Diana's Baths, located in Bartlett New Hampshire, is a popular swimming hole for the locals and a beautiful spot to take a quick hike for waterfalls and cascades.
After grabbing a bite to eat in town we decided to use the last of our daylight to visit one more quick hike. Diana's Baths is a short walk at just over 1 mile but due to its popularity and ease of access we had to fight to find parking. The trail was very busy and the falls were packed with families.
The hike is super easy, mostly flat and well shaded. The quiet stillness in the air and the friendly chipmunks make this seem like an enchanted forest. There are numerous spots to rest along the way but you really won't need them. Once you cross the bride over the stream you'll know you've arrived.
I cannot over sell how awesome this place is, there are just so many little falls and places to explore. At the very start is an information board explaining the history of this spot as a mill. While there is a small bit of machinery and drainage left, mostly what you'll find is old walls and ruins.
During the warmer months the locals make use of the many many pools to swim. While I enjoy my photographs, they really do no justice to the scale of this place. Watching the video at the top of this post is the best way to get an idea for how large a place this is. There are several spots to safely cross to the other side to access various falls so do not be tempted to jump the more dangerous areas!
The girls slipped a few times but were luckily wearing water proof shoes. This is a theme that was repeated throughout our white mountains trip! I recommend wearing something with grip as the entire place gets slippery when wet... and it had just rained...
We made it all the way to the top where it becomes a stream again and I have to say that if I was a local I would be swimming there. The quiet and tranquil pool was a stark contrast to the noise below and I could really picture myself relaxing here! Overall I would say Diana's Baths has to be a half mile long filed of falls/cascades over the rock. Combine that with the mile hike to get here and I would estimate we spent just over an hour total. An easy spot to fit in a busy schedule like ours, or a full day swim in the summer!
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