Glen Ellis Falls – White Mountain National Forest , New Hampshire

Glen Ellis Falls, a picturesque horsetail cascade, plunges over 60 feet into a deep green pool within the beautiful White Mountains of New Hampshire – the falls are an extremely popular excursion thanks to the ease of accessibility and the brevity of the hike, it’s just 0.3 miles to the base of the falls from the trailhead.

The trailhead, located near the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center along Route 16, can fill up quickly due to the popularity of the falls – once you’ve parked, head towards the kiosk and then follow the trail as it passes under the highway via a pedestrian tunnel.

After leaving the sights and sounds of the highway, the trail descends alongside the cascading Ellis River – the sounds of rushing water drowns out the rush of cars as you make your way to the first of three overlooks.

The first lookout, perched at the brink of the falls, doesn’t offer much of a view as the surrounding stone wall was apparently built by giants - don’t despair, better views await.

Continue descending the trail along a series of steps to overlook number two – peer over the edge for a view of the falls, but don’t spend much time here, the third overlook has the money shot.

Overlook number three, just steps away from the second viewpoint, is the third and final observation area on the hike – from this vantage point, you are standing right at the base of Glen Ellis Falls. Mind your step, as the spray from the cascade makes the surrounding rocks quite slippery.

The falls plunges through a notch, and then bounces off a rock jutting out of the cliff before crashing into the beautiful plunge pool – the pool is ringed by cliffs, creating a postcard perfect landscape. Take your time and enjoy the natural beauty of the waterfall before retracing your steps to the trailhead.