Lost River is a boulder-choked gorge in Kinsman Notch, 12 min west of the lodge, where a stream disappears under a jumble of glacially-dropped granite and reappears downstream — hence the name. The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests has owned it since 1912 and runs it as a self-guided walk: about a mile of boardwalks, stairs and ladders through the gorge, with eleven boulder caves along the way that you can crawl into or bypass entirely.
It is the attraction we send people to when the summits are in cloud. The gorge is shaded and cool, the caves are fun, and it takes about an hour and a half at an exploring pace. It is also a good number of stairs, and the tight caves suit some visitors more than others. This guide tells you which ones to skip.
What you do
The route is one way through the gorge on a built boardwalk, descending on stairs into the boulder field, following the stream under and around the rocks, and climbing back out — roughly a thousand stairs round trip, they say, and it feels like it. Along the way, side passages lead into the named caves: the Lemon Squeezer, the Dungeon, the Judgment Hall of Pluto and the rest. Every cave has a bypass, so you choose your squeeze level cave by cave.
The Lemon Squeezer is the famous one — a slot you shimmy through on your side — and there is a wooden test frame at the entrance: if you fit through the frame, you fit through the cave. Take that literally. Beyond the gorge, a boardwalk nature trail, an ecology exhibit and a bird garden fill out the property, plus a gift shop and café.
2026 hours, prices, season
The 2026 season runs May 8 through October. Online advance tickets are $24 (May, June, September) and $25 (July, August, October) for ages 4 and up; walk-up on-site is $28 and $29, subject to availability; ages 1 to 3 are free. Booking online saves money and guarantees entry on the days it sells through.
Hours shift by period: in July and August, admissions run 9 am to 4 pm with the property closing at 5:30; May, June and September run 9 to 3:30, and in May and September the gorge is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. October hours are on their site. Check the day before — the shoulder-season closures catch people.
Who it's for
Fit adults who like a scramble will love it. Kids adore it — this is one of the family headliners of the valley, and the lodge, being adults-only, mostly sends couples who want the caves without the crowd, which means midweek and the first hour of the day. Anyone with knee trouble, real claustrophobia, or a stroller should know it is stairs and ladders throughout and the caves are optional but the stairs are not.
The boardwalk itself is not wheelchair accessible; the visitor center, exhibits and nature trail portions are the accessible part. Dogs are not permitted in the gorge.
What to wear, when to go
Closed shoes with grip — the rock is wet, the ladders are wood, and the caves involve hands and knees. Clothes you do not mind scuffing. A light layer, because the gorge stays cool even in August. Leave the big backpack in the car; it will not fit through the squeezes and you will end up carrying it around every cave.
Rain is a genuine recommendation, not a consolation — the gorge is beautiful wet, the stream runs loud, and the crowds evaporate. Weekend middays in July and foliage season are the busy hours; the first admission slot walks the boardwalk nearly alone.
Around it
Lost River sits on Route 112 in Kinsman Notch, the road that continues west over the pass to the Connecticut River — the Beaver Brook Cascades trailhead is minutes further along, and our Beaver Brook guide covers that steep, gorgeous walk, best saved for dry rock. Coming back east, North Woodstock's Main Street and the Woodstock Inn brewery are 5 min down the hill.
Pair it with a Lincoln morning — the gorge, then lunch in North Woodstock, then a notch afternoon — for a full day that never involves a highway.
Where to stay for it
Lost River is about 12 min from the lodge — through North Woodstock and up Route 112 into Kinsman Notch. It is our standard rainy-day answer and a fine dry-day morning; book the first slot online, be in the gorge by nine, and lunch in North Woodstock on the way back.
Sources & official info: lostrivergorge.com · lostrivergorge.com · forestsociety.org
— Launchpoint Lodge, From the lodge
