We headed for the three notches of the White Mountains for a few days, taking in the beautiful fall colors and hiking our way to stunning views with good friends. My husband’s friend Chad and their family have hiked most of the areas before - so many places that simply take your breath away. Here are a few we visited:

MOUNT WASHINGTON AUTO ROAD

While the fee to drive the Mount Washington Auto Road is quite expensive, it’s definitely worth going up to see the beautiful fall foliage and experience the high gusts of wind at the top. When we went, the top was covered in clouds and we weren’t able to see much at the top, but it was a once in a lifetime experience standing at a summit with winds at 45 mph. The highest wind speed was recorded here at 231 mph. Even the structures up there are chained to the ground.

THE FLUME

The Flume was perhaps one of my favorite short hikes. Even though it’s only two miles, it feels more like five, but the views are spectacular, especially in the fall when the leaves are bright oranges, reds, and gold. If you’re traveling with people who aren’t able to move easily, there’s also a shuttle if you prefer not to walk. If you can walk the trail though, I’d highly recommend. The trail starts and ends at the visitor’s center.

Near the end of the trail, we found ourselves surrounded by rolling hills of brightly peppered trees, framed by trees that looked like a maple leaf.  

CRYSTAL CASCADE FALLS

We stopped along the road for a hike to Crystal Cascade Falls. It’s a short hike with a very rewarding view at the end. Not even the fog could diminish the color of the leaves.

We loved spending time with everyone, especially these two below: 

Glen ellis FALLS

We took a second short stop to hike to Glen Ellis Falls.

It’s hard to believe we covered all this and then some more in two days, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve always wanted to go on an adventure to see the crazy beautiful woods and waterfalls and am so happy to have travelled with a group of friends who love it too. 

There are so many more photos, about 3000-4000 from this trip, but these are a few of my favorites. Lookout for the next post on our epic hike up to Mount Webster!