Exploring New Hampshire, Vermont, and the USS Enterprise!

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We had not vacationed in New Hampshire since 1997, so when Stuart finished a month-long backpacking trip in southern New Hampshire, Julie joined him for an August 17-23, 2025, vacation in New Hampshire, Vermont, and on the USS Enterprise. We put this blog post together to share some of what we explored during this trip.

 

We want to note that this vacation was after two long backpacking trips that Stuart had already completed this year, and our Colorado vacation! See our last blog post for details about Stuart's month-long thru-hike of the Allegheny Trail in May 2025, and our Colorado trip in June 2025. Here are some photos from Stuart's month-long Appalachian Trail backpacking trip, where he finished the final few miles in Massachusetts before hiking all of the Vermont section, and 50+ miles into the New Hampshire section.

 

In 2021, we wrote a similar travel blog post about traveling in New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts after Stuart's backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail from northern Pennsylvania through central Massachusetts. FYI, Stuart's 2023 Appalachian Trail backpacking trip in Massachusetts was featured on the University Hospitals website in February 2024 for American Heart Month.

We are sharing our photos and trip observations with you here to encourage you to explore the places we visited:

 

 

Sunday, August 17, 2025 - Franconia Notch

Franconia Notch (elev. 1,950 feet/590 m) is a major mountain pass through the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Dominated by Cannon Mountain to the west and Mount Lafayette to the east, it lies principally within Franconia Notch State Park and is traversed by the Franconia Notch Parkway (Interstate 93 and U.S. Route 3). The parkway required a special act of Congress to sidestep design standards for the Interstate highway system[1] because it is only one lane in each direction.[2]

Franconia Notch State Park is located in the heart of the White Mountain National Forest. Franconia Notch is a spectacular mountain pass traversed by a unique parkway which extends from the Flume Gorge at the south to Echo Lake at the north. For eight miles, I-93 winds between the high peaks of the Kinsman and Franconia mountain ranges.

Franconia Notch was the home of the famous Old Man of the Mountain, the same "Great Stone Face" immortalized by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Daniel Webster. While you are here, stop at the Flume Gorge Visitor Center and walk through the renowned Flume Gorge, ride the exciting aerial tramway at Cannon Mountain, and visit the New England Ski Museum. Take your time, stop for a swim at Echo Lake, net a trout while fly fishing at Profile Lake, ride your bike on the Recreational Trail, watch for rock climbers, hawks, and falcons on Cannon Cliffs, or hike on the Appalachian Trail. Bring the family, stay awhile, and enjoy Franconia Notch State Park.

On the first full day of our vacation, we had a great day exploring the following locations in Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire:

• Flume Gorge - This beautiful hike was the perfect way to start our vacation! There is so much to see there!

  Stuart remembered that we had visited Flume Gorge in 1997. The Flume Gorge reminded Stuart of the Catwalk National Recreation Trail, which we visited after his 2022 backpacking trip on a section of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail in New Mexico.

  The Flume is a natural gorge extending 800 feet at the base of Mount Liberty. The walls of Conway granite rise to a height of 70 to 90 feet and are 12 to 20 feet apart. The Flume Trail is a 2-mile loop . . . The walk includes uphill walking and lots of stairs. The boardwalk allows you to look closely at the growth of flowers, ferns and mosses found here.

  Exploring Flume Gorge: Live Free Outdoors
  NH State Parks
  . . . Jun 8, 2018
  Explore one of New Hampshire's most spectacular natural wonders: the Flume Gorge in Franconia Notch State Park.

• Old Man of the Mountain Memorial Plaza - In 1997, we showed our sons the profile of the "Old Man." We are so glad that we were able to share it with them before it collapsed on May 3, 2003. Today, There is a nice plaza with seven special "steel 'profilers' that recreate the visage of the Old Man looking over Franconia Notch."

  Back in 1805, surveyors working around Profile Lake on the first road that ran through Franconia Notch State Park noticed a man’s profile on the edge of Cannon Cliff. As word spread of the natural profile of an old man, the area started becoming a summer destination . . . As the Old Man watched tourists come and go, he became more and more famous.

