Profile Falls
Grafton County, New Hampshire
Your visit at a glance
- Waterfall height
- Not recorded
- Location
- Grafton County, New Hampshire
- Access status
- Partial guide: authorized parking for the walk was not confirmed
- The walk
- About 0.25 miles each way
- Ground & access
- Easy walk on a closed paved road, then a rougher path and rocks at the river. Swimming in the pool is popular in summer; take care.
Profile Falls is a wide fan-shaped waterfall at least 30 feet high on the Smith River near its meeting with the Pemigewasset River, on Franklin Falls Dam flood control land managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Driving south from Bristol center on NH 3A, turn left onto Profile Falls Road just after the bridge over the Smith River. The visitor account describes No Parking signs right after the turn and cars parked along the road edge a little farther on, near a gated road with a Profile Falls sign. Walk down the closed road to the trailhead sign; if you reach the bridge over the river you have gone too far. Follow the path toward the river; it gets rougher near the water. Step on rocks to reach the base. A picnic pavilion is near the closed parking area.
Plan your visit
Profile Falls Road off NH 3A south of Bristol, gated paved road to the Profile Falls trailhead and path to the river
The Weirs Times visitor account gives about a quarter mile from the gated road to the base of the falls.
Easy walk on a closed paved road, then a rougher path and rocks at the river. Swimming in the pool is popular in summer; take care.
Where to start
The visitor account found no marked parking area: the old parking area behind the gate was closed, and visitors parked on the edge of Profile Falls Road near the gated road. Obey No Parking signs. Current authorized parking was not confirmed.
Timing & water
The route description dates from 2022. Open sunrise to sunset by the posted sign.
Before you go
No fee is mentioned in the sources read. Posted park hours were sunrise to sunset.
Visitor informationVisit sources
More waterfalls nearby
Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.
- Welton FallsState forest trail from AMC Cardigan Lodge; stream crossingGrafton County, NH9.0 miNW
- Elizabeth FallsPartial guide: distance is an estimate and lodge parking rules are not confirmedGrafton County, NH9.7 miNW
- Sculptured RocksShort state natural area trail to a bridge over the gorgeGrafton County, NH11 miNW
- Livermore FallsPartial guide: state forest trail to a beach below the falls; view of the falls from there not confirmedGrafton County, NH15 miN
- Big Dog FallsPartial guide: conservation area trails pass two waterfalls, but the exact location of Big Dog Falls on the trail is not published33 ft (10 m) · Grafton County, NH20 miW
- Litte Dog FallsPartial guide: conservation area trails pass the falls, but the exact location on the trail is not published13 ft (4 m) · Grafton County, NH20 miW
- Lower FallsPartial: town park trail; this listing is probably the lower Beede fallsCarroll County, NH22 miNE
- Beede FallsRoute and parking researchedCarroll County, NH22 miNE
- Waternomee FallsSigned spur off the Carr Mountain Trail; faint final sectionGrafton County, NH23 miN