Parks & Nature
9 places · Natural escapes in the DMV
Franconia, NH
Franconia Notch State Park - Flume Gorge
The Flume Gorge is a natural gorge extending 800 feet at the base of Mount Liberty with granite walls rising 70 to 90 feet. A system of boardwalks and stairs allows visitors to walk through the gorge alongside Flume Brook and its waterfalls. Avalanche Falls at the far end of the gorge drops approximately 45 feet over moss-covered rock.
Burlington, VT
Red Rocks Park
A 100-acre park in South Burlington featuring red-hued Monkton quartzite cliffs along the shore of Lake Champlain. Trails wind through hemlock forests and along bluffs with views across the lake. The distinctive reddish rock formations provide unique foreground elements for lake and sunset photography.
Middlebury, VT
Texas Falls
A series of cascades and plunge pools carved through a narrow bedrock gorge in the Green Mountain National Forest along the Hancock Branch. The falls drop through sculpted potholes and curved rock formations. A short paved trail and viewing bridge provide accessible vantage points directly above the gorge.
Old Lyme, CT
Harkness Memorial State Park
Harkness Memorial State Park encompasses the former Eolia estate, a 42-room Roman Renaissance-style mansion built in 1906 for Edward and Mary Harkness. The 234-acre property features formal Italian gardens, a pergola, and sweeping lawns overlooking Long Island Sound. The estate's classical architecture and seaside setting create a distinctive Gilded Age atmosphere.
Groton, CT
Bluff Point State Park
Bluff Point State Park is Connecticut's last remaining significant piece of undeveloped coastline along Long Island Sound. The 806-acre park encompasses a rocky bluff, tidal salt marsh, and a long sand spit extending into the Poquonnock River estuary. The area is managed as a coastal reserve with no vehicle access beyond the trailhead.
Bar Harbor, ME
Jordan Pond
A glacially carved pond in Acadia National Park known for its exceptional clarity and views of the twin rounded peaks called The Bubbles. The pond surface frequently produces mirror-like reflections in early morning calm. A 3.3-mile loop trail circles the pond.
Northampton, MA
Look Park Japanese Garden
Look Park is a 157-acre municipal park in Northampton featuring a Japanese garden with a curved bridge, stone lanterns, and a koi pond. The park was donated to the city by Frank Newhall Look in 1930. The garden's small scale and careful plantings create intimate photographic compositions throughout the seasons.
Bar Harbor, ME
Wonderland Trail
A flat, easy 1.4-mile round-trip trail on the quiet side of Mount Desert Island that leads through a moss-covered spruce forest to a rocky cobble beach and granite shoreline. The trail terminates at a broad expanse of pink granite ledges facing the open ocean. Tidal pools harbor sea stars, urchins, and anemones.
Stowe, VT
Smugglers' Notch
A narrow mountain pass through the Green Mountains with massive boulders, sheer cliff faces, and lush vegetation. The road (Route 108) winds through dramatic rock formations that tower hundreds of feet overhead. The notch was historically used by smugglers during the War of 1812 and Prohibition.