By Liz Hoffman, SCA Interpretive Ranger
Franconia Notch State Park and the White Mountains have plenty to offer tourists. From scenic views to spectacular fall foliage, eye-catching sights encompass your journey through the mountains. Unfortunately, for Betty and Barney Hill on a cool September night in 1961, their journey turned sour.
While driving back home to Portsmouth, NH after a vacation in Niagara Falls and Montreal on U.S. Rt. 3, the couple noticed a bright light in the darkness similar to a shooting star, so Betty insisted they pull over. Using binoculars, they were able to discern that the light was what Barney described as a cigar-shaped craft with small windows and little grey people looking directly at them.
Traveling slowly through Franconia Notch in order to keep track of the craft, the Hills claim that approximately one mile south of Indian Head, the UFO descended quickly upon their vehicle. The next two hours were lost to both of the Hills’ memories. The alleged truth was revealed while the pair underwent hypnosis one year later.
Both Barney and Betty reported being abducted by the alien ship and subjected to scientific experiments. The dress Betty wore on the night of her abduction can be viewed in the University of New Hampshire’s archival collection.
Whether or not their terrifying encounter can be accurately verified, Betty and Barney Hill were the first witnesses to a fully-documented alien encounter in New England, and they were clearly shaken for the rest of their lives.
It’s something that’s always on my mind. No matter where I go or what I do. It’s the last thing I think of when I go to bed at night. And it’s the first thing I think of in the morning when I wake up. And I expect it will probably be that way for the rest of my life.”
– Betty Hill
While interviewing Franconia residents, one man showed me his goosebumps while recounting his own alien story, which occurred in Bethlehem. Bethlehem and Twin Mountain are the most popular locations for alien encounters in the White Mountains. Streams of thirty to fifty “crafts” moving at rapid speeds, bright green and red light beams, and many more supernatural encounters have occurred in this area.
If you’re interested in investigating these anomalies for yourself, check out the Notch Express, an alien-themed gas station located just beyond Exit 33 on Interstate I-93 South. The station is a monument to Betty and Barney Hill’s encounter, and newspaper articles and alien merchandise line the walls.
Perhaps the lack of cellular service in the White Mountains causes one’s imagination to go haywire, perhaps these stories have a ring of truth. There’s only one question to ask yourself now: do you believe in close encounters of the third kind?
