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Hike Artists Bluff

Franconia, New Hampshire

4.3/5
based on 3 reviews

Details

Distance

1.5 miles

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Description

Added by James Lynch

This short but steep hike takes you to a beautiful overlook facing Echo Lake and Cannon Mountain right in the center of Franconia Notch State Park. 

Starting from the Bald Mountain trailhead, the Artists Bluff trail takes you up a short but steep 1.5 mile path to a beautiful rocky overlook of Franconia Notch State Park. This is the perfect hike to find incredible views of the park and some amazing foliage in autumn. 

We parked across the street at the Echo Lake Beach parking lot on Profile Rd (off I-93) and then just walked across the street to the Bald Mountain Trailhead. Shortly along the trail, there's a fork in the path that's a little bit unclear as to which way to go. If you stay right, you will arrive at Artists Bluff the quickest, going to the left would take you along the Bald Mountain Trail. 


I've found that the best time to visit Artists Bluff is during sunset. I visited right after a rainstorm, just after the clouds cleared. It provided some perfect light over the mountains to add to the foliage in the foreground. Any time of day will give you amazing photos.

The hike itself is short enough that you can quickly shoot a sunset and not have to worry about hiking back down the mountain in the dark, it only took us about 10-15 minutes to get back down.

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Features

Chillin
Photography
Hiking
Dog Friendly
Family Friendly
Forest
Scenic

Reviews

Be prepared for crowds and tour groups but also be ready for beautiful scenery. The fall colors are great and the hike is fairly moderate. This particular viewpoint overlooks the ski resort across.

Went up early fall last year; when it was still warm. Climbed up with some friends and did some watercoloring. Also saw some rock climbers. It’s a nice short hike, good for beginners although there are a few steep parts. The view is worth it. :)

Overall, a nice, short hike. We snowshoed up and it wasn't really possible as it was very rocky, should have looked that up earlier on though.

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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