Officials consider changes after ‘crazy tourists’ overcrowd NH trail

Trip

“Someone came down crying because they were so scared by the huge amount of people at the top.”

There’s an ugly side to one of New Hampshire’s most scenic trails this fall, local hikers say.

The popular Artist’s Bluff Trail in Franconia Notch State Park was overcrowded with “crazy tourists” last weekend, hiker Tamara Breau wrote on a New Hampshire Facebook page. The short, scenic hike with stunning views has been called “the Instagram capital of the world.” The parking lot’s 1,500 spaces were full Saturday and Sunday for most of the day, officials said.

“People pushed, got off the trail, climbed and left trash,” Breau wrote. “Someone came down crying because they were so scared by the huge amount of people at the top.”

Breau called the experience “dangerous” and criticized park officials for their lack of supervision. The story was reported by NBC10 Boston, The Boston Globe, The New York Post Officeand The Daily Mail.

New Hampshire and Cannon Mountain State Parks released a joint statement on the incident, saying NH Division of Parks and Recreation staff expected an increase in visitation and “were prepared with the Hiker Interaction Team by providing parking arrangements and traffic control, interacting with visitors, and operating a shuttle service to other areas of the park,” according to the release.

“Most of the crowding and congestion has been isolated to a few locations within the park, and the Division of Parks and Recreation will be reviewing existing management strategies, including expanded parking, transportation services, pre-arrival communications and collaborative management with our partners to be sure we can accommodate everyone who wishes to visit,” officials wrote.

Shuva Paul, 35, of Dover, NH, climbed Artist’s Bluff on October 5 to avoid the holiday weekend crowds and called the activity “risky,” telling the Globe: “When I went to the overlook, I felt like there was no space where I could stay there.

About 40 percent of October’s 60,000 paid visitors to Franconia Notch State Park used the advanced reservation system for attractions like the Aerial Tramway and Flume Gorge, an 11 percent increase from last year, officials noted in the release. However, the Artist’s Bluff Trail and other trailhead parking areas are free and not part of the reservation system.

“This is generally not a problem outside of a few high visitation days in the fall,” the release says.

Jace Wirth, general manager of Franconia Notch State Park and Cannon Mountain, told the Globe that the state park is considering charging a parking fee or selling timed-entry tickets in an effort to control crowds.

About 3.7 million people are expected to visit New Hampshire this fall, according to the Division of Travel and Tourism.

Kristi Palma

Culture writer

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Kristi Palma is a culture writer for Boston.com, focusing on New England travel. She covers airlines, hotels and activities in Boston and New England. She is the author of Scenic Six, a weekly travel newsletter.

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