White Mountain National Forest: Crystal Cascades (Blog Hike #159)

Trail: Crystal Cascade Trail

Hike Location: White Mountain National Forest, Pinkham Notch Visitor Center

Geographic Location: south of Gorham, NH (44.25724, -71.25286)

Length: 0.8 mile

Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)

Dates Hiked: August 2004, August 2015

Overview: A short, but fairly steep climb to a pretty waterfall along the base of Mount Washington.

Notch Information: http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/whitemountain/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=74505&actid=50

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=719307
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From Gorham, go south on SR 16 for 10.5 miles to the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, which is well-marked by signs.  Turn right and park in the visitor center parking lot.  If the lot is full, which happens often on warm summer days, you will have to park at the Wildcat Ski Area 0.75 miles north on SR 16.  The trail starts behind the Visitor Center.

The hike: Pinkham Notch is one of the centers of activity in the eastern White Mountains.  The north-south notch is traversed by SR 16, which provides easy access to the area’s many scenic attractions.  Just a couple miles north of the notch in Glen House, the Mount Washington Auto Road exits SR 16 and ascends the tallest mountain in the northeast.  If you have a couple hours, the views and weather experience (Mt. Washington has the worst weather in the United States) at the top of Mt. Washington make the trip, whether you drive yourself or take a guided tour, a memorable experience.

Just south of the notch on SR 16 lies the town of Intervale, home to Heritage New Hampshire, a unique interactive journey through New Hampshire history, and Storyland, a nursery rhyme theme park popular with families with children.  The notch itself is home to the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center operated by the Appalachian Mountain Club.  It is at this point that the Appalachian Trail descends Mount Washington and continues east out of the Presidential Mountain Range and on into Maine.  After experiencing the cold, damp weather of Mount Washington, the visitor center offers a welcome, hospitable treat for AT hikers.

You do not need to experience the rigors of climbing Mount Washington to experience the treat of hiking in Pinkham Notch.  Along the first 0.4 mile of the Tuckerman Ravine Trail, which does terminate at the Mount Washington summit, one can experience a short but invigorating walk with a decent view and a very nice waterfall.  This portion of the Tuckerman Ravine Trail, called the Crystal Cascade Trail, is the route described here.

Trailhead at Pinkham Notch

            Coming out of the front door of the Visitor Center, turn right and walk toward some restrooms and an information board that marks the beginning of the trail.  In a very short distance, the Appalachian Trail continues straight on a trail heading to Lowe’s Bald Spot, an overlook accessed by a steep trail.  Our trail turns left and begins a moderate ascent on a gravel treadway.  The trail travels through a forest dominated by birch and maple trees with a few patches of balsam fir.

Ignore a blue-blazed cross-country ski trail that crosses our path and continue climbing with the stream on your left.  0.2 miles from the start, the trail turns left and crosses the stream on a wide wooden bridge.  The stream rushes under the bridge, and the opening created by the stream gives a nice view down into the notch during all seasons.

Crystal Cascade

            The trail now turns right and ascends rather steeply to arrive at a protected overlook at the base of the falls.  The 30-foot cascade has numerous ledges along its descent, and the feast for the ears is as impressive as that for the eyes.  Notice the large ferns that grow near the base of the falls; they benefit from the moisture spraying from the base of the falls.  After admiring the falls, retrace your steps to the visitor center and parking lot to complete the hike.

View down Tuckerman Ravine near Crystal Cascade