Franconia Notch State Park was once known as the home of New Hampshire’s famous Old Man of the Mountain. One could see it driving northbound on Interstate 93. As most know, the Old Man of the Mountain collapsed back in 2003, but there are still plenty of worthwhile locations to visit in this beautiful area. Depending on the season, Franconia Notch State Park can be useful for the activities of which we, outdoors eagles, are fond: camping, swimming, hiking, picnicking, fishing, boating, biking, skiing/snowboarding, cross country skiing, and snowmobiling.

This past weekend my friends and I decided to drive up to Franconia Notch State Park. We did not have much more than some water bottles, a camera, and a will to hike. By the suggestion of my sister, we took an exit off I-93 marked “The Basin.” This is where we planned to start our hike. Just 30 seconds from the parking lot we came across the stunning Basin (pictured). It is a  large granite pothole, believed to have been eroded thousands of years ago. The water flows away from the Basin and runs through what is known as “the Old Man’s foot.”

Take One: Not checking a map, we picked the trail less traveled. We realized quickly that there was no incline, thus no hike, and we turned to start over. (We later found out that we had selected a 4-mile trip to Profile Lake, for which we simply would not have had time.)

Take Two: Eventually we found our way back to a trail that would take us up the mountain. Weaving between the trees and the rocks beside the creek flowing down the mountain, we steadily ascended the mountain. What we were traveling was actually a part of the Appalachian Trail, which happens to pass through Franconia Notch. Unfortunately, we only made it a third of the way up to our destination (Lonesome Lake) before we ran out of time, due to our earlier blunder, and made our way back down. It is certain that I will be making the full hike in the future!

For more opporunities in Franconia Notch State Park, check here.

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