Franconia Notch Hike
 

We will be at Franconia Notch on October 4 and 5. We are trying to decide between Flume Gorge and Artists Bluff hikes. Is Flume Gorge much more crowded -or does the reservation system keep the crowds under control? Is it worth the money, and being tied down to a specific time?

These can hardly be called a 'hike', especially Flume where you just walk around on boardwalks. There is no reason a decently fit human can't do both in a few hours. I personally would not pay for Flume given there are tons of free and better stuff to do in the surrounding area.

I get that neither is much of a hike. We are in our 60s- decently fit, but not up for something strenuous. Also, we only have about 3 hours to explore this area, given our other plans- so we need to choose one "hike'. While we might be up for a slightly longer hike I really am not finding much in the 3- 4 mile range. Do you have any suggestions?

Should you choose the Flume, the visitors center is interesting and free if you aren’t hiking.
But, the Flume and any popular trails, free or not, are going to be very busy that weekend and I would avoid. But I'm not a fan of the White Mountains despite living in NH especially during foliage season.