Step Falls
Several natural rock slides / waterfalls
Hiking Time: 1 mile roundtrip
Drive Time: 21 minutes
Frenchman’s Hole
Swimming hole with a parking area just across the street. Farther along upstream is another swimming hole called “Honey Hole” and on the way to Frenchman’s Hole there’s yet another swimming area on the Sunday River, called “The Letter S”.
Drive Time: 23 minutes
Sunday River Chair Lift
On Saturdays and Sundays 10am to 4pm, take the open air chair lift or enclosed gondola to the top of the mountain at Sunday River ski resort. Adults $18, children under 12 for $12. There are several hiking trails at Sunday River.
Eyebrow Trail on Old Speck Mountain
Fun and challenging hike (so I’ve heard) with wonderful views in Grafton Notch State Park
Round Trip Hike: 2.7 miles, 1,000 ft elevation (probably 3 hours)
Puzzle Mountain
A long strenuous hike … I don’t think anyone will want to do this.
Round Trip Hike: 7.3 miles w/ 2,575 ft elevation (5 to 6 hours)
Drive Time: 25 minutes
Bethel Community Forest
Easy to moderate 3.6 mile hike with decent views of the surrounding mountains
Rattlesnake Pool
Jump from the rock into the freezing emerald water at Rattlesnake Pool
Round Trip Hike: 2.5 miles
Drive Time: 38 minutes
East Royce Trail
Moderately strenuous, steep but short hike w/ great views of the White Mountains in NH. Trailhead is located on Evan’s Notch, the same road that goes to Rattlesnake Pool.
Round Trip Hike: 3.0 miles, 1,643ft elevation (3 hours)
Drive Time: 26 minutes
Albany Mountain in Bethel
This 4 mile hike takes most people on AllTrails between 2 to 3 hours to complete with 1,700ft elevation.
Devil’s Den
A few waterfalls, cliff jumping, slides you can go down on a tube and a big swimming hole
Drive Time: 41 minutes
Coos Canyon
Several pools to swim in and cliffs to jump off!
Drive Time: 52 minutes
Smalls Falls
Several waterfalls and pools, with a path to the top. Cliff jumping too. Bottom pool gets crowded but less people go to the upper pools.
Drive Time: 1hr & 30min (eek!) but only 45min from Coos Canyon
Waterfall Road Trip
If we want to see 3 great waterfalls / swimming holes in a day, we could do this road trip. About 3 hours of total driving in the day. Cut out Smalls Falls and it would be an hour less if just visiting Devils Den and Coos Canyon.