Flume Gorge State Park is a beautiful, short hike that’s worth seeing, but before you go there, read what my friends and I found out when we visited so you have a safe experience:
Our eastern Canada road trip there took place last year and it was one of the stops along the way to Gros Morne National Park, the original end goal destination we set. The first stop on the way there was Flume Gorge though and:
Here’s 10 things we found out about Flume Gorge State Park:
1) Go when it’s warm.
Make sure to go there before winter hits because this park is not open then.
2) It can be very slippery there:
The rocks are generally slippery there especially if the water in the gorge is at a high level, so make sure you are careful.
3) Wear water shoes:
Water shoes like the Zhuanglin water shoes would probably be your best bet at having a safe hike there. Otherwise, be prepared to slip, so be careful and if you have kids with you, also make sure they are safe when hiking there.
How do you know if it’s likely going to be slippery there? Well when the water level is higher and it generally happens when these things are present:
Usually the first few weeks of Spring will probably have the water level be higher there, due to all the melting snow from the higher elevations going down the mountains.
4) Monitor the weather before you go to Flume Gorge:
Anytime there’s a lot of rain beforehand or during, expect there to also be a lot of potential to slip.
5) It’s a short hike to Flume Gorge:
The hike to the actual spot is pretty short, about half a mile and you can even take a short shuttle ride and then walk about 500 feet to the location itself. So if you have issues walking, you shouldn’t have much of an issue here.
6) Flume Gorge itself is pretty short too:
The spot itself is less than a 1,000 feet long and takes you to a new trail if you wish to take a longer route there (there’s more than one way to reach the actual Flume Gorge, we just decided to take the short route to save time).
7) Other hikes are available close to Flume Gorge too:
There are some other hiking trails right in the area itself that you can check out if you’re into hiking in general.
8) You should also check out the White Mountains nearby:
The state park itself is pretty small but is located in the general White Mountains area, which itself holds tons of beautiful spots like Cannon Mountain, and other huge mountains and ski resorts which are also worth visiting.
9) Don’t worry about parking at Flume Gorge:
There’s a pretty large parking area for the park itself so you should haven’t issues finding a space to leave your car.
10) Payment is required to get to Flume Gorge:
A restaurant and welcome center are available before you hit the trail to the location, and you do need to pay beforehand. Our tickets cost us about $16 per person.
If you’re into Gorges in general, see spots like Ausable Chasm (it’s in New York State), and places like Gulf Hagas (lots of bugs, but a beautiful spot too, just for more advanced hikers). I would say both these spots are more scenic than Flume Gorge (not that it’s not beautiful on it’s own too!).
Here are some photos we took while visiting Flume Gorge:
The first is where the trail to the location begins. This is where the shuttle bus will drop you off and it’s also the pick up spot.
This location has a beautiful stream, a waiting area and vending machines, as well as bathrooms.
But it overlooks this beautiful spot:
As you walk up the trail to the official location, you will see very flat rocks (you aren’t allowed to enter there), but it provides a beautiful view of a stream that leads upstream to the actual gorge.
From there you will walk past a very beautiful river across a very smooth rock formation that I honestly never saw in my life until I visited Coyote Gulch, which reminded me of Flume Gorge.
But this smooth rock surface can be very slippery if you try to hike there and I do believe there are signs which say you can’t do that, otherwise you might go for a water ride that won’t end well!
Anyway after walking for about 500 feet parallel to this beautiful smooth rock and river area, you will come to the start of Flume Gorge:
Here is what the entrance of Flume Gorge looks like:
As you can see, there is pretty limited space and while I didn’t see an official sign saying you can’t walk on the rocky areas, I wouldn’t recommend it because I guarantee you that it will be slippery, but it leads back to what I mentioned about the walkway also having the potential to also be slippery and wet wood is just as dangerous as wet rocks.
And in our case, it wasn’t that slippery when we went because as you can see in the photo, the water level is low.
When it’s not, the water will splash along the wooden trail, causing it to get slippery.
It’s also interesting to see the 2 different ways the sides of the gorge look, with vegetation on one side and pretty naked rock with some moss on the other. It’s certainly very picture worthy!
Our trip to this place was very short, likely a one time stop, but it was a nice visit nonetheless.
Questions and answers about Flume Gorge you may have:
How long does it take to hike to Flume Gorge?
From the parking lot, it takes an average of 20-30 minutes to hike to Flume Gorge.
Is Flume Gorge an easy hike?
For most people yes, although there is a bit of incline in parts of the hike to Flume Gorge.
Is the Flume Gorge free?
No, there is an official entrance to Flume Gorge with a $16 per person fee to enter.
Which is better Flume Gorge or Lost River?
You should visit both Flume Gorge and Lost River Gorge. Flume Gorge’s main advantage is the actual gorge hike at the end. Lost River Gorge on the other hand has more to explore.
Final notes on Flume Gorge:
So if you are in the New Hampshire area, specifically the White Mountains and don’t really like big hikes and want to take it easy, but at the same time want to see some good spots, I would recommend you go to Flume Gorge as well as the greater White Mountains area (maybe Lost River Gorge too).
As for us, once we finished this first leg of our trip, we then entered Maine, then Nova Scotia (Bay of Fundy), and finally New Foundland to check out Gros Morne National Park, and specifically Western Brook Pond, which has a gigantic gorge with beautiful sights, so I will be updating the blog to showcase those spots for you.
This blog actively updates the spots myself and my friends have been to so if you’re the sort that enjoys knowing the best, most beautiful spots to visit, so be sure to come back or hit the search bar for spots you’re considering visiting.
Odds are, we’ve been there too so we can help you find it and enjoy it to its fullest!
