Emerald Pool
This location is part of the White Mountains National Forest, which is primarily in New Hampshire, but does enter into Maine around here. Emerald Pool is variously described as being in either New Hampshire or Maine, but you can see by our GPS and map that it is in New Hampshire, close to the border.
Park in the lot labeled for “Baldface Trail” and then cross route 113 to enter the signed trailhead. Follow the yellow markers up an easy trail, that is mainly rounded stones. It gently slopes up and down, but the walk back to the lot is primarily downhill. The trail is very rocky, but we saw children and seniors using it, so use your own judgement. When the trail splits into three you should see a sign pointing towards Emerald Pool. The trail from here gets a little convoluted, because you can see the river and it is obvious that people have made their own trails. Stick by the river, and the place to descend is when you see the pool and waterfall. This is a popular swimming hole, and chances are you can just follow other people. On the way back, the trail is actually a little harder to see, as there are large paths that diverage from it, that aren’t as apparent on the way in. Check your trail often, and stick to the trees painted yellow, and also keep your eye out for the most rocky path-that is the one you want.
This is a gorgeous location, though the pool itself is very small, and you might be crowded out by jumpers. The pool is probably big enough for 4 to 5 people to swim in comfortably. The water is emerald green (as the name implies), and crystal clear. The surrounding rocks provide multiple heights to jump into the deep pool from, ranging from 5 to 15 ft. The hike is about .75 miles one way, so about 20 minutes if you’re walking at a leisurely pace. We visited in the middle of the day on a Wednesday, and there were probably twenty people there, so I’m sure the weekends can get very crowded.
There are restrooms available in the park, but not near the waterfall.
More trail inforamtion:
http://www.everytrail.com/guide/baldface-mountain
http://www.visitwhitemountains.com/attractions/white-mountains-national-forest
Location Details
- 20 min.
- +44 14.258, -71 00.873
- Easy to moderate
Location Tags