  The Day the Old Man Fell
  NH State Parks
  . . . May 3, 2016

  The Profile, or Old Man of the Mountain, was one of the best-known natural rock formations in the country. The jagged outline of the Old Man's profile could be viewed by travelers on the road through the notch or from the shore of Profile Lake.
  
  On May 3, 2003, the Old Man of the Mountain collapsed sometime during the night hours. A new non-profit organization, the Old Man of the Mountain Legacy Fund, stepped forward to create a privately-funded monument to the beloved state symbol.
  
  Today, visitors can follow a scenic pathway to Profile Lake and the new Old Man of the Mountain Profiler Plaza. Sculptors Ron Magers and Shelly Bradbury created a series of steel profiler rods which point toward the cliff where the Old Man once stood. When a visitor sights along the edge of one of the rods, the Old Man's profile comes into view.

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  New England Ski Museum - Julie's father was an avid skier and ski instructor, so it was fun for us to learn about the history of skiing at the New England Ski Museum. Julie's dad was amazing -- he became a ski instructor at the age of 80! In the museum, we saw the same type of skis that Julie's dad used.

  The New England Ski Museum has a rich history rooted in preserving and showcasing the history of skiing and the 10th Mountain Division. . . . The Museum’s mission is to collect, preserve, and exhibit elements of ski history for research, education, and inspiration.

  About New England Ski Museum
  . . . Aug 17, 2010

In the evening, at the Twin Barns Brewing North Taproom, Stuart recognized three Appalachian Trail thru hikers that he had met on the trail, and offered to buy them a drink. If you want to learn more about the life of a 2025 thru hiker, you can see Tiana's A.T. Thru-Hiking Adventure website and follow Tiana Ditzler (Giggs) TianaOnTheTrail on Instagram. As it was his first day off the trail, it was great for Stuart to be able to "talk trail" with some of the backpackers currently experiencing their thru-hike adventure in 2025. Stuart met so many fun adventurers during his month on the Appalachian Trail in Vermont and southern New Hampshire!

Here are the photos from our travels in Franconia Notch:

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Monday, August 18, 2025 - Pinkham Notch

Pinkham Notch (elevation 2032 ft. / 619 m) is a mountain pass in the White Mountains of north-central New Hampshire, United States. . . . Due to the volatility of the area's climate and rugged character of the terrain, a number of rare or endemic ecosystems have developed throughout the notch.
. . .
The bulk of the western slope of the notch is formed by Mount Washington, the highest peak in the northeast United States, reaching 6,288 feet (1,917 m) above sea level.[2] Mount Washington rises more than 4,000 feet (1,200 m) above the floor of the notch.
. . .
Below 2500 ft. — Northern hardwood forest
. . .
2500 ft. to 4000 ft. — Spruce/fir forest
. . .
4000 ft. to timberline — Balsam fir forest
. . . Eventually, conditions become extreme enough to prevent any tree growth; the elevation at which this occurs is known as tree line, and usually occurs at around 4,500 ft (1,400 m) in the White Mountains, depending on wind exposure.[20]
Above timberline — The alpine zone
. . .
. . . In 1851, a railroad was built to Gorham, and a hotel, the Glen House, was constructed to accommodate passengers.[29] Mount Washington was the main attraction in the area; a bridle path was constructed from the Glen House to hotels on the summit, which was later improved into what would become the Mount Washington Auto Road. Completion of the road in 1861 led to a massive increase in tourism.[30]

What a great day! Julie Smith and I spent most of our day on Mount Washington after taking the Mt. Washington Auto Road to the mountain top from Pinkham Notch. We listened to the Mt. Washington Auto Road app Audio Tour as we took our journey to the highest peak in the Northeast. We had no problem with our van driving up the mountain, but on the way down, our brakes did generate some smoke from overheating.

 

New Hampshire features more miles above treeline than any other [Appalachian] Trail state. This provides exposed ridges with amazing views when the sun is shining, as well as the worst weather in the world when storms hit. . . . The difficult terrain paired with the dangers posed by being above treeline in bad weather means that hikers must be well-prepared. . . .

