Arethusa Falls
Encyclopedia
Arethusa Falls is a waterfall
in the White Mountains
of New Hampshire
in the United States
. The waterfall occurs when the headwaters of Bemis Brook tumble over a granite
cliff on the western slope of Crawford Notch
. They are sometimes erroneously referred to as the tallest waterfalls in New Hampshire
, but they are in fact the second tallest, after the Mahoosuc Range's Dryad Falls, which are only seasonal.
Arethusa Falls was discovered by Edward Tuckerman
in 1875. It was named after the nymph
Arethusa
, daughter of Nereus
. At the time, the falls were measured to be 176 feet (53.6 m) tall, but the Appalachian Mountain Club
now estimates the height at 140 feet (42.7 m).
The falls are located within Crawford Notch State Park
and are accessible by means of the 1.5 miles (2.4 km) Arethusa Falls Trail from U.S. Route 302
.
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
in the White Mountains
White Mountains (New Hampshire)
The White Mountains are a mountain range covering about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. Part of the Appalachian Mountains, they are considered the most rugged mountains in New England...
of New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The waterfall occurs when the headwaters of Bemis Brook tumble over a granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
cliff on the western slope of Crawford Notch
Crawford Notch
Crawford Notch is the steep and narrow gorge of the Saco River in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, located almost entirely within the town of Hart's Location...
. They are sometimes erroneously referred to as the tallest waterfalls in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, but they are in fact the second tallest, after the Mahoosuc Range's Dryad Falls, which are only seasonal.
Arethusa Falls was discovered by Edward Tuckerman
Edward Tuckerman
Edward Tuckerman was an American botanist and professor who made significant contributions to the study of lichens and other alpine plants. He was a founding member of the Natural History Society of Boston and most of his career was spent at Amherst College...
in 1875. It was named after the nymph
Nymph
A nymph in Greek mythology is a female minor nature deity typically associated with a particular location or landform. Different from gods, nymphs are generally regarded as divine spirits who animate nature, and are usually depicted as beautiful, young nubile maidens who love to dance and sing;...
Arethusa
Arethusa (mythology)
For other uses, see ArethusaArethusa means "the waterer". In Greek mythology, she was a nymph and daughter of Nereus , and later became a fountain on the island of Ortygia in Syracuse, Sicily....
, daughter of Nereus
Nereus
In Greek mythology, Nereus was the eldest son of Pontus and Gaia , a Titan who with Doris fathered the Nereids, with whom Nereus lived in the Aegean Sea. In the Iliad the Old Man of the Sea is the father of Nereids, though Nereus is not directly named...
. At the time, the falls were measured to be 176 feet (53.6 m) tall, but the Appalachian Mountain Club
Appalachian Mountain Club
The Appalachian Mountain Club is one of the United States' oldest outdoor groups. Created in 1876 to explore and preserve the White Mountains in New Hampshire, it has expanded throughout the northeastern U.S., with 12 chapters stretching from Maine to Washington, D.C...
now estimates the height at 140 feet (42.7 m).
The falls are located within Crawford Notch State Park
Crawford Notch State Park
Crawford Notch State Park is located on U.S. Highway 302, in northern New Hampshire, between Bretton Woods and Bartlett. The park occupies the center of Crawford Notch, a major pass through the White Mountains.-External links:*...
and are accessible by means of the 1.5 miles (2.4 km) Arethusa Falls Trail from U.S. Route 302
U.S. Route 302
U.S. Route 302 is a spur of U.S. Route 2. It currently runs 171 miles north from Portland, Maine, at U.S. Route 1, to Montpelier, Vermont, at US 2...
.