Beaver Pond at Kinsman Notch
The beaver pond at Kinsman Notch New Hampshire is left over from the last ice age. As the ice receded, it left depressions in the landscape and this “bowl” has hills rising on two sides, and the 3rd side is opposite where the road leads up to the pond (nice of Mother Nature to leave a road for us…) 🙂
Best time to photograph
The best time to photograph this spot is in the early morning. Any time before 9 AM is usually good and the earlier the better. My best shots were early on either cloudy, foggy mornings or bright sunny ones. As you can see from the images they all look good, and you will probably just have to keep coming back to see what the weather gives you.
The normal dates for this area can range from 27 Sept in an early year to 5 Oct in a late year. But in most years if you show up on the 1st of Oct you should have a good/decent showing of color. On 1 October 2012, I got there in the afternoon and stayed at a little motel in Woodstock NH on Route 3 (nearby).
On the next morning (2 Oct 2012), I got up early and stopped at a gas station to get a couple of breakfast sandwiches on my to the pond. I got there at about 6:45 AM. Yes, you have to get out of bed early! But the potential for great pictures is the reward.
The sun was just about to crest the Eastern Hills. About a couple of minutes later I had moved just a little bit down the pond for a different vantage POV (Point Of View). The golden sunlight in this amount of time had strengthened on the upper hills above the Pond.
Locating the Beaver Pond
This is one of those spots for beginners and pros alike. The beginner will appreciate the ease of getting to it and it even has a small parking lot! Pros will enjoy working the scene. There are many aspects to this small pond that can be explored and found by walking around it.
Arriving from Route 93 in the east you will get off at the exit that would take you to the Kancamagus Highway. BUT! I want you to turn away from the “Kanc” and head west to Woodstock. Remember when checking your GPS… This is NOT Vermont! So make sure which Woodstock you get directions for.
The GPS coordinates are 44.04439, -71.79251 (copy these to a browser). You will be on Route 112 (west) and you will travel through the town of Woodstock NH, you will pass through the town and continue on Lost River Road (LLR) towards Kinsman Notch. Don’t worry, you are still on Route 112 but if you made a right by accident enjoy the town, turn around and go back and get on LRR. From Woodstock, you will travel 3.9 miles so enjoy the views.
If you get to 5.0 miles then you may have enjoyed the views too much and need to turn around.
Arriving at the Beaver Pond
You will see several tantalizing spots on the right. There is even a Lost River Campground. Further along, you will see the Lost River Gorge and that should signal that you are getting close. You may also see on your maps that this is below Kinsman Notch and one of the westernmost of the White Mountain major notches. (Franconia Notch, Crawford Notch, and Pinkham Notch are some of the Eastern White Mountain Notches. The Appalachian Trail passes down the west side of the pond and continues its way to the peak of Kinsman Mountain South peak. (4000’+)
Vantage points
You should walk around the different sides of the pond. Each has a different feel to it. Also, they aren’t too difficult to traverse but have good shoe support, and maybe a mono-pod to steady yourself since along the road it is sloping down to the pond. There is a runoff down the hill where you can see the stream winding through the stands of birch trees. If you are lucky you can look over a couple of hills which is Kinsman south peak, and much of the west flank may be all in red like the one day I was there.
Here are some different views you can try by moving your feet around to the different sides. These images are available in my new gallery that has free shipping to addresses in the US and Canada.
Our trip stops here for today but you can continue up 112 towards Vermont or catch Route 116 up to Sugar Hill and Polly’s Pancakes on Route 117… More on Polly’s here!
Jeff Foliage Folger
Autumn is a state of mind more than a time of year – Jeff Foliage
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