Grafton Notch State Park occupies 3,129 acres (1,266 hectares) surrounding Grafton Notch, the…read moremountain pass between aldpate Mountain and Old Speck Mountain. The drive to it along ME 26 was beautiful, despite the intense and brutal heat on the day of our first visit. There are roadside turnouts for both Mother Walker Falls and Screw Auger Falls; the water flow at the falls was markedly curtailed due to the current drought conditions. You'll find signage that explains this area's glacial and geologic history. The trails leading to the waterfalls are short and well-marked, with uneven rock and forest flooring. Tip: Apparently Screw Auger Falls is so named because it looks as like someone took a giant auger and drilled large quantities of rock out of this quite sizable granite rock formation formation Tip: Dogs are allowed here for no additional fee. They're permitted throughout the park and on the trails; but not on the beaches I totally enjoyed everything I saw here on my first visit, and have already gone back a week ago. I expect to make visiting this very special destination a regular habit :-)

Grafton Notch State Park, one of Maine's scenic byways, is always going to have a really special…read moreplace in my heart: it's the first time I stepped on the Appalachian Trail! And, I don't know, you don't forget that do you? Screw Auger Falls - Anytime I get the chance to play on rocks and waterfalls, I'm going to! The Bear River has areas of expansive smooth rocks that may or may not be accessible (depends on how much water is flowing). On one side, there's a tinier waterfall; the other side, the gorge where Screw Auger spills down. The rocks here are so interestingly carved and worn because of the years and years (and years) of water washing over them. Mother Walker Falls Turnout - I think this is where The Abandoned Road is, an interesting stone stairway, a wee cave, and some information about "this section of Bear River in the deep gorge below is called Mother Walker Falls. Roaring over broken rocks and falling into little pools, the river gradually drops a total of 98 feet." You can't see much because of the density of the trees. Moose Cave - This is a 1/4 mile loop of mostly packed surface, stairs, some boardwalks and planks, and a few steep drop-offs. There's a reindeer moss garden before Moose Cave which was formed when a great slab of granite broke away from the mountainside. Supposedly at some point an unlucky moose got trapped here. Eyebrow Trail/Table Rock - So now we get to some hiking. I did some research that suggested Table Rock (2380°, 2.4 miles; specifically going orange to blue to white [AT]) was slightly easier than Eyebrow (2600°, 2.1 miles; specifically going orange to white [AT]). Either way, you get to spend some time on the AT, and some folks are here just to step foot, snap a photo, and move on. We decided to do Eyebrow Trail and it was one of the toughest hikes I've ever been on in the best way possible; it ignited a passion in me I didn't know I had! There were areas where you had to scale the mountainside with an iron cable bolted into the ground; other areas where you had to climb vertically on a rock surface via an iron ladder. The summit's views reminded me of areas of the Highlands in Scotland; and, I don't know that I've ever smelled pine so raw and cold and crisp before. I will never forget this hike; maybe sometime I can come back and do Old Speck (4180°)! Spruce Meadow Turnout - We stopped here to have lunch. If you walk a little further then where most of the picnic tables are, there's a lone table facing an expanse of stunning mountain. It's a good place to have a good meal with a good friend. Scenic Turnout - There's not much that here, a trio of signs/placards that talk about the area. What a beautiful Maine spot this is!

Me entire family went hiking together and it was beautiful!! The views, the climb, the weather,…read moreeverything. It was never overly crowded, so we were able to make quick stops along the hike for a snack or to take pics or even just stop to take in the view without feeling like a disturbance to anyone trying to pass. Hiking around Flume Gorge was also pretty lengthy which made for a camera roll loaded with pictures and a tired Sophie by the end of it. :) Such a fun place to check out. W the amazing views and variety of different elevations on this hike! Highly recommend!

