Parking & Directions

Franconia Notch State Park is reached from I-93 Exits 34A, 34B and 34C, and each exit serves different attractions. Exit 34A is the Flume Gorge; 34B is the Cannon tram base, the Old Man of the Mountain site and the overflow hiker lot; 34C is Echo Lake Beach and Artists Bluff. Between 34A and 34B, small pull-offs serve the Basin, Lafayette Place and the Franconia Ridge trailhead, and some work in one direction only. Parking on the I-93 shoulder is illegal at any time. On busy weekends, trailhead lots fill early.

Exit 34A: Flume Gorge

• The Flume Gorge and Gilman Visitor Center lot, at 852 Daniel Webster Highway, Lincoln, NH 03251. Park here for the Flume and for the Mount Pemigewasset Trail, which starts from the visitor center parking area.
• A designated dog walk area is at the Flume lot. Dogs are not allowed in the gorge.
• The south entrance to the bike path is here.

Pull-Offs Between Exits 34A and 34B

These are small lots right off the parkway. Watch the direction: several only exist on one side of the highway.

• The Basin: northbound and southbound. Picnic tables and the paved walk to the Basin.
• Franconia Ridge trailhead (Old Bridle Path and Falling Waters): northbound side. Limited spaces.
• Lafayette Place: southbound only. Northbound drivers use Exit 34B to turn around. Hikers use the two small lots outside the campground, never the campground itself. A tunnel under the highway connects to the Franconia Ridge trailhead, and the Lonesome Lake Trail starts here.
• Boise Rock: northbound only. Picnic tables and a view of Cannon Cliffs.
• Profile Lake: southbound only. Car-top boat launch, fly fishing only.

Exit 34B: Cannon Tram Base and Old Man Site

• The Aerial Tramway lot at 260 Tramway Drive, Franconia, NH 03580. The tram is closed for replacement, but the lot is open.
• This is the park's overflow lot for hikers when trailhead lots are full, and the main access point the state names for the bike path.
• Park here for the Old Man of the Mountain Historic Site and Profiler Plaza and the New England Ski Museum.
• A designated dog walk area is at the Tramway lot.

Exit 34C: Echo Lake Beach and Artists Bluff

• Echo Lake Beach lot: for beachgoers only. NH State Parks says hiker parking is not permitted here.
• Hiker parking on Route 18, past the beach, across from Cannon Mountain Ski Area.
• Artists Bluff: the large dirt lot across Route 18 from the Peabody Base Lodge.

The Hiker Shuttle

When the trailhead lots are full, NH State Parks sends hikers to the overflow lot at the Aerial Tramway (Exit 34B) and runs a paid hiker shuttle. In 2026 it ran Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from May 23 to October 18, 8am to 7pm.

• Cost: $5 per person, round trip. Keep your ticket for the ride back. Cash or card.
• Drop-off: Lafayette Place Campground, on the southbound side.
• Pickup: the Falling Waters / Old Bridle Path trailhead, on the northbound side.
• Well-behaved dogs ride free.

Foliage Weekends

October brings the heaviest traffic of the year. NH State Parks adds staff for traffic control on peak foliage days and asks visitors to plan ahead, arrive early, follow posted guidelines, yield to pedestrians, and choose another trail when a lot is full. Do not park on the parkway shoulder: it is illegal at any time.

Driving Times

The park sits on I-93 in the White Mountains. NH State Parks' brochure gives these approximate drive times:

• Boston: 2.5 hours.
• Manchester: 1.5 hours.
• Portsmouth and Keene: 2 hours.
• North Conway and Laconia: 1 hour.

For a map pin, use 260 Tramway Drive, Franconia, NH 03580 for the north end (tram, Old Man, Echo Lake) and 852 Daniel Webster Highway, Lincoln, NH 03251 for the Flume at the south end.

Parking Fees

NH State Parks lists entry fees for the Flume Gorge and Echo Lake Beach, not parking fees for the trailhead lots. Campers' visitors pay the day-use fee. See hours and fees and Flume Gorge tickets.