This very famous cliff side area site, home of the Old Man is within a NH state park and is not in the national forest so's the state could actually put up a life size, imitation, artificial old man replica up there ...... some day.
Wouldn't it be nice to have a real deal, look-a-like Old Man up there, made out of aluminum and done up to look totally natural and original.
Maybe throw in some lighted moving and winking eye balls and an fm-radio, low power, music station .... Radio Old Man ..... for the cars driving below ..... broadcast from the Old Man above.
Like ....... woofa-loofa-toofa .... this here is the Old Man on the Mountain coming to you with 49-watts of music power as you cruise through the scenic notch parkway, down below ...... drive safe and remember to stay sober ..... it's the Old Man up here ..... over and out! .... arrrooooooo ......
.................
The federal government really did not do the local area any good when Route 93 going through Franconia Notch, there, replaced the old Route 3, two lane road that was there before the parkway got built in 1987-1988. It was better with the old road. It was a better visiting area with the old two lane Route 3. You could park in the breakdown lane under the Old Man and find a great viewing spot on the smooth grass steep side embankment, lay down on the grass and look up at the Old Man.
Now, it's the only interstate highway in the country with just one lane, going north and south, but it's not as nice a visiting spot as it was before the new highway got built albeit before the Old Man crashed down off the cliff on May 3, 2003.