Crystal Cascade is a 141-foot tiered waterfall on the Cutler River in Coos County, New Hampshire, in the White Mountain National Forest. It sits just above Pinkham Notch Visitor Center on the Tuckerman Ravine Trail, which continues to the summit of Mount Washington, and is a short walk from the parking lot.
The falls
The Cutler River drops in six tiers. The World Waterfall Database, working from lidar data, measures the total at 141 feet: four upper steps of 10, 16, 7 and 23 feet, hidden from the trail, then the two tiers everyone sees, a 54-foot veiling fall over rock followed by a 16-foot plunge that splits into two channels at lower flow. Older measurements put it at 100 feet in two drops, and the New England Waterfalls guide still shows a 70-foot upper section and a 30-foot lower one separated by a ledge with a shallow dark pool. The river drains about 3 square miles of Mount Washington's east flank, including Huntington and Tuckerman Ravines.
Getting there
Park at Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, on the west side of NH 16 about 10.6 miles south of Gorham; the Appalachian Mountain Club's Joe Dodge Lodge is at the same site. Take the Tuckerman Ravine Trail from behind the visitor center and cross the Cutler River footbridge; about 500 feet beyond it, steps lead up to the overlook. The walk is 0.4 mile one way on packed dirt and rock ledge, rated moderate. The trail is managed by the Androscoggin Ranger District of the White Mountain National Forest.
When to go
Because the watershed collects snowmelt from the ravines on Mount Washington, where snow lingers into early summer, the cascade almost always carries ample water and looks good in any season. Mid-May to mid-October is the recommended season. The trail is open year-round for hiking and snowshoeing; TrailFinder advises carrying rain and wind gear and warm clothing.
On site
The overlook is walled with stone and faces the two lower tiers. There is no swimming and no wheelchair access, and visitors are warned to stay well back from the edge. Dogs are allowed on a leash. The Tuckerman Ravine Trail continues 3.7 miles and about 4,000 feet up to the summit of Mount Washington, a much bigger undertaking with severe weather possible in any month.
History and name
Crystal Cascade was a noted sight long before the visitor center: the 1889 History of Carroll County called it one of the most beautiful waterfalls of the White Mountains, below the outlet of Tuckerman's Ravine on the west side of Pinkham Notch.
Nearby
Chudacoff Falls is about 0.3 mile away, and Birch Pitch, also on the Cutler River, about 0.4 mile. Glen Ellis Falls and Upper Glen Ellis Falls on the Ellis River are about 1.2 miles off.
Distances are straight-line.