Rocky Gorge is a 12-foot cascade on the Swift River in Carroll County, New Hampshire, where the river squeezes through a narrow rock slot beside the Kancamagus Highway in the White Mountain National Forest. The Forest Service manages it as a scenic and picnic area, reached by a short paved path.
The falls
It is listed as a single 12-foot drop, a steep cascade; another count gives a 15-foot total drop. The Swift River, a tributary of the Saco, pours over ledges into a narrow gorge. A footbridge just downstream overlooks the falls. The site is also recorded under the name Upper Falls.
Getting there
The Rocky Gorge Scenic Area is in Albany, 9.6 miles west of Conway Village on the Kancamagus Highway. The lot has accessible parking. There is a per-vehicle parking fee; visitors should bring cash. From the lot a paved path runs about 0.1 mile to the falls. The area's 1.2-mile loop is rated easy, with the accessible section over 8 feet wide with minimal grades.
When to go
May to October is the recommended season. The area is heavily visited, especially on weekends. In winter the trails are used for snowshoeing and ungroomed cross-country skiing, and the Lovequist Loop serves as an access point to the Nanamocomuck Ski Trail.
On site
Swimming in the gorge is prohibited and posted. In 1942 Dorothy Sparks was trapped underwater here and nearly died before a three-hour rescue, with at least two later accidents each involving two people. The area has picnic tables along the river, benches and pit toilets, and pets are allowed. Across the footbridge the path continues a short distance to Falls Pond, which the 0.7-mile Lovequist Loop circles.
Nearby
Also on the Swift River, Lower Falls of the Swift is about 1.8 miles away. Pitcher Falls is about 2.1 miles away and Champney Falls, on Champney Brook, about 2.2 miles. Conway is about 8 miles east.
Distances are straight-line.