White Mountain National Forest: Glen Ellis Falls (Blog Hike #160)

Trail: Glen Ellis Trail

Hike Location: White Mountain National Forest, Pinkham Notch

Geographic Location: south of Gorham, NH (44.24569, -71.25363)

Length: 0.4 mile

Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)

Date Hiked: August 2004

Overview: A short, but fairly steep climb involving many steps to the base of a large, impressive waterfall.

Area Information: http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/whitemountain/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=74455&actid=50

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=719308
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From Gorham, go south on SR 16 for 11.2 miles, passing the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, to the signed parking area on the right.  You will need to pay a nominal fee to park in the national forest parking area.  The trail starts at the southeast corner of the large, complex parking area near the road.

The hike: For some general comments on Pinkham Notch, see the previous hike.  This trail gives a short route to one of New Hampshire’s largest waterfalls (in terms of volume).  The route is not difficult, but a lengthy staircase must be descended (and, of course, ascended) to get to the base of the falls.

From the information board at the southeast corner of the parking lot, use a tunnel under SR 16 to take you to the east side of the road, where the trail turns right as it immediately arrives at the stream bank.  There is a nice swimming spot just after this turn, but since the water in the Ellis River comes from frigid Mount Washington and other surrounding mountains, expect to get a chill even on a warm summer day.

Swimming hole in Ellis River

            In 0.1 miles, the trail comes out at an overlook that gives a topside view of the waterfall.  From this point of view, water seems to disappear off the end of the world as it tumbles over the falls.  While this might satisfy those in moderate health, the best view can be found by descending the 69-step stone staircase through a cool pine forest to the base of the falls.
            At the base of these steps, two vantage points give views of the waterfall in its grandeur.  Water plunges 40 feet, mostly in one single drop, into a large plunge pool.  While the waterfall may not be the highest or most graceful in the region, the pure volume of water and its power as it spills over the edge will captivate you.  After you have viewed the falls, climb the steps back to the parking lot and complete the hike.

Glen Ellis Falls