Franconia Notch State Park is the pinnacle of New Hampshire wildlife beauty. Located at the valley between Cannon Mountain and Mount Lafayette, this park has breathtaking views and includes not only Pemigewasset River, but Echo Lake as well. It has easy access as well, because 8 miles of highway I-93 winds through its middle. The park also features Flume Gorge as well as an Aerial Tramway to view the entire park.
Franconia Notch was the home of the famous Old Man of the Mountain, a "Great Stone Face" captured in Nathaniel Hawthorne and Daniel Webster's writings. The park also features the New England Ski Museum. For those wanting to stay over night Franconia Notch has both a Cannon RV Park as well as the Lafayette Place Campground. The RV Park is open year-round with three-way hook ups. RV's at Cannon must be self contained and each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Each Lafayette campground is wooded, has a picnic table, a car parking space, and an open fireplace. Walk ins are always welcome, but reservation are recommended.
Echo Lake comes with a beautiful beach that has an elevation of 1,931 feet. It's elevation provides unforgettable views of Mount Lafayette as well as Cannon Mountain. Visitors can enjoy the typical swimming, fishing, and boating. The beach even has canoe and paddle boat rentals. The Lake Beach operates from 10am -5pm with a fee of four dollars for adults and two dollars for children 6-11.
The Park also offers a bike path completely seperate from teh parkway. This adventurous path traverses the length of Franconia Notch and winds through all the parks facilities and natural features. Cannon Mountain now offers bike rentals for those vacationing and a shuttle service from the Flume Gorge back to the Tramway. All in All Franconia Notch State Park offers a wide variety of activities and adventures for all ages.
