Crawford Notch State Park

New Hampshire State Park Covering The Crawford Notch Pass On US Route 302; Holds Arethusa Falls, Among The Tallest Waterfalls In New Hampshire, And The Willey House Site Of The 1826 Landslide, The Event Behind Nathaniel Hawthorne'S Story The Ambitious Guest. · Hart's Location, New Hampshire

A steep, narrow mountain pass in the heart of the White Mountains, where US Route 302 and an old railroad squeeze between granite cliffs for several miles on their way from Bartlett up to Bretton Woods. The state park covers the notch itself and the forested walls on both sides, and the Saco River begins near its northern gateway and runs down the valley floor. It holds some of the best short hikes in New Hampshire: Arethusa Falls, among the tallest waterfalls in the state; Ripley Falls sliding down a long granite slab; the view down the whole notch from the ledges of Mount Willard; and the Frankenstein Cliff with the iron railroad trestle below it. At the Willey House site, a small pond and markers recall the 1826 landslide that killed the Willey family as they fled a house the slide then spared, the event Nathaniel Hawthorne turned into his story The Ambitious Guest. The Appalachian Trail crosses the valley here, climbing Webster Cliff. There is a state campground at Dry River, and the Conway Scenic Railroad's Notch train crosses the trestle in season.

2057 US Route 302, Hart's Location, New Hampshire, 03812, United States

US Route 302 through the notch is open all year, day and night, and the trailhead lots for Arethusa Falls, Ripley Falls, Mount Willard, Elephant Head and Webster Cliff are usable all year, though winter plowing of the smaller lots is not guaranteed. The Willey House site's seasonal services (snack bar, gift shop and restrooms) have typically run from about late May to mid-October, with the grounds open in daylight the rest of the year. Dry River Campground has generally operated from about May to October and closes in winter; confirm dates. The Conway Scenic Railroad's Notch train runs on a seasonal summer and foliage schedule only. Storms or rockfall can close the road briefly.

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