 

While on the mountain, we saw the "Hikers Packroom" with four backpacks hanging on the wall -- this is a special area in the Sherman Adams Visitor Center for Appalachian Trail thru-hikers and other backpackers. It is a place to charge smartphone batteries, sign a logbook, check out the hiker box ("A hiker box is a box or an area where hikers, trail angels, or others leave items for other hikers"), and have a meal/resupply before continuing on above treeline. Backpackers along the Appalachian Trail route are above treeline for over 13 miles in the Mountain Washington area, so there is no place to take shelter on the trail during bad weather except for two AMC high mountain huts and the Sherman Adams Visitor Center.

Mount Washington State Park, a 60.3-acre parcel perched on the summit of the Northeast's highest peak, is surrounded by the extensive 750,000-acre White Mountain National Forest. On a clear day, views from the 6,288-foot summit extend beyond New Hampshire as far as 130 miles to Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Maine, Quebec, and the Atlantic Ocean.

The Sherman Adams building, a modern summit building, houses The Sherman Adams Visitor Center, a cafeteria, restrooms, gift shops, the Mount Washington Observatory and its museum. The historic Tip-Top House is located adjacent to the summit building.

Mount Washington State Park: Celebrating 50 Years
NH State Parks
. . . Oct 15, 2014 50 years ago New Hampshire became owners of this Summit establishing Mt Washington State Park, the crown jewel of the White Mountains, surrounded by more than 800,000 acres of National Forest.

As guardians, the State’s mission then was to preserve and develop the unusual, scientific and recreational features of the mountain for public use and enjoyment.

Looking ahead, the mission will continue guiding the State and its public and private partners as we work together to ensure future generations will be able to come to experience, explore and enjoy this magnificent mountain for years to come.

While on Mount Washington, we learned that the clear skies that we experienced were not the norm. Our luck on picking a clear day reminded us of how fortunate we were last year when viewing Mount Denali in Alaska. (See our Day 4 photos in our 2024 blog post about how we are members of the "10% Club," since only 10% of visitors ever see the top of Denali!) If you want to see a view of the current weather on Mount Washington in New Hampshire and surrounding mountains, the Mount Washington Observatory provides views from seven live streaming webcams on their website. Our sons watched the webcam while we were on the mountain, and sent us a photo. The Mount Washington Observatory maintains a weather station on the summit of Mount Washington. As part of its mission, it performs weather and climate research year round.

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We stayed on Mount Washington until late in the day. It was strange to be in the Mount Washington State Park's Sherman Adams Visitor Center after the crowds from the Mount Washington Cog Railway and the majority of the people from the Mt. Washington Auto Road had descended the mountain. The whole day we were there, the visitor center was crowded, loud, and busy with activity, even on a Monday. The silence at the end of the day felt odd, but at the same time it was fantastic to have the mountain for just the few of us left.

After leaving Mt. Washington, we then went to the Appalachian Mountain Club’s (AMC) Pinkham Notch Visitor Center/Joe Dodge Lodge where we talked to the AMC staff to get advice about backpacking through the AMC section of the Appalachian Trail. The staff person let Stuart go behind his desk to get photos of hike planning charts (which include difficulty ratings) and planning maps. The lower level of the AMC's Pinkham Notch Visitor Center has a special room on the lower level for backpackers with a hiker box, showers, and pack area.

In the AMC's Pinkham Notch Visitor Center backpackers area, we met an Appalachian Trail section-hiker who was on the phone making arrangements to hire a shuttle driver to take him to the Gorham Motor Inn. We offered to help him save money by giving him a ride to Gorham, New Hampshire. In Gorham, we then visited places Stuart remembered from his Appalachian Trail thru-hike many years ago, including The Barn Hostel and the bridge out of town over the Androscoggin River (Mahoosuc/Appalachian Trailhead [Trestle Bridge] - - GPS: 44.40239 -71.19891 - - Appalachian/Mahoosuc Trail Access). We had a delicious pulled pork dinner at Road Hawg BBQ Swine Dining.