Happy Earth Day again. You thought I was finished? HA!…read more Words fail to describe my love of Franconia. I am a Dartmouth alum - not one of the rich ones lmao so I did not have a car at college. If I did tho, you couldn't have pulled me away from the beauty of the White Mountains. I am however one of the old alums so I remember when there used to be an Old Man of the Mountain before his nose fell off lol. Anyways, this place has my entire heart and I only share it with people I trust. I took my friend here for a weekend getaway of rustic camping and hiking last April and I can safely say she also fell in love. We ran up and down I-93, I showed her the remnants of the Old Man, we stopped by the lake (lord it was cold), then we went to the Basin - beautiful in ALL seasons - and hiked a trail on-site. God I love Franconia so much. If you haven't gotten the chance to visit please make it a priority. It's stunning in all seasons! Things to know: -you can access The Basin from either side of 93. If on the far side you just need to cross under the overpass. -The Basin is paved. There are some stairs to get a closer look but it is largely accessible to view. -Still snow in some sections in late April - you're ok without spikes imo -parking was still free as of last year

We stayed here with two other groups of people for a long weekend…read more We booked a leanto and tent site. The biggest thing talked about his past weekend was how not a one out of the 7 of us would be coming back. We've always booked state parks throughout the summer in VT but this one was new to all of us. We all, separately, had extremely rude interactions with the staff and were not happy with the way we were treated or how unhelpful they were. It was ridiculous the rudeness we were met with during simple interactions such as passing by a staff, getting wood, going to the bathroom, and just sitting at our site. Bathrooms: The water faucets don't shut off in either of the men or women's bathrooms so they are running constantly, leaving their water pump on constantly which was quite noisy They would close the bathrooms down between 7:30 and 8:30 every morning. Just as soon as the park was waking up and there were many people waiting to use them. They were always covered in mud on the floor and the sinks full of hair even when they left from cleaning and we were finally allowed in. They wouldn't put new toilet paper on the rack, just placed the rolls on top of empty ones. Road: the park was not very booked and we had lots of empty sites around us but the road was considerably busy due to the park staff constantly circling the park in trucks, personal vehicles and on UTVs. Wood: We were given a hard time getting wood. Which shouldn't be a problem, I'm giving you money for the item you're selling. We had two sites, and we wanted 12 bundles for 4 day stay. After playing 20 questions with the staff woman, she finally allowed me to pay for the wood. "How many people?, how many days?, what site are you on? you know it's supposed to rain tomorrow right you won't be having a fire tomorrow.. Are you sure you need that much? How many people do you have there? If you don't use it you have to bring it back to us... I'm going to have to call someone now if you think you need that much.. ugh, you're paying cash...". # of people: we were asked and stopped multiple times by staff asking how many people were on our site. We had two sites and 7 people. The max PER site is 8 people. Pets: There is no area that dogs are allowed to be in the water and there were signs at the one small beach that said no pets. We respected this but one day we left the dogs behind and went down, there was a group of staff there who had their pets with them! So the rules didn't apply to them apparently. Dogs: One of the staff followed behind us when we first checked in to our site as we were arriving. We got out of the car, opened the back door to let our dog out and she immediately came running over screaming that the dog needed to be tied up. The dog was less than a foot from my car and had just gotten out. Cleanliness: many of the sites I saw had not been cleaned properly including a fire pit that was full of trash someone partially burned and staff left. The one small "beach" area was very dirty and not maintained. The "trails" were not maintained or trimmed back. Anytime we were driving through the park to leave, explore, get wood etc we were stopped by staff and asked "can we help you?" No... just exploring. It felt like we weren't able to enjoy ourselves nor leave our sites. Sites: another lean was so close and facing towards ours. You could see directly into their lean to and they could into ours. The upsides: The leantos inside were nice, had a coat rack in them which was a cool add on we utilized, and it was a very quiet park at night. Had the staff been nicer, or even willing to be personable, we all would have had a better time and been writing a different review. Unfortunately, this park was not one we will return to, nor recommend to others. It's one thing to have one person have a rude interaction with a staff ranger but it's a whole different thing when all 7 of us had separate conversations with staff during various times of our stay and each been shocked at how we were talked to and treated.

