Appalachian Trail through Notch

This section of the Appalachian Trail through Grafton Notch links two of the park's most spectacular geological features: Moose Cave and Mother Walker Falls. Beginning at the main day-use parking area on Route 26, the AT follows the valley floor through the deepest part of the notch, a U-shaped glacially carved gap between Old Speck Mountain to the east and Baldpate Mountain to the west. Moose Cave is a narrow, mossy slot gorge where a small stream has carved deep into metamorphic rock, creating a cool microclimate that harbors ferns and mosses even in midsummer drought. Mother Walker Falls, reached by a short spur, cascades through a dramatic series of potholes and sculpted bedrock channels known as flume-type gorges, similar in character to the famous Flume in Franconia Notch. The trail also passes Screw Auger Falls, where Bear River drops in a tight corkscrew plunge pool carved into pink Bethel granite. This route lies on an active section of the AT and thru-hikers are commonly encountered heading north from Gorham, New Hampshire. The valley is an excellent corridor for observing white-tailed deer, moose, and ruffed grouse.