Zealand Notch
Encyclopedia
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 miles from the nearest road. Zealand Pond, Zealand Falls, and the Zealand Falls hut are located near the height of land.
Similarly to Crawford Notch
to the east, the main body of Zealand Notch comprises a steep-walled, U-shaped valley
running southwards from the height of land. Whitewall Brook flows through the bottom of the notch, reaching the North Fork of the Pemigewasset River
at the south end of the notch. Water from Whitewall Brook flows via branches and the main stem of the Pemigewasset
to the Merrimack River
and ultimately the Gulf of Maine
. North of the notch's height of land, the Zealand River
flows north to the Ammonoosuc River
near the village of Twin Mountain
, with the streamflow eventually reaching the Connecticut River
and turning south again to ultimately reach Long Island Sound
.
The notch lies between Whitewall Mountain (3,405 ft./1,038 m.) to the east and Zeacliff (approx. 3,600 ft./1,097 m.), an eastern arm of Zealand Mountain, to the west. The Appalachian Trail
traverses Zealand Notch. From the west, the trail (paired with the Twinway trail) descends from Zeacliff past Zealand Falls (a long series of smooth granite ledges ending in a 50 foot drop over vertical granite) and Zealand Falls Hut to the center of the notch. Here the Twinway ends, and the Appalachian Trail turns south and follows the Ethan Pond Trail along an old railroad grade through the notch, along the side of Whitewall Mountain, exiting the south end of the notch and continuing east towards Crawford Notch. Other trails in Zealand Notch include the Zealand Trail approaching along the Zealand River from the north, the Lend-a-Hand Trail which reaches Zealand Falls Hut from Mount Hale
to the northwest, and the Zeacliff Trail, which descends from the top of Zeacliff straight down the notch wall to Whitewall Brook and the Ethan Pond Trail.
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located in the towns of Bethlehem
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 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,...
, near 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....
. The center of the notch is traversed by hiking trails and is located approximately 2 miles from the nearest road. Zealand Pond, Zealand Falls, and the Zealand Falls hut are located near the height of land.
Similarly to 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...
to the east, the main body of Zealand Notch comprises a steep-walled, U-shaped valley
U-shaped valley
A U-shaped valley also known as a glacial trough is one formed by the process of glaciation. It has a characteristic U-shape, with steep, straight sides, and a flat bottom. Glaciated valleys are formed when a glacier travels across and down a slope, carving the valley by the action of scouring...
running southwards from the height of land. Whitewall Brook flows through the bottom of the notch, reaching the North Fork of the Pemigewasset River
North Fork Pemigewasset River
The North Fork of 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 East Branch of the Pemigewasset River, part of the Merrimack River watershed....
at the south end of the notch. Water from Whitewall Brook flows via branches and the main stem of the Pemigewasset
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...
to 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...
and ultimately the Gulf of Maine
Gulf of Maine
The Gulf of Maine is a large gulf of the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of North America.It is delineated by Cape Cod at the eastern tip of Massachusetts in the southwest and Cape Sable at the southern tip of Nova Scotia in the northeast. It includes the entire coastlines of the U.S...
. North of the notch's height of land, the Zealand River
Zealand River
The Zealand River is a 6.3 mile long river in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Ammonoosuc River and part of the Connecticut River watershed....
flows north to the Ammonoosuc River
Ammonoosuc River
The Ammonoosuc River is a river, 55 mi long, in northwestern New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Connecticut River, which flows to Long Island Sound. "Ammonoosuc" is Abnaki for "small, narrow fishing place"....
near the village of Twin Mountain
Twin Mountain, New Hampshire
Twin Mountain is a village within the town of Carroll in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It is named for two prominent summits which rise to the south of the village, North Twin Mountain and South Twin Mountain ....
, with the streamflow eventually reaching the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
and turning south again to ultimately reach Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
.
The notch lies between Whitewall Mountain (3,405 ft./1,038 m.) to the east and Zeacliff (approx. 3,600 ft./1,097 m.), an eastern arm of Zealand Mountain, to the west. 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...
traverses Zealand Notch. From the west, the trail (paired with the Twinway trail) descends from Zeacliff past Zealand Falls (a long series of smooth granite ledges ending in a 50 foot drop over vertical granite) and Zealand Falls Hut to the center of the notch. Here the Twinway ends, and the Appalachian Trail turns south and follows the Ethan Pond Trail along an old railroad grade through the notch, along the side of Whitewall Mountain, exiting the south end of the notch and continuing east towards Crawford Notch. Other trails in Zealand Notch include the Zealand Trail approaching along the Zealand River from the north, the Lend-a-Hand Trail which reaches Zealand Falls Hut from Mount Hale
Mount Hale (New Hampshire)
Mount Hale is a mountain located in Grafton County, New Hampshire. The mountain is named after Reverend Edward Everett Hale , and is part of the Twin Range of the White Mountains...
to the northwest, and the Zeacliff Trail, which descends from the top of Zeacliff straight down the notch wall to Whitewall Brook and the Ethan Pond Trail.