The Flume, listed here as "Flume, The," is a tiered waterfall on Flume Brook in Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire, where the brook drops in two steps through Flume Gorge at the base of Mount Liberty in Grafton County.
The falls
Flume Brook runs through a natural chasm of Conway granite measuring 800 feet long, with walls 70 to 90 feet high and only 12 to 20 feet apart. The water falls in two drops inside this slot, and a wooden boardwalk threads through the gorge beside it. At the top of the gorge, Avalanche Falls sends spray across the boardwalk before the brook enters the narrows.
Getting there
Flume Gorge is at 852 Daniel Webster Highway in Lincoln. For the 2026 season the only route open to visitors is the full 2-mile self-guided loop, which takes about 1.5 hours on packed gravel and boardwalk with moderate uphill walking and stairs; the shorter Rim Path is closed.
Tickets are timed: the park requires a reservation for a specific arrival window, and booking online saves $3 per ticket. Admission is $18 online or $21 at the gate for ages 13 and up, $16 or $19 for ages 6 to 12, and free for children 5 and under.
When to go
The 2026 season runs from May 8 to October 25. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from July 3 to September 7, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from September 8 to October 12, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from October 13 to 25, subject to change for weather. Outside the season the boardwalks are taken out, the park is unstaffed and the gorge is closed to hikers.
On site
Pets are not allowed in the gorge; the park has designated dog walk areas instead. Drones may not take off or land anywhere in the park. Visitors with accessibility needs are asked to contact the park office before a visit. The loop also passes the 1886 Flume Covered Bridge, Table Rock, Liberty Gorge, the Pool, the Sentinel Pine Bridge and the Wolf Den, a tight crawl-through.
History and name
Historical accounts record that "Aunt" Jess Guernsey, then 93, came upon the gorge in 1808 while fishing. A boulder about 10 feet high and 12 feet long once hung wedged between the walls. A heavy rainstorm in 1883 set off a landslide that carried it away and created Avalanche Falls; the boulder has never been found.
Nearby
Avalanche Falls is about 0.1 miles upstream, and the loop continues to Liberty Gorge Cascades, about 0.4 miles away, and the Pool on the Pemigewasset River, about 0.5 miles. The Basin, also in Franconia Notch, is about 1.7 miles away.
Distances are straight-line.