Old Man of the Valley, Shelburne – The Old Man of the Valley rock profile is a neat little tourist attraction that can be found on the side of Route 2 in Shelburne, New Hampshire, near the Maine border. From the roadside parking lot, the rock profile can easily be reached by walking down the trail a few hundred feet. Just look for the large boulder that is resting on another boulder.

When you reach the boulders, you will have to position yourself in order to see the actual profile. The above image will help give you an idea of where to stand to view the profile. From the right viewpoint, it does look like that of an old man.

The Old Man of the Valley profile does not take the place of the Old Man of the Mountain profile in Franconia Notch State Park, but it is worth checking out if you are traveling Route 2 in Shelburne, New Hampshire.

If you are visiting the Old Man of the Valley with the intent to photograph him, I recommend going on an overcast day. On a cloudy day, the clouds act as a natural diffuser and produce even light across the forest and rock profile. Meaning there will be no hot spots (areas of distracting burnt out highlights) in your image.

Happy image making..

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Erin Paul Donovan

Owner of ScenicNH Photography LLC

Erin Paul is a professional photographer, writer, and author who specializes in environmental conservation and historic preservation photography mainly in the New Hampshire White Mountains. His work is published worldwide, and publication credits include: Appalachian Mountain Club, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Backpacker Magazine, and The Wilderness Society.