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 3^rd side is opposite where the road leads up to the pond (nice of Mother Nature to leave a road for us…)

The 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. So this makes your job easy, showing up is half the battle. As you can see from the images in the article, they all look good, no matter what weather I was given.

If you are like me you are never quite happy and you keep coming back to see if you can catch it, just a bit better.

When are the BEST dates to shoot for?

The normal near-peak-to-peak dates for this area can range from 27 Sept in an early year to 5 Oct in an average year, but you “will” find color there through the 10th. But in most years if you show up between the 1st to 5th of Oct you should have a good showing of color. On 1 October 2012, I arrived 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 way 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 just 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 travel through the town of Woodstock NH. You will pass through the town and continue on Lost River Road, toward 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 Lost River Road. From Woodstock, you will travel 3.9 miles so enjoy the views.

If you get to about the 5-mile mark… 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

It would help if you took the time to walk around the different sides of the pond. There is lots of long grass to go through and early in the morning is usually wet. I wear my bean boots, They are not insulated but keep my feet dry. Combine that with a shell jacket/pants and you have a good outer layer to help stay warm and dry. Check this link in my Amazon Store to see some of my recommendations, NO, they don’t have Bean Boots)

Each location around the pond provides a different view. Also, they aren’t too difficult to traverse but you SHOULD have good shoe support, and maybe a trekking pole to steady yourself since along the road it slopes 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.

Gallery of Images

Below are a few images that I have collected over the years and you can also visit my online Art Gallery to view more of Kinsman Notch at the Beaver Pond. 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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