Photogenic Places
33 places · Ranked by scenic score
Rockport, MA
Motif Number 1
Motif Number 1 is a red fishing shack on Bradley Wharf in Rockport Harbor, widely considered the most frequently painted building in America. The original structure was built in the 1840s and destroyed in the Blizzard of 1978, then faithfully reconstructed. It sits at the end of a granite wharf surrounded by lobster boats and colorful buoys.
Eastham, MA
Nauset Light Beach
Nauset Light is a red and white cast-iron lighthouse perched on the eroding clay cliffs of Cape Cod's outer shore within the Cape Cod National Seashore. The lighthouse was moved back from the cliff edge in 1996 to save it from erosion. The dramatic clay and sand bluffs drop 50-80 feet to a wide Atlantic beach below.
Bar Harbor, ME
Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse
Built in 1858, this lighthouse sits on the rocky cliffs at the southwestern tip of Mount Desert Island. It is one of the most photographed lighthouses in Maine, with dramatic granite ledges descending into the Atlantic. The light is an active U.S. Coast Guard navigational aid.
Portland, ME
Portland Head Light
Commissioned by George Washington in 1791, Portland Head Light is the oldest lighthouse in Maine. It stands 80 feet tall on a rocky promontory at the entrance to Portland Harbor in Fort Williams Park. The lighthouse and keeper's house together form one of the most recognized lighthouse compositions in America.
Pemaquid, ME
Pemaquid Point Lighthouse
Built in 1835, Pemaquid Point Lighthouse stands on dramatically layered metamorphic rock formations that slope into the Atlantic. The distinctive banded rock strata create strong leading lines toward the lighthouse. The image appears on the Maine state quarter.
Kennebunkport, ME
Cape Neddick Nubble Lighthouse
Built in 1879 on a small rocky island just offshore from Cape Neddick Point in York. The lighthouse and its red-roofed keeper's house are separated from the mainland by a narrow channel. It is one of the most photographed lighthouses in New England and was included on the Voyager spacecraft's golden record.
Jackson, NH
Arethusa Falls
At approximately 176 feet, Arethusa Falls is the tallest single-drop waterfall in New Hampshire. The falls are reached via a 1.5-mile trail in Crawford Notch State Park that passes through dense forest along Bemis Brook. Water volume varies significantly by season, with spring snowmelt producing the most impressive flow.
Truro, MA
Highland Light (Cape Cod Light)
Highland Light is the oldest and tallest lighthouse on Cape Cod, first established in 1797 on the high clay cliffs of Truro. The current 66-foot tower dates to 1857 and was moved 450 feet inland in 1996 due to cliff erosion. The light sits atop 120-foot bluffs, giving it a focal plane of 183 feet above sea level.
Mount Washington, MA
Bash Bish Falls
Bash Bish Falls is the highest single-drop waterfall in Massachusetts, cascading approximately 60 feet over a split rock face into a clear pool below. The falls are located in Bash Bish Falls State Park in the remote southwestern corner of the state near the New York border. The gorge is surrounded by old-growth hemlock forest and dramatic rock formations.
Rockland, ME
Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse
A square brick lighthouse sits at the end of a 4,346-foot granite breakwater extending into Rockland Harbor. The nearly mile-long walk to the lighthouse offers panoramic views of Penobscot Bay and the Camden Hills. The breakwater took 18 years to complete, finishing in 1899.
North Conway, NH
Diana's Baths
Diana's Baths is a series of cascading waterfalls and granite pools along Lucy Brook in Bartlett. The falls flow over smooth, sculpted bedrock creating multiple tiers and natural basins. The 0.6-mile trail from the parking area is relatively flat and accessible.
Lincoln, NH
Sabbaday Falls
Sabbaday Falls is a multi-tiered waterfall along Sabbaday Brook off the Kancamagus Highway. The falls drop through a narrow flume carved into granite, with a distinctive pothole visible in the rock. The 0.7-mile trail to the falls is well-maintained and nearly level.
Jackson, NH
Crawford Notch State Park - Silver Cascade
Silver Cascade is a 250-foot roadside waterfall visible directly from Route 302 in Crawford Notch. The falls descend in multiple tiers over exposed rock face on the western slope of Mount Webster. It is one of the tallest and most accessible waterfalls in the White Mountains.
Franconia, NH
Echo Lake (Franconia Notch)
Echo Lake is a 28-acre lake at the foot of Cannon Mountain in Franconia Notch State Park. On calm mornings, the lake produces mirror-like reflections of the surrounding mountains and cliffs. The lake has a public beach and is encircled by a short trail.
Jackson, NH
Glen Ellis Falls
Glen Ellis Falls is a 64-foot waterfall on the Ellis River in Pinkham Notch, accessed via a short 0.3-mile trail and pedestrian tunnel under Route 16. The falls drop into a deep plunge pool surrounded by moss-covered granite walls. The site is managed by the White Mountain National Forest.
Franconia, NH
Cascade Brook and Basin Trail
The Basin is a 20-foot diameter granite pothole at the base of a waterfall on the Pemigewasset River in Franconia Notch. The pothole was formed over thousands of years by the erosive action of sand and stones swirling in the river current. A short paved trail from the parking area leads to viewing platforms.
