Flume Gorge and Mount Pemigewasset

The final Sunday of September 2024, I joined some friends to check out Flume Gorge and the nearby Mount Pemigewasset in New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

Forests and Mountains in Foliage

When it comes to fall foliage, I prefer seeing colorful leaves still on the trees rather than fallen on the ground, and I enjoy a mix of colors instead of just red. This means my ideal “peak foliage” typically comes earlier than what most websites recommend. For New Hampshire’s White Mountains, my “peak foliage” was this final weekend of September 2024, when I joined a few friends for a day trip.
Since some members of our group weren’t avid hikers, we planned a gentle introduction to the outdoors: a morning visit to Flume Gorge, followed by lunch in the nearby town of Lincoln, and an afternoon hike along the relatively easy trail to Mount Pemigewasset.

Flume Gorge

The Flume Gorge is a natural wonder formed when basalt dikes intruded into granite bedrock. Over time, the softer basalt eroded more quickly than the surrounding granite, creating steep walls that formed the dramatic gorge. Flume Brook flew through the gorge, continuing the erosion while breathing life into the gorge.

We arrived at Flume Gorge around 11:30am. The parking lot was mostly full, but we nonetheless managed to find one of its few remaining spots. Franconia Notch State Park used a timed-reservation system for the Flume Gorge in the summer. During our visit, reservations slots were widely available.

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Flume Brook

Flume Gorge

Flume Gorge

Flume Gorge

Waterfall
At the Upper End of Flume Gorge

The boardwalks within Flume Gorge make it easily accessible to visitors without too much physical exertion. At its narrowest, one could almost reach out to touch the other end of the gorge. Scattered autumn leaves dotting the gorge added a perfect finishing touch to the emerging fall colors.

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Covered Bridge over Pemigewasset River

Flume Brook

Waterfall
At the Upper End of Flume Gorge

Mount Liberty

After walking through Flume Gorge, we decided to take the slightly longer loop trail back. Along the way was a second covered bridge across the Pemigewasset River, where we paused to watch fallen leaves dance through the air against a backdrop of vibrant autumn colors along the riverbank.

 
Foliage along Pemigewasset River

Entrance of Wolf Den

Shortly after crossing Pemigewasset River, we opted to check out “Wolf Den”, which was a short but narrow cave-like rock tunnel that required some careful squeezing to pass through. After trying it out myself, I could say this was tighter than Mount Percival’s “Cave” which I visited a month ago.

At a relaxed pace, we wrapped up our visit to Flume Gorge in about 1.5 hours.

Mount Pemigewasset

We returned to hike Mount Pemigewasset after a long lunch (the restaurant was likely understaffed given the number of visitors). The trail would lead us to Indian Head, an impressive rock face that juts out above the forest below. It happened that Flume Gorge’s parking lot also served as the starting point for the hike to Mount Pemigewasset.

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Footbridge

Trail

Trail

Trail

Trail

Trail

Trail

Trail

While the trail itself was fairly ordinary, with few signs of foliage along the way, reaching Indian Head proved to be the highlight of the hike. The summit offered breathtaking views of a vast forest below, dressed in brilliant autumn colors. Drifting clouds created an ever-changing display of light and shadow across the landscape, making the journey completely worthwhile.

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Forests and Mountains in Foliage

Forests in Foliage

I93 Winding through Mountains

View from Mount Pemigewasset

From Mount Pemigewasset, I launched my drone for a tour of the surroundings.

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Distant Franconia Notch

Overlooking Mount Pemigewasset

Forests and Mountains in Foliage

Forests and Mountains in Foliage
Harvard Brook in the lower-center, I93 extending beyond the background.

Forest in Foliage
Upper Harvard Falls in the lower-left corner of this photos. Mount Pemigewasset in the center.

Overlooking Blend of Colors in Forest

Overlooking Mount Pemigewasset
From a distance (top) and close by (bottom).

And here’s a video:

Having taken in the views from Mount Pemigewasset, we traced our way back to the parking lot, drove back to town and concluded the day.
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