Photos from places we visited on our second day of travel:

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Tuesday, August 19, 2025 - Crawford Notch

Crawford Notch is a major pass through the White Mountains of New Hampshire, located in Hart's Location. Roughly half of that town is contained in Crawford Notch State Park. . . . A well-documented historic event within the notch was a rockslide that killed the entire Samuel Willey family in August 1826. The family fled their home during the storm to a prepared shelter but were buried by the slide and died in a mass of stone and rubble. Their home was untouched. Mount Willey, on the west side of the notch, is named in their memory.[5] . . . In the Carroll portion of the notch, the Appalachian Mountain Club has built and operates the Highland Center Lodge and Conference Center . . .

Crawford Notch State Park has 5,775 acres providing access to numerous hiking trails, waterfalls, fishing, wildlife viewing, and spectacular mountain views. Crawford Notch State Park is rich in history with the famous Willey House. The campground in the park is Dry River Campground and offers 36 wooded sites.

Since, on Monday, we were on the Pinkham Notch side of Mount Washington as we went up to explore the mountaintop, on Tuesday, we decided to explore the base of the other side of the mountain at Crawford Notch State Park, within the White Mountain National Forest. On this side of Mount Washington, we started our day at the Mount Washington Cog Railway base station, which has a Cog Railway Museum. The museum has very interesting displays about the history of the railway and about the mountain.

The first-in-the-world Cog Railway was the brainchild of New Hampshire businessman and inventor Sylvester Marsh, who nearly died in fierce weather while hiking to the summit. He vowed to design and build a safer method of reaching the summit for folks of all ages and abilities, and on July 3, 1869, his promise was fulfilled.

A geared “cog and rack” mechanism (not unlike the sprocket and chain on a bicycle) and a trestle-mounted track system enable the train to easily and safely negotiate the precipitous grade and rugged, rocky terrain.
. . .
. . . In clear weather, you’ll be rewarded with magnificent views of 5 states, the Atlantic Ocean, and southern Quebec. . . . You may even get to experience firsthand why Mount Washington is renowned as the Home of the World’s Worst Weather!
. . .
The adventure begins at Marshfield Base Station Inside you’ll find the Cog Railway Museum (admission is free) . . . Around the property, you’ll get a close peek at some vintage steam equipment, a one-of-a-kind piece of snow-clearing equipment (basically a retired jet engine mounted on train wheels), and Peppersass, The Cog’s original locomotive from 1866.

 

After enjoying the Cog Railway Museum, we then visited Crawford Notch State Park’s Willey House Historical Site, which is near where the Appalachian Trail goes through the park at Webster Cliff Trailhead (Gaia map at GPS: 44.17085088, -71.38770629). We saw a person walking through the notch, and we helped him by driving him to the nearest town.

The Willey House at Crawford Notch in the White Mountains of New Hampshire is associated principally with a tragedy of August 28, 1826, in which seven members of the Willey family and two other people died. Out of that event came a boost to the nascent tourism industry of the area.

The Willey Family Tragedy
By AMC Staff
. . . August of 1826, one of the most violent rainstorms ever known in the White Mountains passed through Crawford Notch. . . . After navigating around six miles of rubble, he found the Willey House, still intact and standing. However, the Willey family and their two hired men were nowhere to be found. . . . After hours of looking, the search party found the bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Willey, two of the children, and the two hired men nearby. They had been crushed in the wreckage of the slide. The three other children were never found. Though it’s not clear what happened, it’s presumed that the family had fled the Willey House to stay in the stone shelter that Samuel Willey Jr. had built after the first landslide. Whether they died in the shelter, or on their way, is a mystery. What is known is that if they’d stayed in the Willey House they likely would have survived.

We ended our day in Crawford Notch by talking to the Appalachian Mountain Club hike planning staff at the AMC Highland Center.

