Diana’s Baths is open year-round, and welcomes millions of visitors per year.
The footprints left behind cause serious impact to the natural resource. It’s no wonder why so many people want to visit this waterfall in Mt Washington Valley. Described as a series of small falls, and pools, Diana's Baths is overwhelmingly beautiful. The falls’ appeal is made even more so because of how accessible they are. One only has to hike a ½ mile on an ADA approved gravel surface to see them.
Hot Spots are determined by metrics such as heavy recreational use and human-created impacts, including excessive trash, damage to vegetation, trail erosion, disturbance to wildlife and more.
Because of the factors outlined above that make Diana's Baths so appealing, the Leave No Trace organization worked with the White Mountain National Forest to provide area visitors, land managers, volunteers and the local community with resources to reduce impacts in the outdoors and continue protecting these public lands.
If visiting Diana’s Baths is on your itinerary during your visit to Mt. Washington Valley, you can help us continue this effort in reducing the impact to these falls by following a few simple principles. For ideas on where to grab lunch, a coffee, or a cold beer after visiting Diana's Baths, click here! And for more information on planning a vacation to Mt. Washington Valley, sign up for our newsletter!
Remember to bring cash with you, as Diana's Baths requires a day fee to park. photo c/o Corey David Photography
Paid Parking. It's pretty phenomenal that many of the parks in the White Mountain National Forest have an open-door policy without fees, but there are some specific sites that require a day pass. Diana’s Baths is one of them. This payment is made through a self-serve kiosk, and a day-fee costs $5.00. Simply pull a payment envelope from the kiosk, fill out the relative information and include payment, detach the parking pass where marked, and drop the envelope in a green collection box. Hand the pass from the rearview mirror of your car.
Yearly, weekly, and daily passes can also be purchased through the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) ranger stations. The two that service the White Mountains are the Saco Ranger District, located at 33 Kancamagus Hwy, Conway, NH and Androscoggin Ranger District, located at 300 Glen Rd, Gorham, NH.
These daily use fees help maintain trail facilities (such as bathrooms), and trails. Questions regarding the White Mountains area can be directed to: (603) 536-6100.
General Parking. Be prepared with an alternate plan for the day’s adventures if Diana’s Baths parking lot is full. Parking on the road is prohibited, and you’ll face fines if you do so. Finding other parks, trails, and waterways to explore isn’t hard. Mt. Washington Valley has many ways to keep you entertained in the great outdoors. Stop by the Saco or Androscoggin Ranger Districts for insight on which parks to visit, and keep a running list of locations on a note in your phone so you can easily pull up an alternate destination if a parking lot is full.
Bathrooms. Diana’s Baths is outfitted with bathrooms - a real luxury when recreating outdoors. It’s important to respect these bathrooms and keep them as clean as possible. Hard-working staff of the forest service outfit and clean them. New this year is a mural painted by the Kennett High School Visual Arts class. The theme of their painting is Leave No Trace and coincides with the new kiosk featuring updated Leave No Trace signage in partnership with VisitNH.
Leave No Trace. Can you name all seven principles? They include planning ahead and being prepared; traveling and camping on durable surfaces; disposing of waste properly; leaving what you find; minimizing campfire impacts; respecting wildlife; and being considerate of others. Practicing them is essential to the longevity of Earth’s natural resources.
Employ them when you visit Diana’s Baths. Make sure you carry-out any waste you carry in. Diana’s Baths sees many visitors, which means you’ll be sharing the trail with others. Kindly announce yourself when you come up behind someone, be mindful of the volume of your voice, and if listening to audio on your phone wear headphones.
Diana’s Baths does not offer campsites, and building a shelter or a fire of any kind on-or-off its trail is prohibited.
Visitors are also encouraged to sign their names to the MWV Pledge. This ten-point responsibility code is a guide to recreating responsibly and respecting the valley’s natural resources to ensure they stick around for generations to come.
Protect the waterways. The cascading falls and cool, crisp pools are what make Diana’s Baths…well, Diana’s Baths! Not only are they beautiful to look at and refreshing to dip into, they’re also a vital habitat and resource to birds, fish and insects. Respecting the falls is incredibly important. Tenet ten of the MWV Pledge outlines best practices on how to do this, and includes the statements: don't throw your trash in the valley's waterways; don't dump foreign liquids out into the water; be sure to wash your boats before launching them into the valley's lakes and rivers to protect them from invasive pest species; and don't use lakes and streams as a bathroom.
Pets. Diana's Baths is a dog-friendly trail. It requires that your dog be leashed at all times, and that you clean up after your pet. Come prepared to the trail with pet waste bags. There are trash cans at the start of the trail to dispose of waste.
Hiking. Diana’s Baths is about a three quarter mile walk on the Moat Mountain Trail at its northern entrance. If you plan to continue past the falls and make your way up North Moat Mountain, make sure you’ve prepared for your trek.
Read a map to understand where you’re going and the terrain you’ll encounter. Be prepared with a range of gear as weather can change as you enter higher elevations. North Moat Mountain is a moderately difficult hike, and proper shoes and clothing is imperative.
Diana's Baths is one of many state parks in the White Mountains, and the staff at the ranger stations can help you plan a successful trip to visit them all. photo c/o Corey David Photography.
Mt. Washington Valley’s recreational opportunities feel limitless, and we’re all lucky to have access to them. Following these best practices will allow you to make the most of your experience in the presence of the falls at Diana’s Baths.
For complete trip planning resources and information, peruse the rest of this site, www.visitmwv.com or call 800-367-3364 (800-DO-SEE-NH) to talk to a Mt Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce rep. To learn more about New Hampshire vacations, go to www.VisitNH.gov.
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