Raymond Cataract

Sargents Purchase , Coos County, NH , USA

No Known Alternate Names

A telephoto of the falls from the Wildcat Ski Area Parking lot.

Raymond Cataract is a lesser known waterfall that slides down the cliff about halfway between Tuckerman's Ravine and Huntington Ravine. Although it is visible from the parking lot of Wildcat Mountain Ski Area, the view is quite distant. USGS topo maps show a height of about 120 meters for the steepest part of the formation. The pitch is steep both above and below the 4 tiered falls, and from top to bottom, the streamlet that forms Raymond Cataract loses 2400 feet from the highest point of the streamlet to its confluence with the Cutler River, and 3500 feet by the time it reaches the floor of Pinkham Notch. Raymond Cataract is the steepest part of this descent, and I expect the rest of the distance is made up of a nearly endless series of tumbles and cascades. The falls would certainly merit a higher rating if close access were available without a strenuous off trail romp.

You'll want a lot of telephoto. I shot this with 900mm of telephoto. At a distance of approximately 2.5 miles, you'll want a clear day, otherwise, the falls are going to be in the clouds.

Take Route 16 north from Route 302 into Pinkham Notch and pull into the parking lot at the Wildcat Mountain Ski Area. The falls are visible about halfway between Tuckermans Ravine and Huntington Ravine.

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