AMC’s Highland Center offers comfortable, friendly accommodations in one of the most accessible locations in the White Mountains. . . . Highland Center guests have free use of the L.L.Bean Gear Room, which offers boots, backpacks, outerwear, snowshoes, and more. Our on-site retail store offers books, maps, AMC apparel, gear, USFS parking passes, and last-minute items, and our friendly staff are always available to assist with weather, trail conditions, and other information. . . . The Highland Center also houses the official AMC Library and Archives, with thousands of documents, maps, photographs, and other items dating back as far as the organization’s founding in 1876.

 

Here our photos from our day in Crawford Notch, New Hampshire:

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Wednesday, August 20, 2025 - The Three Parts to this Day:
1) Reported Alien Abduction Location
2) Hiking Basin Cascade Trail and Appalachian Trail/Cascade Brook Trail
3) Julie's Fall and Trip to Hospital

 

Betty and Barney Hill Incident New Hampshire Historical Highway Marker

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Betty and Barney Hill Incident

On the night of September 19–20, 1961, Portsmouth, NH couple Betty and Barney Hill experienced a close encounter with an unidentified flying object and two hours of “lost” time while driving south on Rte 3 near Lincoln. They filed an official Air Force Project Blue Book report of a brightly-lit cigar-shaped craft the next day, but were not public with their story until it was leaked in the Boston Traveler in 1965. This was the first widely-reported UFO abduction report in the United States.

Abduction by extraterrestrials???
We started our day visiting the “Betty and Barney Hill NH Historical Highway Marker.”

 

Hiking Day

This large pothole in the Pemigewasset River, 30 feet in diameter and 15 feet deep, had its beginning some 25,000 years ago as the Ice Age came to a close. Water flowing from the melting glacier that filled Franconia Notch eroded the solid granite bedrock. During the thousands of years that followed sand and stones were whirled around by the force of the river causing a boring action that left the sidewalls smooth. The rock formation seen in the stream bed at the outlet has been known for generations as "The Old Man's Foot". The great American naturalist, Henry David Thoreau (1817-62), on his first trip to the White Mountains in September of 1839 stood here, as you do, and watched the water cascade into the granite bowl and whirlpool around its walls. He would later write in his Journal, "this pothole is perhaps the most remarkable curiosity of its kind in New England." Samuel Eastman in his 1858 White Mountain Guide called this spot "One of the beautiful haunts of Nature, a luxurious and delicious bath fit for the ablutions of a goddess." The Basin can be accessed from the northbound and southbound directions. There are picnic tables and walking paths, as well as hiking trails.

We had a great hike in Franconia Notch State Park, which is within the White Mountain National Forest. We started our hike at The Basin. Julie remembered this area from our 1997 trip as one of her favorite spots. We then used Stuart's Gaia GPS map app to find a great loop route along the blue-blazed Basin Cascade Trail, and returning on the white-blazed Appalachian Trail/Cascade Brook Trail.

We enjoyed lunch on the trail at Kinsman Falls. As soon as we started on the Cascade Brook Trail, which is also part of the Appalachian Trail, we were fortunate to meet up with a long-distance backpacker who Stuart had met back in Vermont. It was great to talk to him again.

And then we had a huge mishap on the trail . . .

 

Julie's Fall and Trip to Hospital

Julie had a terrible fall when we were on our day-hike along the Appalachian Trail. She had to walk about a half-mile while she was actively bleeding from her head injury. Fortunately, three Appalachian Trail thru-hikers came along and helped Stuart walk Julie down the trail. Our phone connection with 911 emergency was weak, but Stuart was eventually able to tell them where to have an ambulance meet us at the road ahead.

Once we reached the I-93 road overpass, the paramedics were able to climb down from the road to assist us on the trail. At first, even they found it difficult to stop the bleeding. Once the bleeding was controlled, and a neck brace was put on Julie, they transported her 22+ miles to the Emergency Department of Littleton Regional Healthcare. After a CAT scan, five stitches, IV fluids, and time to rest, Julie was ready to continue our vacation. We were so appreciative of the kindness and helpfulness of the hikers, the paramedics, and the hospital staff!

