With vaccinations in place and Covid restrictions lessening up we took the kids to Water Country in Portsmouth.
Day: September 26, 2022
Sabbaday Falls – Kancamagus Scenic Byway, New Hampshire
Sabbaday Falls is a multi-tiered waterfall twisting within a narrow gorge that was carved out during the last Ice Age. It is a short hike to the falls from a parking area on the Kancamagus Scenic Byway. Although in distance the hike is not long there is a winding staircase snaking through the gorge that may be difficult for some. The area is especially spectacular during the fall foliage season.
Madison Boulder State Wayside – Madison, New Hampshire
The Madison Boulder is one of the largest known glacial erratics in North America and among the largest in the world; it is preserved in the 17-acre (6.9 ha) Madison Boulder Natural Area in Madison, New Hampshire. The boulder is a huge granite rock measuring 83 feet (25 m) in length, 23 feet (7.0 m) in height above the ground, and 37 feet (11 m) in width. It weighs upwards of 5,000 short tons (4,500,000 kg). A part of the block is buried, probably to a depth of 10 to 12 feet (3.0 to 3.7 m). It was acquired by the state from the Kennett family In 1946. In 1970, Madison Boulder was designated as a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service.
You can get the full sense of the power of glaciers when you see how it can transport this massive rock for miles from its initial location.
Norman B. Fadden Visitor Center – Lincoln, New Hampshire
This visitor center close to the Lost River Gorge and Boulder Caves and Clark’s Trading Post as well as other attractions is a good place to stop for information on the area or for a bathroom break. It is clean and the attendants are knowledgeable and pleasant. The town of Lincoln serves as a gateway to the White Mountains is a good place to find accommodations, food and tourist attractions. This is one of the locations where you can purchase your pass to the White Mountains National Forest.
Lost River Gorge & Boulder Caves – 2021 (North Woodstock, New Hampshire)
I had visited The Lost River in North Woodstock several times in my early years (see here) so we decided to take Alex there since we have all been vaccinated. Make sure you have your walking shoes with you as there is a good deal of walking with stairs intermingled with wooden walkways as you wind your way up through the gorge to the caves. These are not true caves but talus caves the result of glaciation ~13,000 years ago and subsequent rock falls resulting in gaps between large boulders.
In 1852 two brothers Royal and Lyman Jackman stumbled upon the gorge while they were in the area fishing. One of the brothers slipped on a moss covered boulder and fell into a cave in waist deep water. It was the first of a great many cave that they found. In 1912 the area was being threatened by heavy logging so the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests a non-profit organization purchased the land to protect its natural beauty. The society still owns the land today.
From the visitor center make your way to the walkway through the gorge up to the boulder caves.
Once you get to the caves the fun starts, who doesn’t like scrambling around and under big rocks. For some of the tighter squeezes there are bypasses around the caves so you can opt to walk around.
