Little Niagara and the Foss Family Cemetery

Tucked away in the woods of Strafford New Hampshire, a half mile hike beyond where a dead-end dirt road meets the forest, is an impressive little waterfall that looks like something more likely to be found two hours north in our White Mountains.

We visited Little Niagara while on the hunt for abandoned cemeteries, and having heard there was one in these woods we made this stop on a cold day in January. Our only objective was to scout the area and figure out the parking situation so we could return during warmer weather and make the hike, but once there it was hard not to at least get out and take a peek. It was much too chilly for Madison so she waited in the Jeep, then Tina felt guilty and decided to wait with her, so promising not to be more than 5-10 minutes I scooted down the trail alone. A half hour later I returned with enough cool pictures for Tina to plan a return trip just a few weeks later.

This trail is more than just a means for hiking out to Little Niagara, there's history in these woods. Before we'd even made it a hundred feet Tina spotted an old foundation beyond the rock wall that parallels the trail. For anyone who attempts the hike someday, locate the stone I have circled and you'll find an old Italian coin I placed underneath.

Continue another ten minutes and you'll find the cemetery that originally brought us to these woods, the Foss family cemetery. Like an excited child going to the park Tina ran the last dozen steps to check out the gravestones.

We spent a few minutes poking around and trying to read them, but once Tina determined there weren't any spirits to be awoken we hit the trail and hiked the remaining distance to Little Niagara. Although impressive from the top, the really good view is to cross over and see it from the bottom. Only trick is that to cross over you'll have to maneuver this gap that once held an actual bridge, but now requires you to tight-rope across these logs.

And although we're planning a return trip in the spring where we can enjoy the area more leisurely, I'm thinking this is probably the best time of year to visit, when the snow is melting and the water rushing. For size perspective, here is Tina standing at the top of the falls. I know I kinda cheated by using the smallest person in our group to make the falls look even bigger, but they'd be impressive no matter who was standing there.

Little Niagara was the perfect hike for a winter afternoon when we needed to clear some cabin fever, get the young one off the computer for a few hours, and really make us start counting the days until spring.

Coordinates:
Parking: 43.3317, -71.15007
Cemetery: 43.32989, -71.15437
Little Niagara: 43.32602, -71.15717