 

Wednesday, August 20, 2025 Photos

We want to share these photos to show the good time we were having right before Julie’s fall:

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Thursday, August 21, 2025 - Thank-You to Thru-Hikers and Travel Day

After Julie's terrible fall along the Appalachian Trail, we started today with a joyful time. We went to The Notch Hostel to thank the Appalachian Trail thru-hikers who helped us walk Julie down the trail. We were fortunate that they were all there, so we could personally thank them and give them an update on Julie's status. Julie was doing fine this day (just a little sore). During our vacation, we have been giving rides and offering assistance to people backpacking on the Appalachian Trail or traveling through this area. Now, the roles had been reversed, and we were thanking Appalachian Trail thru-hikers for the assistance that they had given us!

Here are the photos of the three thru-hikers who helped us, along with photos of The Notch Hostel. The other long-distance backpacker who we met on the trail (who Stuart had met back in Vermont), was also staying at the hostel, so he joined us on the hostel's porch:

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This day was a relaxing and fun travel day through New Hampshire and Vermont. We visited some of the places Stuart saw on his backpacking trip this year, and also saw places he remembered from his Appalachian Trail thru-hike many years ago:

• Mt. Cube Farm Maple Products - This maple suger house is now closed, but when Stuart was here as a thru-hiker, Gale Thomson, the wife of the former New Hampshire governor, used to run the place. Stuart has fond memories of her selling pancakes to hikers, and of her giving Stuart some extra pancakes. It is located on Governor Meldrim Thomson Scenic Highway.

• Norwich, Vermont - During his backpacking trip, Stuart had stayed at the house at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church and resupplied his food at Dan & Whit's General Store.

  St. Barnabas Episcopal Church is on the Appalachian Trail near Interstate 91 in Norwich, Vermont. Across the Connecticut River is Hanover, New Hampshire, home of Dartmouth College. We extend hospitality to hikers, tourists and travelers—and our neighbors. . . .

• Hanover, New Hampshire - We visited several locations along the route of the Appalachian Trail in Hanover, including the Co-op Food Stores—Hanover, Hanover Parks and Recreation & RWB Community Center, and Dartmouth College. The Appalachian Trail goes through the college in Hanover, New Hampshire. It is the Dartmouth Outing Club that maintains a section of the Appalachian Trail in northern Vermont and southern New Hampshire. It was fun for Stuart to show Julie the places he walked by on his hike this year.

• Kent Pond, Vermont - Stuart enjoyed hiking in the Kent Pond area this year, since he had fond memories of staying at Mountain Meadows Lodge, which is on the pond, during his thru-hike. He did not stay there this year. Across the road from Kent Pond, the Appalachian Trail goes right through the campsites of Gifford Woods State Park. We drove through the park so Julie could see the route.

  . . . close proximity to the Appalachian and Long trails, Gifford Woods State Park is a favorite of hikers. Many through-hikers pass the park on their Appalachian Trail journey from Georgia to Maine. . . .

• The Inn at Long Trail - "The Inn at Long Trail is a bed & breakfast with an on-site Irish pub located in Killington, VT. We've been serving people who love the mountains since 1938." We have visited The Inn At Long Trail several times, and loved hearing Irish music there! We always enjoy seeing this beautiful place! Stuart stayed at this cozy inn during his backpacking trip this year.

  Hiker Info Welcome Appalachian Trail and Long Trail Hikers! The Inn at Long Trail offers many services to hikers with the hope of making your journey easier. . . .
  Please note: Inn at Long Trail cannot accommodate any check-ins on Wednesdays. McGrath’s Irish Pub is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
  

  McGrath’s Irish Pub was the first to sell Guinness on draft in the state of Vermont. We continue to sell the most Guinness to this day.

We enjoyed dinner at The Inn At Long Trail in Killington, Vermont, before heading to our next destination. We had a special, fun day we have planned for the next day.

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Friday, August 22, 2025 - Star Trek: Original Series Set Tour

Star Trek: Original Series Set Tour is Located in Historic downtown Ticonderoga, New York.

When the STAR TREK television series was canceled in 1969, the original sets were dismantled and largely destroyed, only a few small items of the actual sets remain today, and those that have survived are in private collections. Trek superfan James Cawley began the process of rebuilding the sets just as they would have been seen 50 years ago when the series was being filmed, a 14 year journey has culminated in the most accurate rebuild of the original sets, and is now open and welcoming STAR TREK fans from all over the world!

