Right off North Conway's busy strip. You turn onto a quiet side road and suddenly confront a massive wall of granite rising 700 feet into the sky. This is Cathedral Ledge. It hovers right over a cool, spring-fed basin where kids splash in the shallows.

So, why go Most people come here to sweat on the steep trails and then immediately plunge into the cold water. You can hike up to the 700-foot Cathedral Ledge summit. The sheer drop-off will make your stomach drop. But the panoramic view of the Saco River Valley is worth the sweaty climb. You can also drive up. Down below, the sandy beach offers the perfect spot to nurse a sunburn while watching rock climbers tackle the sheer cliffs. It is simple, cheap, and gorgeous.

People used to clear-cut these slopes. During the late nineteenth century, timber barons eyed the massive white pine and hemlock stands surrounding the water, while quarrymen chipped away at the granite cliffs. It was loud, dirty work. Local residents, disgusted by the environmental wreckage, decided to act. They pooled their cash in 1901 to buy the towering Cathedral Ledge, saving it from the axe. They bought White Horse Ledge next. By 1943, the entire parcel belonged to the public.

Then came the Great Depression. During the 1930s, young men from the Civilian Conservation Corps arrived with shovels and dynamite to carve out the auto road leading up to the 700-foot summit of the main cliff. You can still drive that winding, narrow road today. Look closely at the rock. Iron bolts still grip the stone. These rusty relics show where early climbers scaled the sheer face with little more than clothesline and grit. They had no modern safety gear. Now, families swim in the shadow of those giant cliffs.