The North Fork of the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River is a 6.9 miles (11.1 km) river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 located 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...

. It is a tributary

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 of the East Branch

East Branch Pemigewasset River

The East Branch of the Pemigewasset River is a river located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Pemigewasset River, part of the Merrimack River watershed....

 of the Pemigewasset River

Pemigewasset River

The Pemigewasset River , known locally as "The Pemi", is a river in the state of New Hampshire, the United States. It is in length and drains approximately...

, part of the Merrimack River

Merrimack River

The Merrimack River is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Massachusetts, and then flows northeast until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Newburyport...

 watershed

Drainage basin

A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...

.

The North Fork begins at the outlet of Ethan Pond in the southeastern corner of Bethlehem, New Hampshire

Bethlehem, New Hampshire

Bethlehem is a hillside town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,526 at the 2010 census. It is home to Cushman and Strawberry Hill state forests. The eastern half of the town is within the White Mountain National Forest...

 and just north of the northeastern corner of the Pemigewasset Wilderness

Pemigewasset Wilderness

The Pemigewasset Wilderness is a federally-designated Wilderness Area in the heart of New Hampshire's White Mountains. It is a part of the White Mountain National Forest....

 in the heart of the White Mountains. The river flows west and enters the town limits of Lincoln

Lincoln, New Hampshire

Lincoln is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. It is the second-largest town by area in New Hampshire. The population was 1,662 at the 2010 census. The town is home to the New Hampshire Highland Games and to a portion of Franconia Notch State Park. Set in the White Mountains,...

, the second-largest town by area in New Hampshire. Passing under the Appalachian Trail

Appalachian Trail

The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...

 (and entering the Pemigewasset Wilderness), the North Fork drops over Thoreau Falls and encounters Whitewall Brook flowing south out of Zealand Notch

Zealand Notch

Zealand Notch is a mountain pass located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, United States. It is located in the towns of Bethlehem and Lincoln, near the northeastern corner of the Pemigewasset Wilderness. The center of the notch is traversed by hiking trails and is located approximately 2...

. Turning southwest, the North Fork flows through a deep valley with Mount Bond

Mount Bond

Mount Bond is a mountain located in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The mountain is named after Professor George P. Bond of Harvard University, and is the southernmost extension of the Twin Range of the White Mountains. Mount Bond is flanked to the north by Mount Guyot.Mount Bond...

 to the west, and joins the East Branch of the Pemigewasset in a broad valley directly north of Mount Hancock

Mount Hancock (New Hampshire)

Mount Hancock is a mountain located in Grafton County, New Hampshire, named after John Hancock , one of the Founding Fathers of the United States....

.

The North Fork is paralleled by the Appalachian Trail from Ethan Pond to Thoreau Falls, and by the Thoreau Falls Trail from there to the East Branch of the Pemigewasset.