Shell Cascade, Waterville Valley – Located on Hardy Brook, a tributary of the Mad River, in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire is a small, but unique, cascade known as Shell Cascade. Because of its location, this cascade isn’t visited much. It is not in a remote area by any means, but no official trail leads to it, and during times of high water it can be difficult to reach Hardy Brook. And for these reasons, its considered to be a forgotten waterfall.
Visitors to Waterville Valley and the White Mountains region have been visiting Shell Cascade since the 1800s. And reference to Shell Cascade can be found in the 1892 book “The Waterville Valley: A History, Description, and Guide” By Arthur Lewis Goodrich, and on A.L Goodrich’s 1904 map of Waterville Valley.
Like other water features in the White Mountains region, Hardy Brook seems to have gone through a name change. In the early guide books and maps of Waterville Valley, Hardy Brook is spelled "Hardy’s Brook". Today, the apostrophe has been dropped, and this brook is just "Hardy Brook". These name variations may not interest many, but they have peaked my interest.
Just below Shell Cascade, on Hardy Brook, is an abandoned camp, possibly from the logging era. Nature has reclaimed the site to the point where creating an image that showcases the site isn’t possible, but there is still enough evidence to prove a dwelling was there. To date, I have found one reference that mentions a logging camp on Hardy Brook, and I wonder if this is the camp. Can you imagine waking up to this (above) every day?
All of the above images can be licensed for publications by clicking on the image you are interested in. And you can view more images of Shell Cascade here.
Happy image making..
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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. He has written two photo history books about the White Mountains: the East Branch & Lincoln Railroad (2018) and Franconia Notch (2024).
ScenicNH Photography LLC
Specializing in environmental conservation and historic preservation photography mainly in the White Mountains region of New Hampshire, Erin Paul’s photography and writing focuses on the history of the White Mountains, and telling the story of abandoned places and forgotten historical sites.