Falls in the River trail

Cool and Shady: Falls in the River, Cohos Trail

/ Ellen Kolb

Another trip to northern New Hampshire for me meant another walk to one of my favorite spots on the Cohos Trail, the Falls in the River. No trip to Pittsburg on a 90-degree day would be complete without it. From the parking area by the Second Connecticut Lake Dam, a half-hour southbound walk through the woods on the blazed Cohos Trail brought me to the Falls. Soon I was refreshed in every way.

A few years ago, my husband and I were among the volunteers who put the finishing touches on this segment of the CT before it was officially dedicated. Others had done the hard work. It has since become one of the CT’s most popular dayhike areas.

Rushing water over boulders in a riverbed, with shrubs growing on the shore
Falls in the River, Pittsburg NH, June. Photos by Ellen Kolb.
small wildflowers growing from a crack in a boulder
Cracks in the granite give tiny blossoms a home.
Lake surrounded by evergreen forest
A peek at Second Connecticut Lake from the parking lot by the dam. 

The trail in this area manages to feel remote even when it’s squeezed between U.S. 3 and the Connecticut River. Trees conceal the highway and muffle the sound of vehicles.

I saw no moose. I figured the hot weather would keep them from being out on the roadside at midday, but I thought for sure I’d see one in the woods. I saw only their prints in the mud.

Learn more about the Cohos Trail at cohostrail.org and the Friends of the Cohos Trail Facebook group. Links updated, 2026.