The Underrated Natural Wonder Every New Hampshirite Should See At Least Once

With so much nature to enjoy in New Hampshire, it's easy to feel overwhelmed when choosing your next adventure. As a result, you might see the same things over and over again. Alternatively, you might find yourself overlooking the spots that you constantly hear others talking about. Worrying about too many other visitors or limiting yourself only to "hidden gems" means you might end up missing out on some truly beautiful places. Today, we're talking about a place that some consider the best natural wonder in New Hampshire and it's worth a trip!

Given how many people visit, it might be tempting to skip Lost River Gorge, chalking it up to a tourist attraction only. But the reality here is beautiful and intriguing, making for a wonderful day exploring New Hampshire's nature.

You'll find it nestled in the White Mountains, in Kinsman Notch.

The natural landscape at Lost River started more than 300 million years ago when the Ice Age carried mile-thick glaciers all over the area.

These glaciers lifted rocks, depositing them and forming the notches and mountains that you see in the area today. Later, when the ice melted, waters carried loose rock and debris away, which eroded much of the rock, creating the Lost River Gorge.

Thanks, Mother Nature!

Visiting the area can be relaxing and simple or it can be challenging and adventurous. You choose!

To keep things simple, you can stick to the beautiful near-mile boardwalk leading you through the gorge.

Start your trip on the boardwalk trail and go down about 300 feet for full immersion. Here, you can stay on the boardwalk to simply enjoy the sights and sounds of the continually evolving natural wonder.

This is where you'll find the first viewing area, allowing you to enjoy some of the most awe-inspiring views of the gorge.

You can continue on the boardwalk to keep things easy, or choose to veer off to explore the boulder caves!

The caves, with names such as "The Sun Altar" and "Thor's Cauldron" offer an opportunity to see exactly what the power of water can do to huge glacial rocks.

Each of the caves offers an exciting feature and the best includes a waterfall! Some of these are a tight squeeze, so it's best to avoid if you might be afraid of enclosed places.

In addition to the gorge trail and the boulder caves, you can also find adventure with the 750-foot forest boardwalk trail near the base of the Dilly Cliffs. Here you'll cross a covered bridge venturing deeper deep into the woods for a completely different experience.

There are also viewing points that allow visitors to see sweeping views of the surrounding White Mountains.

Whether you're interested in simply enjoying the views or actually want to get off-the-beaten path to find adventure, Lost River is a natural wonder that shouldn't be skipped.

The Lost River Gorge and Boulder Caves are located at 1712 Lost River Rd., Route 112 West, Woodstock, New Hampshire. In 2018, they'll be open through Sunday, October 21st. Hours from September to October are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with ticket sales from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Adult tickets are $21, kids aged 4-12 are $17 and kids under 4 are free. Learn more on their website or visit them on Facebook.

For more incredible natural wonders in New Hampshire, check out this article. From the obvious to the little-known, these spots will make you feel even luckier to be here!