A Leaf Peeping Day Trip To Dixville Notch
When people think about fall in New England, I feel like they automatically think of either Vermont, or the White Mountains in New Hampshire. However past the White Mountains in what is called the Great North Woods, lies Dixville Notch.
Dixville Notch is a 4 hour drive from Boston- double the typical 2 hours to the Lincoln, New Hampshire area. It also happens to be a mere 20 miles from the Canadian border with Quebec. This past weekend my friend and I headed up to this northern gem and hiked to Table Rock.
Table Rock Trail is a 1.5 mile (3 mile RT) trail that leads to a stunning view of Dixville Notch. To the left you get a bird’s eye view of the Balsams Resort, and to the right is Route 26 running between the mountains. The trail has a few steeper points but generally speaking it is not strenuous. Click here to view more images from Table Rock, and to see the Table Rock! Leaf peeping season is just about at its peak, so if you can’t make the trek out to Dixville Notch in time this year, put it on your list for next year!
The Balsams Resort is not currently operating, but it was once a place to enjoy all four seasons that the Great North Woods has to offer. In fact, I went once as a kid during the winter! A quick blurb of the Balsams, from Wikipedia. Yes, WIKIPEDIA.
Located along the old Coös Trail (now Route 26) through Dixville Notch, it first opened just after the Civil War as the Dix House, a 25-room summer inn established by George Parsons. In 1895, it was purchased by Henry S. Hale, a Philadelphia inventor and industrialist[1] who had been a regular guest. He renamed it "The Balsams", and over time enlarged and augmented the facilities. In 1918, Hale completed the Hampshire House, the towering wing which doubled the resort's capacity to 400 guests.[2]
The Ballot Room of The Balsams is where Dixville Notch's presidential primary votes are cast just after midnighton the day of the New Hampshire primaries since the 1960s. These votes cast by Dixville Notch residents are among the first to be cast, counted, and reported nationally.
The Balsams closed to the public after being purchased by new owners for $2.3 million in December 2011, and remains closed as of February 2020 as its owners continue to seek financing for their redevelopment and expansion efforts.
