Bridal Veil Falls
This page combines photos from two seasons to both show contrast and to encourage visits to this beautiful spot any time during the year. As an example, the first photo below was taken October 16th, somewhat past the peak of the foliage season in this area. The second photo was taken February 3rd, from roughly the same spot. You can easily identify some features that are the same in both photos.
In the fall, wet slippery leaves prevented us from reaching the level of the bottom of the main falls shown above. In the winter, we walked right up to it. In the non-frozen seasons, water comes down from almost directly above the person’s head in the photo below. It splashes down a bit behind him. How then did all that yellow ice form. And where did the blue ice come from?
A friend, who is much more expert than I am in these subjects, believes that the brownish-yellow ice at Bridal Veil falls is due to dissolved humic materials from the soils drained above the falls, and the blue ice may be due to the lack of humic materials and due to light passing through the thick ice from behind. Ice absorbs the red wavelengths and allows the blues to pass through.
Parking for this hike is just off NH 116 on Coppermine Road in Franconia. There were 7 of us hiking together in February, including the 5 you can see by the first two cars. Behind the far car are a pair of young men who were planning to do some backcountry skiing above the falls. Heading up the road, which is the start of the Coppermine Trail, are two young women from Lancaster, NH.
The trail soon leaves the road and enters a pretty forest.
Approximately 20 minutes into the hike, one encounters the first and only sign for the falls, and it is misspelled.
The hike to the falls is a gentle uphill climb of a bit over 1100 ft elevation gain and 2.5 miles one way. In winter it can be done, depending on conditions, on skis, snowshoes, microspikes, or bare boots.
After about a mile, the Coppermine River is reached, although in winter it might be under ice and snow.
A footbridge over the Coppermine Brook is 0.2 miles from the Bridal Veil Falls.
About half way between the bridge and falls is a lean-to shelter. Then the falls present themselves.
In the winter the ice can be spectacular. I had a tripod with me thinking I might use it for photographing moving water, but little water was moving.
The view looking down from the base of the falls is quite pleasant in winter.
The area near the shelter was beautiful in winter.
During the October visit I got this photo of a tiny waterfall near the shelter. I had a tripod but set the camera on a rock just above the water for this photo.
I found the area around the shelter photographically interesting. I quickly took quite a few photos while Bruce patiently waited in the shelter and his dog, Caro, explored the area.
Here are some more photos from our visit in the fall.
And here are more photos from our winter visit.
Bridal Veil Falls is a special place reached by a fairly easy 5+ mile round trip. I plan to go back one spring, hopefully soon.