One of the BEST experiences I've ever had in a state park! The sites are beautiful. Our lean-tos…read morewere swept out, clean fire pits, they even raked the site! What other state park does that?! And don't even get me started on the restrooms. The shiniest I've ever seen! Every where we went, the staff was so friendly. They would ask if we needed help, like they genuinely wanted to help us. I love that so much! The park was really busy because it was a holiday weekend, but you wouldn't know. It was so quiet and peaceful. The loons calling at night lulled us to sleep. They have 2 really nice beaches. A smaller one, inside of the campground and a larger one that's just outside on another lake. The only issue we had was somebody brought their dog down to the beach inside of the park and it was running everywhere. The staff came down about 15 minutes later and talked to the owner and they left. There were 2 signs that said pets prohibited. I don't understand why people think they can do what they want, anyway. Some things I took note of: $9 for a bundle of wood/decent size $5 for 5lbs cubed ice (it's $3.50 in town for same size) $6 for 10lb block ice (blocks are hard to come by, glad they had them) .50 cents for 4 minutes in a clean, hot shower They don't sell bait, but the grocery store in town does for $3.50 They don't have a camp store, but town is 2 miles away and you can get groceries or pick up supplies at the outdoor store. Trails are for hiking only. You can ride bikes on the road in the campground, but honestly, how much fun is that? I did find out that popular mountain bike trails are about 20 minutes away. You can rent kayaks, canoes, etc on the lake that's inside the park, only. Prices seemed reasonable. There's a nature center that's great for rainy day activities. We had 13 people in our group and all of us had a great time! Our first time, here and we are looking forward to coming back. Plenty for everybody to do and if you love races, the town has a canoe race and a marathon on labor day weekend. Concerts, too! Great little place with a great little vibe!

Old fashioned camping exists! This is a perfect family campground-- kids can ride their bikes,…read morefolks can stroll through the campground or adjacent trails, and meeting and chatting with other campers and rangers is a joy. The beach has the best view of any in the world. Area hiking trails are challenging and breathtakingly beautiful. Coos Canyon is nearby and a super fun day trip. There are flush toilets and showers and a brand new playground. This is a jewel.

Summer review! Get…read morethat Maine State Park Pass out and head to Mt Blue State Park Campground (even if it's just for a day outing)! It's like a smaller, more intimate, more highly concentrated version of everything you love about Sebago and Rangeley. Clear, clean, cold water to swim in; surrounding mountains (like Mt Blue) that ring Webb Lake making it picturesque in every way. There's also some low stakes hiking, including a 1-mile loop (apparently called Hopping Frog Nature Trail) near the Nature Center. The Nature Center is also very cool, offering hands-on exhibits, interpretive programs, and displays about the local flora and fauna. I learned how big my wingspan is and played a round of outdoor checkers. I was extremely delighted by this spot and can't wait to explore it again in the future!

We camped at Rangeley for the 4th of July in our pop-up. We had site 20 which was nice (water and…read moreelectric) but we wished we were across the street because those sites have water views and some have access paths through the trees. Try site 19. But no hook-ups over there. The bathrooms were nice and clean, and the dishwashing station was too. The best hike in the area is Bald Mountain. They sell ice and wood at the ranger station.

Edie was so wonderful, she helped me change our reservation when our camp for tonight was…read morecancelled, due to floods. She got us in and we are here for two nights instead of sleeping in the Walmart parking lot.

Absolutely lovely, albeit small, state park - but definitely one of the BEST places I've found to…read moreenjoy the fall colors!! I visited in early October and it was phenomenal!! I drove the main road quite a ways and also hiked Table Rock - highly recommend (see my review of the hike for more info)! But even if you aren't hiking and you just want to drive through, it's totally worth it for the colors! There are numerous pull outs and stop offs - some even have picnic tables and beautiful, reflective lake views! One of the lakes had a sizable resort on it that made for some gorgeous photos! There are a couple of waterfalls in the park but I didn't visit them this trip so I can't speak to them but I'm sure they're lovely! The view from Table Rock was incredible! Fun fact about the surrounding town of Dixville: apparently it's the first town to cast votes in the presidential election haha!! There are historical signs throughout the park that tell you history and fun facts- worth reading! I didn't find any fee stations or staffed entrance booths - and their website doesn't list this park as a "day use fee area" so I think it's pretty much free to enter. The roads are very well maintained and in excellent condition. They were doing road work while I drove through but it was a non issue. There was very little traffic as well. I didn't see any bathrooms anywhere so come prepared! Overall it's totally worth a visit even though it's a small park - especially for the fall colors! And the hiking - highly recommend!!

