What was the Old Man of the Mountain?

A granite rock profile shaped like a face

A narrow gorge with granite walls

A round pothole carved by water

Franconia Notch Quiz: Old Man of the Mountain and Flume Gorge

This Franconia Notch quiz climbs through the narrow pass where New Hampshire's famous stone face once watched over travelers. Play an interactive set of 10 questions on the Old Man of the Mountain, its 2003 collapse, the state quarter, Flume Gorge, Aunt Jess Guernsey, the Cannon Mountain aerial tramway, Echo Lake, the Basin pothole and Hawthorne's Great Stone Face.

Start Franconia Notch Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

State
Which state is Franconia Notch in?
Face
What was the Old Man of the Mountain?
Fall
When did the Old Man of the Mountain collapse?
Coin
Which coin featured the Old Man in 2000?
Flume
What is the Flume?
Finder
Who is said to have discovered the Flume in 1808?
Tram
What opened on Cannon Mountain in 1938?
Lake
Which lake sits at the north end of the notch?
Basin
What is the Basin?
Story
Which author wrote The Great Stone Face, inspired by the Old Man?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which state is Franconia Notch in?
Answer: New Hampshire
It lies in the White Mountains.
Q2: What was the Old Man of the Mountain?
Answer: A granite rock profile shaped like a face
Ledges on Cannon Cliff formed it.
Q3: When did the Old Man of the Mountain collapse?
Answer: 2003
It fell in May of that year.
Q4: Which coin featured the Old Man in 2000?
Answer: New Hampshire's state quarter
It was part of the 50 State Quarters program.
Q5: What is the Flume?
Answer: A narrow gorge with granite walls
Boardwalks lead through it.
Q6: Who is said to have discovered the Flume in 1808?
Answer: Aunt Jess Guernsey
She was 93 at the time.
Q7: What opened on Cannon Mountain in 1938?
Answer: North America's first passenger aerial tramway
It has since been replaced.
Q8: Which lake sits at the north end of the notch?
Answer: Echo Lake
Swimmers enjoy its beach.
Q9: What is the Basin?
Answer: A round pothole carved by water
Swirling stones wore it smooth.
Q10: Which author wrote The Great Stone Face, inspired by the Old Man?
Answer: Nathaniel Hawthorne
It was published in 1850.

The Old Man, the Flume and Cannon Mountain

Franconia Notch is a narrow mountain pass in New Hampshire's White Mountains, protected as a state park. For centuries, ledges on Cannon Cliff formed the Old Man of the Mountain, a granite profile that looked like a stern face. It became the state's emblem and appeared on New Hampshire's quarter in 2000.

In May 2003 the Old Man collapsed, a loss mourned across the state. A memorial at Profile Lake now uses steel profilers that recreate the face from the right angle. Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1850 story The Great Stone Face was inspired by it.

The Flume, a granite gorge said to have been found in 1808 by 93-year-old Aunt Jess Guernsey, is explored on boardwalks. The Basin is a smooth pothole carved by swirling water, and Echo Lake offers a beach. In 1938 Cannon Mountain opened North America's first passenger aerial tramway.

What This Quiz Teaches

Mountain fans will enjoy these questions.

Where the notch is
What the Old Man was
When it fell
Which sights remain
What firsts happened there

Did You Know?

Interstate 93 narrows to a parkway through the notch.
The Appalachian Trail crosses the area.
Moose are often seen near the road.
Cannon Mountain is a popular ski area.
The New England Ski Museum stands near the tram.