Lincoln, NH
Zealand Falls and Hut
Zealand Falls is a cascading waterfall next to the Appalachian Mountain Club's Zealand Falls Hut, reached via a 2.8-mile relatively flat trail along an old railroad bed. The falls drop over granite ledges with views extending across the Zealand Valley. The AMC hut offers overnight accommodations and is one of the more accessible huts in the White Mountain system.
Stowe, VT
Stowe Village and Mount Mansfield View
The Stowe Community Church steeple rises against the backdrop of Mount Mansfield, Vermont's highest peak. This classic New England village scene is one of the most photographed compositions in the state. The Mountain Road provides multiple vantage points for framing the steeple with the ridgeline.
Woodstock, VT
Woodstock Village Green
An oval village green surrounded by Federal and Georgian-style buildings, galleries, and the iconic Woodstock Inn. The green is flanked by mature elms and maples that create a canopy of color in autumn. Several church steeples are visible from the green, creating quintessential Vermont compositions.
Woodstock, VT
Billings Farm & Museum
A working dairy farm and museum established in 1871, set against the slopes of Mount Tom. The farm features heritage breed animals, restored barns, and rolling pastures. The red barns against green hillsides and grazing Jersey cows create pastoral compositions emblematic of rural Vermont.
Middlebury, VT
Middlebury Falls
A series of cascades on Otter Creek in the center of downtown Middlebury, dropping approximately 15 feet over limestone ledges. The falls are visible from a footbridge and several viewing platforms adjacent to the Marble Works historic district. The combination of falling water and 19th-century mill buildings creates a compelling urban-nature juxtaposition.
Grafton, VT
Grafton Village
A meticulously preserved 19th-century village that has been maintained by the Windham Foundation since the 1960s. White clapboard buildings, the Grafton Inn (established 1801), and a general store line the quiet streets. The village has no visible power lines or modern signage, making it appear frozen in the 19th century.
Mystic, CT
Mystic Seaport Museum
Mystic Seaport is the nation's largest maritime museum, featuring a recreated 19th-century coastal village along the Mystic River. The museum houses the Charles W. Morgan, the last wooden whaleship in the world, along with hundreds of historic vessels. The preserved buildings, working shipyard, and tall ship masts create an atmospheric setting.
Rockland, ME
Marshall Point Lighthouse
A white lighthouse connected to shore by a long, narrow wooden walkway along a granite pier in the village of Port Clyde. The lighthouse gained fame as the turnaround point in the film Forrest Gump. The keeper's house serves as a museum, and the grounds offer views across Muscongus Bay.
Woodstock, VT
Jenne Farm
A privately owned working farm in South Woodstock that is widely considered one of the most photographed farms in New England. The red barn, white farmhouse, winding dirt road, and surrounding hills create a composition that has appeared in countless calendars and magazines. The farm is best viewed from the road above during peak foliage.
Camden, ME
Camden Harbor and Mount Battie
Camden Harbor is framed by the Camden Hills rising directly from the waterfront, creating one of the most scenic harbor settings on the eastern seaboard. Mount Battie, at 800 feet, rises immediately behind the village. The harbor regularly hosts a fleet of historic windjammer schooners.
North Conway, NH
Swift River at Rocky Gorge
Rocky Gorge is a narrow granite gorge where the Swift River forces through a constricted channel along the Kancamagus Highway. A footbridge spans the gorge providing overhead views of the rushing water below. Falls Pond is accessible via a short trail beyond the gorge and offers calm water reflections.
Shelburne Falls, MA
Bridge of Flowers
The Bridge of Flowers is a former trolley bridge spanning the Deerfield River that has been maintained as a public garden since 1929. Over 500 varieties of flowers bloom in succession from April through October along the 400-foot bridge. The bridge connects the villages of Shelburne Falls and Buckland.
Stockbridge, MA
Naumkeag
Naumkeag is a Gilded Age estate designed by Stanford White in 1886, featuring a 44-room shingled cottage and eight acres of landscaped gardens designed by Fletcher Steele. The gardens include the famous Blue Steps, a series of Art Deco-influenced cascading blue fountain pools flanked by white birch trees. The property is operated by The Trustees of Reservations and offers views of Monument Mountain and the Berkshire Hills.
Old Lyme, CT
Florence Griswold Museum Grounds
The Florence Griswold Museum is the former boardinghouse where the Lyme Art Colony of American Impressionist painters gathered from 1899 onward. The 1817 Late Georgian house sits along the Lieutenant River amid gardens that inspired painters including Childe Hassam and Willard Metcalf. The surrounding landscape retains the pastoral character depicted in the colony's artworks.
Rockland, ME
Owls Head Lighthouse
Perched on a dramatic headland 100 feet above Penobscot Bay, this 30-foot lighthouse has been active since 1825. Despite its modest height, the elevated terrain gives it a focal plane of 100 feet above sea level. The surrounding Owls Head Light State Park offers trails through spruce forest to rocky shoreline.
Providence, RI
Waterplace Park
Waterplace Park is a four-acre urban park centered on a tidal basin where the Woonasquatucket and Moshassuck rivers converge. The park features Venetian-style pedestrian bridges, a cobblestone riverwalk, and an amphitheater. It serves as the setting for WaterFire, an award-winning public art installation of bonfires on the river surface.
Rockland, ME
Rockland Harbor
Rockland maintains an active working waterfront with lobster boats, sardine carriers, and the Maine State Ferry Service terminal. The harbor hosts the largest fleet of windjammer sailing vessels in the United States. The public landing and adjacent boardwalk provide access to the working waterfront.