Falls Trail.  The former provides views of two smaller waterfalls on your way to the main attraction.

The Bemis Brook Trail follows directly along Bemis Brook, which is on the left, while a steep hillside ascends to the right.  0.4 miles into the hike, pass pretty Bemis Brook Falls, which is actually a series of cascades on your left.  Past Bemis Brook Falls, the trail ascends rather steeply for a short distance to reach a bluff overlooking the creek.  A brief descent brings you to the base of Coliseum Falls, another small ledge-type waterfall in Bemis Brook.  The view is partially blocked by some trees, so you will have to leave the trail and enter the rocky streambed to get a good view.

Bemis Brook Falls

            The trail turns right at the base of Coliseum Falls and climbs very steeply directly up the hillside on an unlikely course over lots of roots and a few rocks.  Take your time as you climb, picking your route carefully and keeping track of the blazes.  0.6 miles from the start, the trail finishes the steepest climb of the hike and intersects the Arethusa Falls Trail, which goes straight and right.  A right turn would provide a shortcut back to the trailhead, but the real show remains straight ahead.

Climbing toward Arethusa Falls

            The Arethusa Falls Trail curves left on a section of trail that has recently been rerouted as it gently climbs a set of wooden steps built into the ground.  The trail curves right as it climbs gently but steadily along the right bank of a shallow ravine.  1 mile from the start, the trail descends some more steps built into the ground to cross the tributary of Bemis Brook on a newly constructed wooden bridge.

The trail ascends the opposite ridge via a pair of broad switchbacks before dropping gently to cross another tributary to Bemis Brook on a wooden bridge.  One final moderate climb brings the hiker to the highest point on the hike, some 1050 feet above the trailhead.  At this point, the trail comes to a T-intersection with trails going left and right.  The trail to the right leads to Ripley Falls and Frankenstein Cliffs.  Both of these destinations are worthy sites to see, and Frankenstein Cliffs can be seen from below from the lower parking area.  However, the trail to these attractions is lengthy and difficult, so it should only be considered by people with adequate preparation and conditioning.

Arethusa Falls will be reached in 0.2 miles by taking the trail to the left.  This trail descends moderately, clinging to the hillside, as it comes out at a rocky area of the streambed at the base of the falls.  From this perspective, you can see the spray of water cascade down the sheer pink granite face, which towers over 200 feet above and in front of you.  You can scramble over some boulders to get closer to the base of the falls, but the best view is actually near the point where the trail enters the streambed, as from here you can get the entire waterfall in your field of vision and in a single regular-sized camera frame.

Arethusa Falls

            In the past, one could scramble across Bemis Brook and take a return route down the south side of the brook, but that trail is no longer maintained.  Instead, you will have to retrace your steps to the first intersection and turn right to begin descending and heading back east toward the trailhead.  Where the Bemis Brook Trail exits straight, turn left to continue descending on the Arethusa Falls Trail, as this avoids what would be an extremely steep descent to the brook.  The Arethusa Falls Trail makes a more moderate, but very rocky descent to intersect the other end of the Bemis Brook Trail 0.1 miles from the trailhead.  A short hike remains to return you to the parking lot and complete the hike.