What a beautiful and serene spot!…read more Echo Lake is approximately 15.7 acres. Two granite ledges called White Horse and Cathedral Ledge surround it. We went later in the afternoon so parking was ample. A short walk leads you to the picnic area and lake. It's about a 1 mile hike around the lake. The water was clear and cold. There were lots of mosquitoes at that hour. We enjoyed seeing the tadpoles in the water. My family enjoyed our time there and can't wait to go back to this picturesque spot!

Rude staff. My girlfriend and I arrived around 4:30. We tried using the restroom but they had…read moreclosed them earlier than the sign would have u believe. When my girlfriend asked if she could use the restroom, we were directed to the porta potties. The female attendant said they kept it clean. Both the porta potty and the lady were full of sh!t. Girlfriend then asked again to use the restroom due to the porta potty being unusable. The male attendant told her "you're an adult, use the porta potty". Very classy indeed.

So we rented a side by side 4 wheeler. Awesome! Employees were great. Trails were awesome…read more Having said that they over booked. They pulled one out from the repair line. It had recently been rolled over. Needless to say it had not been cleaned had plenty of scratches and dings. It did run fine though. When I returned it the owner was looking at each and every scratch pointing them out during the post trip inspection. This is an off road vehicle. Not sure what his expectation is. Thankfully His employee was there to remind him that it had been rolled, and all the searches were there when I left. She had to remind him that he had told her to give me that one. One of there rules is that you do not go over 25 miles per hour. Really???? I was apprehensive when we started. Employee had a hard time starting it and getting it into gear. Not sure they are looking for people to drive the machine for anything other that a Sunday drive through the trails. Overall experience was good.

We were up riding when our side by side stopped working. We called and they sent someone right…read moreout to get us back to their place. Once there they were so helpful. We thought the tow back was going to a crazy amount and it wasn't. We actually gave them more then they wanted. Everyone was so nice and helpful with loading and unloading our side by side A special Thanks to Dakota Young for all your help.

Perfect place to get away from it all! We are here now and it's beautiful. Our 1st visit in 2023…read morewith our son and DIL. They introduced us to Mollidgewock and we fell in love. Friendly staff and clean sites. Dog squad friendly And Minutes from LL Cote which we love too! As NH Natives we thoroughly enjoy the beautiful nature views and the environment. Thank You State of NH

This might be the best campsite I have ever stayed at in the New England region. My only complaint…read moreis that I didn't stay long enough. The site was gorgeous and clean. The plots allowed for privacy and space, which made relaxation easily achievable. We were really late arriving and the staff was kind and understanding. I can't wait to bring more friends with me and stay (for a longer amount of time) again. Thank you for an awesome weekend!

Diana's Bath is a natural pool with some small waterfalls. The walk from the parking lot is about…read more.6 miles one way, it's a quick and easy hike to reach this gorgeous spot. There is a parking lot and we were able to find parking but I'm sure it gets full at peak times. We enjoyed the hike and the waterfalls. It was in late May so there were quite a few people there. It's a peaceful spot to relax, sit in the pool, and just enjoy nature. I'm glad my family and I got to visit during this trip!

We came here on a nice Friday around 10:00am. When we arrived there was a bit of a wait to get in…read more The parking lot is kind of small so you have to wait for someone to leave to get a spot. When you park there is a kiosk to pay that takes credit cards. At the start of the trail there is a bathroom that is just a big outhouse. It was a little rough so I recommend not using it if you get sick easy. The hike is short and easy to the water. When you get there it is a little tough climbing over rocks and tree roots. We spend time in the water. It was not deep anywhere we were so not really swimming just cooling off or sun tanning on the rocks.