How To Bike the Franconia Notch Recreation Path, NH

It’s a family-friendly bike ride through the White Mountains in Franconia State Park, New Hampshire, they told us. It will be fun, they told us.



They did warn us that the Franconia Notch Recreation Path was mostly uphill for the 8.8 miles one way, which meant our girls were complaining their legs hurt for most of the ride.



But it did give us the family travel adventures we yearned for – it literally did kick our butts as far as elevation gain – but it was so worth it.







The thing that kept us cycling and digging deep for breath was the beauty surrounding us.



Golden canopied leaves guiding us across wooden bridges, past snow covered mountain peaks, bubbling creeks, and small waterfalls shaping basins out of the rocky earth – this is New England at it’s best.



If you’re thinking of biking the “not so family-friendly” Franconia Notch Bike Path, or perhaps would prefer to hike it instead if you have kids with you, then below is how to do it and what you can expect from the experience!



Franconia Notch Recreation Path: The Facts







The Franconia Notch Recreation Path, also known as Franconia Notch Parkway, is a multi-use trail that runs through Franconia Notch State Park, and extends for 8.7 miles.



It’s an out and back trail, which means you’d be close to cycling 20 miles if you do the entire path out and back.



The trail begins at Skookumchuck trailhead and finishes at Mt. Pemigewasset trailhead/Flume Gorge and Visitor Center.



It’s recommended to bike from the north end of the trail (Mount Pemigewasset trailhead/Flume Gorge Visitor Center) because then you get most of the elevation gain done at the beginning.



The trail is paved for most of the way, with pavement terrain mixed with wooden bridges and boardwalks.



As mentioned, the majority of the trail is uphill, but it wasn’t uphill the entire way, those hills were undulating so we knew what was going to happen on the way back.



There is a 20 mph (mile per hour) speed limit on the paved trail. There is no fee to ride the bike trail, however some attractions and bike rentals will cost a fee.



Park Facilities



You will find restrooms along the trail. They are located at Flume Gorge Visitor Center, Basin, Old Man in the Mountain Visitor Center, Lafayette Campground, and Cannon Mountain Tramway.



There are restaurants at Flume Gorge, Lafayette Campground, and Cannon Mountain.



You will find picnic tables and benches at several stops along the way, if you want to take a picnic instead.



Attractions on Franconia Notch Recreation Path



Flume Gorge







Flume Gorge is the perfect start to the trail. It’s a stunning natural gorge that extends for 800 feet beneath Mount Liberty.



It’s known for its towering granite walls, which reach heights of 70 to 90 feet.



Before setting off along the Franconia Notch Recreation Path, consider walking the shore 2-mile loop trail around the gorge, The Flume Trail, which takes around 1.5 hours.



It’s mostly uphill and has lots of stairs, but it takes you to a boardwalk where you can admire the unique flowers, ferns and mosses that grow in the park.



Boise Rock



Boise Rock is a rock formation you could easily miss if you’re not looking out for it. According to legend, a man named Thomas Boise, was sledding in the park during mid-winter just after the first road was built.



Unfortunately, a snowstorm hit, and he had to go into survival mode. After killing and skinning his horse, he crawled under the rock and spent the night there.



The next day he was found alive, but wrapped in the frozen hide which had to be chopped up with axes to release him.



Profile Lake



There are many lakes in Franconia Notch. One that you pass on the trail is Profile Lake, a small 13 acre lake that’s known for its trout population. You may find a few people fishing from its banks.



New England Ski Museum



Located next to the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway is the New England Ski Museum, which has been showcasing ski history in Franconia Notch State Park since December, 1982.



Check out the From the First Tracks to the Fall Line: eight thousand years of skiing exhibit, which showcases the development of skiing throughout the years.



Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway







Located at the foot of Cannon Mountain, the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway is a cable car that takes you to the summit of the mountain at 4,080-feet!



It takes about 8 minutes to reach the top, and is famous for being the only Aerial Tramway in New Hampshire and the first to be built in North America.



From the observation deck, you can see 360 degrees around the mountain. You can see four states, and Canada, from the summit on a clear day.



Be sure to look out for rock climbers on the way up and down!



The tramway is only open in the summer, from May 24 – October 20.



Echo Lake







Slightly north of the Old Man, where we intended to finish our bike ride, is Echo Lake.



Echo Lake is the place to swim and kayak in the summer from the sandy shores of Echo Lake Beach.



The Old Main of the Mountain Profile



We took a look at Old Man of the Mountain, also known as The Great Stone Face, which has the natural features of a face when viewed from the north.



It was a series of five granite ledges on Cannon Mountain and has been New Hampshire’s state emblem since 1945.







The Old Man of the Mountain collapsed in 2003. A memorial below Canon cliff along Profile Lake was built in 2010.



It’s quite an interesting concept.



There is a viewing platform with “Steel Profiles”, which, when aligned with the Cannon Cliff above, create what the profile looked like up on the cliff overlooking the Franconia Notch.



On the deck are various footprints depicting heights. You have to stand on the footprint that represents your height in order to see the profile correctly!



Trailhead Parking



Assuming you want to bike the trail in the direction that gets the elevation over and done with first, head to the Mt. Pemigewasset trailhead.



You can reach the trailhead by driving along I-93 S, and take Exit 34A onto US 3 S/Daniel Webster Hwy.



