Lower Purgatory Falls

Located off Purgatory Road in Lyndeborough, New Hampshire is the trailhead to Purgatory Falls. The parking lot is small. Since COVID police have become very strict about people not parking on the side of the road, if the parking lot is full you will have to come back another time or access the trail from another location. I have only hiked this trail once or twice. I have tried to hike this several times and the parking lot is always full.

If you are able to get a parking spot, the trail starts in the back of the parking lot and is fairly easy to follow.

You hike about a third of a mile and you come to Lower Purgatory Falls. I have heard some people swim here, but I’m not sure I would. I do not know much about the quality of the water. It is still pretty to sit on the rocks and enjoys the falls.

You can hike up to Middle and Upper Purgatory Falls. It is a little over two and half miles. I did not have time to do the whole hike. I saw on All Trails that there was a loop trail a little bit above the falls that looped back to the parking lot.

It was very pretty above the falls, following the stream.

The trail was not well marked and because there is so much traffic on this trail there were little side trails everywhere. After consulting All Trails and walking back and forth I found the trail. It was sometimes marked with yellow blazers and part of the trail was a four wheeler trail. Along the right side of the trail were no trespassing signs. I had difficulty making my way back to the trailhead and ended up using my compass and bushwhacking to connect back with the trail I started on. There was little to no cell phone service. The loop ended up being 1.5 miles. I would not recommend doing this loop if you are not comfortable navigating in the woods as the trail is not easy to follow.

The short walk to the falls is worth it. I have not done the Middle and Upper Falls in many years, but when I did do it I enjoyed it.