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.