Discovered in 1808 by 93 year old Aunt Jessie, a spectacular natural gorge and a series of cascades and waterfalls make up the heart of Franconia Notch State Park. Hidden among the forests of the White Mountains, many travelers zip on by the state park over a rare section of Interstate 93 known as a Super-Two highway. This rugged section of New Hampshire is a sightseer's delight.
   Franconia Notch State Park, located among the Kinsman and Franconia mountains, is home to the famous Flume Gorge. The gorge is a narrow crease in the earth that varies from 12 to 20 feet wide and 70 to 90 feet deep. Formed during the Jurassic Period, molten lava forced its way up between a fracture in the Conway granite. In geological terms this formation is known as a dike. The softer dike intrusion was later eroded away, leaving behind narrow flume. For each new tourist season, from May through October, park personnel re-install the flume walkway that makes up part of a two mile trail loop. Here in the gorge, visitors marvel at the shear walls of granite and how the tenacious, yet delicate mosses, ferns and wildflowers grip the gorge walls.
   Exceeding state park expectations, the park features a 19th century covered bridge, the powerful Avalanche Falls (inset), Profile and Echo lakes, Cascade Brook, the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway, and a web of hiking trails that access the park's natural wonders.

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