The Essentials

The Pool


G Rating 5.0
WOW Factor 4

Plumb Rating 

N/A

Height: 30' total
Access:

Trail

Distance: 2.0 mi (RT)

Difficulty:

Easy


GPS and Map Details
Latitude:   44° 6.246' N
Longitude: 71° 40.668' W
Elevation:   ~1,400 ft
Face:         ~315° (NW)

Maps:  Topozone

 

Primary view of The Pool and covered bridge

 

View of The Pool from the covered bridge

 

 

 


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The Pool

Flume Gorge, Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire

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View of The Pool and covered bridge from the main overlook

The Pool (7/31/2005, 50 mm, f/7.1, 1/8 sec, ISO 100)


Description


This "waterfall" (loosely defined in this instance) can be found in the Flume Gorge of Franconia Notch State Park.  The state park is located in the White Mountain National Forest and runs for about eight miles along I-93 from Flume Gorge at the southern end to Echo Lake on the northern end.

 

This is not a free state park.  Park hours and rates can be found here.

 

There are several other good waterfalls within Franconia Notch State Park, including Avalanche Falls and Liberty Gorge Cascade (within the Flume Gorge area), The Basin, Cascade Brook Falls, Cloudland Falls, and Kinsman Falls, to name a few.

 

The view is certainly worth the extra bit of hiking.  It's not every day you can photograph a covered walking bridge and waterfall in such a picturesque setting.  The combination of flume gorge and waterfalls make this park a great stop on any vacation.

 

Getting There


Flume Gorge is well marked.  Your best bet is to visit the Franconia Notch State Park website for directions.

 

 

Hike Details


The Pool is on a hiking loop within the park that includes Flume Gorge, the Liberty Gorge Cascade, and The Pool.  The trail begins behind the visitor's center.  The less adventurous can hitch a ride to the bottom of Flume Gorge on one of the park's passenger buses. 

 

Starting at the visitor's center, the round trip hike to the falls, Liberty Gorge Cascade, and The Pool is just over 2 miles.  For just The Pool, the hike is 1.5 miles one way if you go through Flume Gorge, closer to 0.5 miles if you go to The Pool first.  Taking the shuttle bus will cut your distance (through Flume Gorge) by 0.5 miles.

 

For more details on this popular loop hike, check out this great description on GORP.

 

 

Photo Tips


 

I shot the photo above at 50 mm focal length so somewhere in that range should work when shooting from the overlook.  You certainly won't need a wide angle lens.

 

Any kind of breeze will blur the trees and foliage in the picture, making a long shutter speed problematic.  You may have to compromise as I did with an intermediate shutter speed.  Again, digital photos are cheap so play around with a bunch of settings.  Keep in mind that there is a high range of contrast between the dark foliage and the lighter waterfall and bridge so some exposure compensation may be in order here as well.

 

You will definitely need a polarizer to reduce glare on the rocks and foliage and the water. 

 

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