The Mad River rises in New Hampshire in the
col between West Royce and East Royce mountains, at an elevation of 2,500 feet (760 m) above
sea level. The river quickly drops to the south down the slopes of Royce Mountain, entering Maine and dropping over Mad River Falls, a 70-foot-tall (21 m) cascade.[2] The river joins the Cold River in the floor of
Evans Notch, a narrow
pass through the White Mountains.