From there it’s just 400 meters until you see a sign for the Flume Gorge and Visitor Center parking lot. The trail head is at the north of the Visitor Center parking lot.



If you want to bike the other way from Skookumchuck trailhead, then drive along I-93 N and take Exit 35 onto US 3 N/Daniel Webster Hwy. After one mile, you’ll see signs for trailhead parking on the right.



Shuttle Services and Bike Rental Services



If you want to rent a bike, you will find bike rentals from Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway, a 2.8 mile walk from Skookumchuck Trailhead (one hour of hiking).



Where to Stay for Franconia Notch State Park



The best way to experience Franconia Notch State Park, in my opinion, is to camp.



There is a beautiful campground, Lafayette Place Campground, just 3.4 miles north of Flume Gorge Visitor Center.



You can pitch a tent, and use the campsite facilities. They have clean bathrooms with coin-operated showers, and a huge camp store where you can get snacks and refreshments.



Our Experience Biking Franconia Notch Recreation Path



Similar to when I was told the downhill alpine mountain biking track in Austria was a blue, family-friendly line, it turned out not to be the case and I ended up flying over the handlebars and almost breaking my jaw.



Not so friendly.



We had completed a gorgeous 11 mile round trip family friendly bike ride in Stowe a couple of days before, so we were bike confident hitting the Franconia Notch Recreation Trail.



If it’s uphill on a family friendly path, we should be okay, right? Two miles in and we were dying. Family friendly bike path, just like Austria!!







Nothing like seeing water shaping rocks to learn about erosion and its power.



In our upcoming video, you’ll see Kalyra lying face down on the beach beside the lake where we decided it was time to quit. We later found out we were just around the corner from the end.



But we couldn’t go any further.



We had moved the girls into their zone of discomfort – which is an okay place to hang out – but any further we would have pushed them into complete breakdown – going way beyond those safe boundary pushing zones.



Watch the following video to see the beauty of the White Mountains and the famous Kancamagus Highway in the Fall, as well as our experience of us riding the length of Franconia Notch Recreation Path…














P.S. Yakka is an Aussie word for work. Love my Aussie lingo! (which is Aussie for language)







We began at the Flume Gorge Visitor Center, the recommended starting point as you get most of the elevation over and done with.



The climb up those undulating hills on the way were worrying me. My butt and thighs were holding up the “we’re staging a strike” sign.



Once we got to Skookumchuck, we turned back, and in a matter of seconds of walking the bike up the first steep incline… here we go.



We hit the top of the hill and cruised back down. And cruised. And cruised. And cruised.



Those undulating hills seemed to disappear. The speeds on the downhill giving us enough momentum to glide over them.



I initially thought the 20 mph speed limit seemed a bit of a stretch, until I was on my way down and honestly believed I could have exceeded it.



Little Savannah was slightly terrified in her tag-along on the back of Craig’s bike.



I was pretty scared for both my girls going down – we hit some speeds.



I barely touched the peddles, even on the parts of the trail that on the way there seemed flat, I realized weren’t.



They only seemed that way because they weren’t as steep us the undulations. No wonder we were all feeling so wiped out.







It took us less 20 minutes to get back. The journey there on that family friendly ride up took 90 minutes.



Craig was going as slow as he could and Savannah was steady on the back of the bike. And I was calling out my safety instructions to Kalyra on the way down.



“That was the best fun ever!” She cried when we pulled up to the car.



She totally forgot about the face down supine position she was in only 20 minutes before.



So had I.



My body felt alive.



It had worked hard and the end was spent with just us and the freezing cold 5 degree wind.



It was exhilarating.







We jumped in the car to explore the remainder of the Franconia State Park bike path we didn’t get to on foot, which was was when we discovered the other side of the lake where Kalyra collapsed was pretty much the end of what there was to see!



Later that evening as we played Clue with a bowl of tomato bisque and a cup of coffee, a Spotify ad came on talking about how learning happens so much better when it’s fun.



“Just like our day today girls. We didn’t have an official homeschooling day , but we were learning and having fun. What did we learn?”



“That you can’t have the fun without the hard climb.”



And how much more do you appreciate it when the yakka is hard?



Tips for Biking Franconia Notch Recreation Path



If you want to do a family friendly bike ride in the White Mountain, I do suggest this one through Franconia Notch and the State Park, but do keep in mind that it’s not easy by any means.



To help you out, here are some tips to make it more enjoyable.




Pack enough supplies! Bring plenty of water, snacks, and sun cream



Plan for at least half a day, and prepare to spend a full day



Wear a helmet! Those downhills will pick up some speed, so wear the appropriate protection



Get an all-terrain bike. It may be paved, but having a bike with good grip on the tires will help you on those down hills.



Be aware of other riders as you cycle. Don’t lose focus on who’s around you!



Take lots of breaks!



Enjoy the adventure!




More New England Adventures



Planning to visit other parts of New England? Here are some other helpful guides…




Biking the Sublime Stowe Recreation Path in Vermont



Conquering The Ridge Walk to the Summit of Mount Mansfield, Vermont



Things to do in Manchester VT for a Relaxing and Fun Fall Road Trip



Check out this Fall Foliage New England tour from our partner Viator




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Ever taken on more of a family friendly bike ride before? What’s been your favourite? We’re always looking for more in the USA, so leave us your favorites in the comments.