Exploring New Hampshire’s Lost River Gorge and Boulder Caves

Considered to be one of the greatest natural wonders New Hampshire has to offer, the Lost River Gorge and Boulder Caves provide you the chance to combine both the beauty and mysteries of nature with the opportunity to discover more about the geology of our planet and also perhaps a little bit about yourself.

Much like the online sportsbooks New Hampshire has to offer, you can go all-in and take a self-guided exploration journey of the area, or you can play it safe and join in on one of the day’s regular guided tours of the gorge and caves. It all comes down to how adventurous you are feeling on the day of arrival. They even offer night lantern tours if you want to increase the level of excitement on your adventure.

Blissful Beauty Of Nature

Journey along the one-mile boardwalk trail of 1,000 steps as you trek through the gorge and come face to face with jagged rock walls, glacial boulder caves and spectacular cascading waterfalls. As you observe these wonders of nature, you’ll feel all of the stress simply seeping out of your body.

The Lost River Gorge and Boulder Caves are located in New Hampshire’s Kinsman Notch in the White Mountains. This is a land of sensational beauty that has been forged by the powerful forces of water, wind, weather, and time. You won’t want to miss the breathtaking views from the Valley Viewpoint and Giant Bird Nest Overlook.

The shaping of Kinsman Notch and the surrounding mountains began approximately 300 million years ago. The Ice Age brought glaciers to the area that were more than a mile thick. This powerful force of moving ice grounded, lifted, and deposited rocks that would form the notches and mountains we see today. As the ice melted, the flowing water carried away debris, eroding the rocks and in the process, forming the Lost River Gorge.

The Lost River draws its name from the fact that the river actually does vanish from sight at certain points of its journey. A brook drains from the southeast part of Kinsman Notch, disappearing from view. Below the surface, the brook continues along its subterranean course, traversing a narrow, steep-walled glacial gorge. Eventually, as it emerges back into view, it joins up with the Pemigewasset River, which flows south from Franconia Notch.

At the turn of the 20th century, the advent of the logging industry in New Hampshire was threatening to destroy the natural beauty of the Lost River Gorge. Fortunately, a private non-profit conservation organization – the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests – was organized. They would purchase the Lost River Gorge area in 1912.

That society maintains ownership of the area to this day. Currently, they lease the Lost River Gorge to the White Mountains Attractions Association, which manages and operates the site. The two organizations work in conjunction to keep this wonderful tourist destination pristine and available to the public to enjoy.

Boulder Caves Not For The Claustrophobic

Some of New Hampshire’s Boulder Caves will require that you get down on all fours and crawl (Public domain photo).

If you choose to enter the Boulder Caves portion of the Lost River Gorge experience, be forewarned. Some of the caves are a very tight squeeze.

While climbing, you may even have to resort to crawling on all fours, or even down on your belly to get through some of the smaller areas. There are people who bring knee pads with them to aid the adventure through the more difficult caves. It’s also advisable to wear clothing that you don’t mind getting a little dirty. Some caves offer ladders to help you maneuver through the more challenging parts of the journey.

Each cave has its own title and story, from the Bear Crawl to the Dungeon. Take the guided tour, or read the posted historical footnotes, and you’ll learn about these unique tales.

The Dungeon, Parallel Rocks and Lemon Squeezer are the caves that you’ll find the most challenging to get through. In fact, any children 12 or younger must be accompanied by an adult in order to enter these caves.

The Cave Of Odin, Devil’s Kitchen, Cave Of Silence, Center Of The Earth, Bear Crawl and Judgement Hall of Pluto are considered medium difficulty caves. Children eight and under must be accompanied by adults through these caves. The Shadow Cave and Sun Alter are thought to be the easiest caves to navigate and should be simply traveled by everyone.

Not to worry, though. If a cave looks to be too much for you to handle, any Boulder Cave may be bypassed along the journey.

The caves are lit with lanterns to aid in navigation. Many also have streams running through them, so footing can be wet and occasionally treacherous.

At the end of the trail, you can really go back in time, if you so choose. There’s a chance to become a miner by panning for gemstones. There’s a small gemstone mining sluice located at the main entrance under cover and an uncovered large mining sluice located on the main grounds.

If You Go

The tour can be completed in 1.5-2 hours. Sturdy footwear and outdoor clothing are recommended. And you’ll want to leave the little ones at home, since no strollers are allowed in the gorge. The gorge and caves are open rain or shine. No pets are allowed in the gorge other than trained service animals. Unfortunately, the trails and caves are not wheelchair accessible.

Reservations are recommended, as capacity is reduced by the hour and by the day to enhance the visitor experience. Walk-up availability to the gorge and caves is not guaranteed. For a map of the area, list of upcoming events and hours and rates, check the Lost River Gorge and Boulder Caves web page.

And when you’re all done, why not take the short drive to Seven Birches Winery and savor a glass of vino while reflecting upon your day of adventure?