Diana's Baths is a 75-foot tiered waterfall on Lucy Brook in the White Mountain National Forest, Carroll County, New Hampshire, just outside North Conway. Rather than one big drop, the brook spreads across broad granite ledges in a chain of small falls and pools, reached by an easy walk.
The falls
Eight tiers of steep cascades spread over roughly 400 feet of Lucy Brook, averaging about 25 feet wide. The tallest step, near the top, drops about 15 feet and splits into three or four channels. Earlier surveys listed 80 feet. Circular stone cavities are worn into the ledges, and the foundation of a former mill is still visible near the lower tiers.
Getting there
The trailhead parking lot is at 3872 West Side Road in North Conway. Parking costs $5 a day, paid at a self-serve kiosk by cash or credit card, and White Mountain National Forest annual passes are also accepted. The route covers 1.2 miles round trip with about 105 feet of gain on an ADA-approved gravel surface, rated easy. The trail continues past the falls toward North Moat Mountain, a moderate hike. The parking area fills often, and visitors are encouraged to choose another destination when full.
When to go
The site is open year-round. Spring snowmelt brings the strongest flow, with volume averaging around 5 cubic feet per second in the wetter half of the year and 1 in the drier half. Insect repellent is recommended from spring through fall.
On site
Swimming and wading are allowed in the pools, but not above the top of the falls, where a public water supply intake sits. Dogs must be leashed, and camping, fires and shelters are prohibited. Restrooms and trash bins are at the trailhead. Heavy use led Leave No Trace to name Diana's Baths a "Hot Spot" in 2022 for trash, trampled vegetation and trail erosion. Even on this short trail, a hiker who hurt an ankle in November 2020 had to be carried out in a basket.
History and name
The ledges were first known as the "Home of the Water Fairies"; a Boston visitor, Miss Hubbard, renamed them Diana's Baths before 1859, after the Roman goddess of nature. George Lucy bought five acres here in 1863 and built a sawmill among the falls, adding a three-story boarding house by 1890. In the 1930s the family switched to hydroelectric power with a concrete dam, and Hattie C. Lucy later ran a gift shop and ice house before the land was sold to the government. In 2002 the Trust for Public Land helped the Forest Service protect 325 acres around Lucy Brook.
Nearby
Thompson Falls on Moat Brook is about 2 miles away, Artists Falls about 3.7 miles and Jackson Falls about 5.6 miles.
Distances are straight-line.