The trail heads mostly downhill for the next 3.3 miles to The Basin, a huge granite pothole in the Pemigewasset River.

Although it detached from the cliff face back in 2003, the park has provided informative signage and a viewing platform that re-creates the appearance of the stone face on the cliff for visitors. The Great Stone Face, which appeared on a cliff as a person’s profile, was mentioned in the 19th-century writings of Daniel Webster and Nathaniel Hawthorne and still appears in silhouette on state highway markers. The Old Man of the Mountain Historic Site is the next stop, about 0.4 mile down the trail. The cable car carries riders up to the 4,080-foot summit, where you can get beer and food at a café, and enjoy views of the Adirondack Mountains on clear days. The trail follows the lake 0.5 mile before you reach the legendary Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway. In 2.1 miles you will arrive at Echo Lake Beach, where there’s a store, restrooms, and boat rentals in season. Bring your camera because, in addition to the major sites along the route, you soon will be treated to dazzling vistas at the Sunset Bridge. The route is often shaded as you reach these locations, thanks to the steep mountainsides and trees lining the path. The main attractions are marked with walking-only signs for trail users, and they are wheelchair accessible. As satisfying as it will be to descend the hills you crest, observe the 20-mile-per-hour speed limit on the trail. The elevation changes are also a reminder, as the trail gains about 340 feet to the foot of Cannon Mountain, then drops 750 feet to the terminus at Mt. Heading south from the Skookumchuck trailhead, the spectacular views of peaks and forests will remind you that the Notch is indeed a mountain pass between the Kinsman and Franconia Ranges.

The paved path roughly follows I-93 through the pass.

Commonly called the Recreation Path, the 8.7-mile trail visits most of the park’s attractions, such as the Old Man of the Mountain Historic Site, Echo Lake, and Flume Gorge. The Franconia Notch Recreation Path runs the length of the Franconia Notch State Park in the White Mountain National Forest.

The flume new hampshire