White Mt. NF--Rocky Gorge Scenic Area/Falls Pond, Albany

White Mt. NF--Rocky Gorge Scenic Area/Falls Pond, Albany

Kancamagus Highway Albany, New Hampshire 03818

Official Website
White Mountain National Forest Official Website

About this Location

This beautiful scenic area is accessed via a paved walkway from a large parking area where restrooms are available. There is a footbridge over the gorge which provides an excellent photo opportunity looking upstream to where the Swift River narrows as it cascades into the gorge. The footpath on the other side of the bridge gradually ascends a small rise to Falls Pond. There is a mile-long trail around the pond which is a popular fishing area. In winter this is also an access point for the Nanamocomuck Ski Trail. Swimming in or jumping into the gorge is prohibited and is strictly enforced.

Located eight miles west of Conway on the Kancamagus Highway.

About White Mountain National Forest

See all hotspots at White Mountain National Forest

In the decades prior to 1911, the unregulated logging practices of private timber companies in the White Mountains had resulted in a damaged landscape susceptible to both fire and flood. Fires had burned thousands of acres, and flash floods affected the water power necessary to the mills of major industrial centers downstream, such as Manchester, New Hampshire, and Lowell, Massachusetts. Concerns over losses to industry, business, and tourism, and the growing conservation movement led to citizen action. The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) and Society for Protection of New Hampshire Forests (SPNHF) spearheaded an effort to ensure the permanent protection of the White Mountains from further depredation. After years of lobbying and intense public pressure, Senator John Weeks of Massachusetts, a native of Lancaster, New Hampshire, introduced legislation that became known as the Weeks Act. The Weeks Act was passed by Congress in 1911, appropriating 9 million dollars to purchase 6 million acres of land in the Eastern U.S. In turn, this led to the creation of the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) in 1918, and twenty-one other national forests throughout the north and southeast. Many of the groups who were instrumental in the passage of the Weeks Act, including the SPNHF and the AMC, are still active today, and the WMNF has grown from 7,000 acres to almost 800,000. Today, the reforested mountains and hillsides supply forest products and provide magnificent recreational opportunities while maintaining healthy watersheds and ecosystems.

Features

  • Restrooms on site

  • Wheelchair accessible trail

  • Entrance fee

Content from Official Website and White Mountain National Forest Official Website

Last updated November 15, 2023