Hermit Falls
Coos County, New Hampshire
Your visit at a glance
- Waterfall height
- Not recorded
- Location
- Coos County, New Hampshire
- Access status
- National forest trail and short loop
- The walk
- About 3 miles return
- Ground & access
- Moderate. Dirt and rock trail with a steep section on the loop.
Hermit Falls is a 30-foot seasonal horsetail waterfall in a mossy ravine on a tributary above Basin Pond, White Mountain National Forest. From the parking area by Basin Pond, take the Basin Trail. It follows the south shore of the pond, crosses two brooks on the flat floor of the Basin and then climbs, more steeply as it nears the first junction, on the left, with the Hermit Falls Loop. The loop is a 0.2-mile detour to the falls; past the falls it climbs steeply to rejoin the Basin Trail about 200 feet above the lower junction. Return down the Basin Trail.
Plan your visit
Basin Pond trailhead off NH 113 (Evans Notch), Basin Trail and the Hermit Falls Loop
Trail Finder gives a total of 3 miles for the Basin Trail, the short Hermit Falls Loop and back.
Moderate. Dirt and rock trail with a steep section on the loop.
Where to start
Parking area by Basin Pond, 0.6 miles down Basin Road from NH 113, on the right just before Basin Campground. Basin Road leaves NH 113 10.7 miles from US 2 in Gilead.
Timing & water
New England Waterfalls says the falls are best from mid-May to early July or after heavy rain, and that a large fallen tree lay across the falls.
Before you go
No fee is listed by Trail Finder. The trailhead is not on the White Mountain National Forest list of fee sites.
Visitor informationVisit sources
More waterfalls nearby
Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.
- Mad River FallsGuidebook route with matching coordinates; seasonal roadOxford County, ME1.8 miNE
- Brickett FallsNational forest trail from a small roadside trailheadCarroll County, NH2.0 miS
- Emerald PoolResearched route and starting areaCarroll County, NH2.9 miS
- Chandler GorgeNational forest trails and a signed side loopCarroll County, NH3.2 miS
- Kees FallsNational forest trail route and trailhead documentedOxford County, ME6.3 miNE
- Thompson FallsResearched route and starting areaCoos County, NH9.6 miW
Glen Ellis FallsNational forest scenic area; short trail with stone steps; parking fee64 ft (19.5 m) · Coos County, NH11 miW
Crystal Cascades FallsNational forest trail to an overlook69 ft (21 m) · Coos County, NH11 miW- Jackson FallsTown-owned roadside falls; 2-hour parking108 ft (33 m) · Carroll County, NH11 miSW