On the final day of our adventure to the White Mountains in May, we decided that the only way to continue on our way across New Hampshire was to take the (in)famous Kancamagus Highway (also known as route 112) from Conway to North Woodstock. As we had the whole day to make what was essentially a two-hour drive, I planned a few points along the way to get out and stretch our legs – Sabbaday Falls was the second.
Fortunately, like many (but not all) of the spots I had chosen, this one was well-marked, and we were one of several cars in the lot. As we quickly discovered, this is an easy walk around half a mile each way, with very well-kept paths.
As the trail heads towards the falls, it follows a typical babbling New Hampshire brook, which in spring still had plenty of water. I had brought my new tripod with me so the other half waited – mostly patiently – as I stopped to test out some of my camera settings.
The first glimpse of the falls that one gets is actually the bottom end – a pool of almost impossibly turquoise water against stone, which has clearly been carved out of the cliff face over time.
In the far right of this picture you can just see the wooden railings that line the path as it climbs up the edge of the river. There are signs warning walkers of how slippery the path can be, especially when the falls are full. The spray coming off the water dampened the rocks and wooden rails, as well as cooling everyone off with a constant mist. It was so constant in fact that it was almost impossible to keep a camera in place long enough to snap a picture – several were definitely ruined with drops of water on the lens.
But as the other half likes to remind me, we do not just take these paths for the pictures but also to experience them, and there was something inherently magical about this stretch of woods and river, with wooden paths criss-crossing the gorge.
The falls themselves are quite spectacular and, as I mentioned above, almost impossible to capture in their entirety. I can fully understand why they are considered some of the most impressive in the White Mountains – both dramatic and easy to access!
These were the best I could do – showing the gorgeous colour of the pool of water just before it tumbles over the edge of the rocks. The left picture is taken from the path you can just see at in the right-hand picture.
Another thing I loved about many of these paths we took through the White Mountains was the educational nature of many of the trail signs – not only could you enjoy the sights, but you could learn why the falls turned at the sharp angle it did, why it was so dramatic, the geology of the area, and about the flora and fauna. This trail was definitely one I recommended to a close friend who often visits the area with her sons – just long enough to get a bit of exercise but also learn about rocks.
The Wandering Medievalist 