Diana’s Baths Waterfalls – North Conway NH
Diana’s Baths are a must see any time of the year when you are in the North Conway area and want to experience nature at its finest. Located in Bartlett, just minutes from North Conway Village, Diana’s baths lie along Lucy Brook in Bartlett which is fed from Big Attitash Mountain. During the summer the baths are a great place for children and grown-ups alike to enjoy the tranquility of nature, and explore the many rocks, ledges, cascading falls and pools in the brook.
The cascading falls measure approximately 75 feet in total height. The hike to Diana’s Baths is a fairly easy 6/10ths of a mile on a relatively flat, wide gravel path. Being part of the US National Forest System, there is a large parking lot at the entrance to the hiking path and a self service pay station which requires visitors to purchase and display a daily pass on the dashboard of your vehicle. This daily pass (currently $5.00 per day) may be used at other national Forest sites as well. Dogs are allowed along the trails, but owners must clean-up after their pets. While in the area, be sure to visit Cathedral Ledge, Whitehorse Ledge, and Echo Lake State Park which are all located within a few miles of Diana’s Baths.
For more Diana’s Baths Photos visit our North Conway Photos page.
Covid-19 Dianas Baths Update
Please be patient, as an extra-ordinary number of visitors are trying to enjoy our outdoor activities and sights this year especially with Covid-19. The photo below was take recently (August 2020) shows a line of cars trying to park in the lot at Dianas Baths. It is best to avoid peak hours and go in the morning or later in the day to avoid lines. Please be courteous and do not leave any food or trash behind on the trails!
A Note of Caution:
The water levels and intensity of the water flowing in the brook can vary greatly depending on the season and rainfall. The following video of Diana’s Baths was shot in late April when the water levels are at their peak flows, giving visitors a spectacular show of the waterfalls and cascades the brook has to offer. In the summer the flow is greatly reduced making it much safer to for visitors to walk along the rocks and wade in the pools.
Video of Diana’s Baths Waterfalls – Bartlett NH
A Little History of the Site
In the 1860’s, after building a house and barn on the banks of the brook, George Lucy built a water wheel powered sawmill. In the 1890’s George built a 12 room boarding house for tourists to visit the site. In the 1930’s Chester Lucy built a concrete dam with a water feed and turbine system to replace the water wheel used to power the sawmill. Both the rooming house and sawmill were eventually sold to the US Government and have become part of the national Forrest land. Due to the deterioration, the buildings were eventually removed from the site in the 1960’s. Remnants of the site can still be seen today including the old cellar holes and parts of the dam system, feed tube and turbine gears used to power the sawmill.
Directions
The parking lot access for Diana’s Baths is located on West Side Road, North Conway NH 03860. From Conway Village, head north on Route 16/302 (White Mountain Hwy) past the Eastern Slope Inn. At the next set of lights turn left onto River Rd. Stay straight on River road for approximately 1 mile when the road changes to West Side Road. Continue straight on West Side road for approximately 1.5 miles (you will go past the sign for the road leading to Cathedral Ledge) and you will see the sign for Diana’s Baths parking lot on the left hand side of the road. PLEASE NOTE: This is a very popular scenic attraction, especially in the summer and fall! The parking lot fills up fast. The good news is that there usually is a number of people coming and going from the parking lot. With a little patience, it may take a few minutes to get a spot if the lot is full.