Our sets are complete recreations built using the original blueprints, hundreds of hours of serious research and thousands of photographs – both period images and images culled from extensive review and capture from the original episodes. The sets will NOT and were NOT designed to move from one city to another and are fully licensed by CBS. The Star Trek: Original Series Set Tour Invites you to come see the Desilu Studio as it looked during the years between 1966-1969 while Star Trek was in production.

Longtime Star Trek fan Julie Smith took her rightful place in the captain’s chair of the USS Enterprise!! Julie has wanted to visit the Star Trek: Original Series Set Tour since she first heard about it a few years ago, so we were so glad we were able to visit! We loved the set tour, and enjoyed seeing many screen-used and replica props and costumes. It was "fascinating!"

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Saturday, August 23, 2025 - Presque Isle State Park - A Last Stop on the Way Home

Pennsylvania’s only “seashore,” Presque Isle offers its visitors a beautiful coastline and many recreational activities, including swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, bicycling, and in-line skating.

Presque Isle is a day-use park that provides year-round recreational opportunities. Overnight accommodations are available nearby.

The neck of the peninsula is attached to the mainland four miles west of downtown Erie. The park creates Presque Isle Bay, a wide and deep harbor for the city of Erie. The bay attracts many pleasure boats and worldwide freighters -- making Erie an important Great Lakes shipping port.

A National Natural Landmark, Presque Isle is a favorite spot for migrating birds. Because of the many unique habitats, Presque Isle contains a greater number of the state's endangered, threatened, and rare species than any other area of comparable size in Pennsylvania.

Whether you come to enjoy the sandy beaches, study ecological diversity, or learn about the historical significance of the peninsula, there is something for everyone at Presque Isle State Park.

Presque Isle State Park History . . . The Presque Isle Lighthouse was built in 1872 and first lit on July 12, 1873. The 57-foot tower has a redbrick dwelling and is open for tours. It flashes a white light that is still maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard. . . . During the War of 1812, Little Bay was the temporary home of the fleet of ships commanded by Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry. Six of his eleven vessels were built in Erie at the mouth of Cascade Creek. The shores and waters of Presque Isle protected the fleet during construction. . . . The Perry Monument on Crystal Point was built in 1926 to commemorate this significant battle during the War of 1812 and the valor of the sailors in Perry’s Command.

On the last day of our trip, as we drove home, we stopped to explore Presque Isle State Park, Pennsylvania. It was interesting to see that the houseboats here are literally floating houses (see our photos). We also enjoyed learning about the history of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry at the Perry Monument, and seeing the Presque Isle Lighthouse.

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Related Blog Posts

We always like to include in our blog posts a list of related posts and blog post categories that may be of interest to the readers of this blog post:

• Blog Date: September 16, 2025 - Colorado 2025: Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, and Denver

• Blog Date: February 28, 2024 - University Hospitals Guest Post: HCM Patient Returns to Hiking the Appalachian Trail
  Stuart's previous Appalachian Trail backpacking trip in Massachusetts was featured on the University Hospitals website in February 2024 for American Heart Month.

• Blog Date: August 17, 2021 - After Backpacking Adventure: Exploring Appalachian Trail Highlights & New York Water Destinations
  Similar to this year, this blog covers our travels seeing the places Stuart backpacked on the Appalachian Trail in 2021: New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.

• Blog Date: August 17, 2021 - Before Backpacking Adventure: Hershey’s Chocolate World & Knoebels Amusement Resort

• Blog Date: November 10, 2019 - From Waterfalls to Wilderness Workshops

In recent years, we have increased the number of "Travel" blog posts. See our blog posts about Niagara Falls, Mohican State Park, Alaska, Norman Rockwell Museum, Merry-Go-Round Museum, Hershey’s Chocolate World, and much more!

This blog post is our thirteenth"Travel" blog post! Watch for future blog posts about our local activities and travels.