Full Hike: Mount Lafayette Through the Franconia Ridge in New Hampshire
In New Hampshire, at the northeastern corner of the United States, the White Mountains area is a rugged playground for all seasons. Several mountain ranges lie within this area, including the most heard-of Presidential Range. Another is the Franconia Range, where Mount Lafayette is situated.
Under suitable conditions, the standout summit hike to Mount Lafayette is a counter-clockwise (lollipop) loop starting from the Lafayette Place parking lot. Travelers on this route can enjoy babbling brooks, several cascades, a spot known as Shining Rock, three peaks, a mountain hut, and a couple of lakes.
But perhaps the best features of this hike are the 360° view on top of Mount Lafayette and the mostly-exposed alpine traverse via Franconia Ridge to get to that summit. After emerging from the Falling Waters Trail and hitting the 3-way intersection with the Franconia Ridge Trail (which is also the A.T.) on the summit of Little Haystack Mountain, go left (north). For the next 1.6 miles, witness: to the east, uninhabited wilderness expanding far beyond impressive layers of mountaintops, and, west, the Franconia Notch below and prominent Cannon Cliff of Cannon Mountain above. However, beware of staying too long because the krummholz surrounding is unfit in worsening weather. If that is the case, either make use of stone shelters on the Little Haystack Mountain and Mount Lafayette summits, or, best option, descend quickly to the AMC Greenleaf Hut where hot beverages await.
Photos:
Route: Falling Waters Trail-Franconia Ridge Trail (A.T.)-Greenleaf Trail-Old Bridle Path
Type: Loop (lollipop)
Distance: 8.8 mi.
Elevation Gain: 3850 ft.
Location: Franconia, New Hampshire, USA
Date/Time: 2018-06-10 09:53
My Thoughts:
This was a popular location. Fortunately, I found parking on the other side of the freeway on both days and accessed the trailhead through the tunnel. I did not park on the trailhead side because I was heading south afterward (no exit to U-turn until some more driving). The waterfalls were as impressive as indicated. The Shining Rock detour was worthwhile. That ridge walk—from Little Haystack Mountain to over Mount Lincoln and finally Mount Lafayette—was the best.
I never encountered poor weather, but the winds were blowing. One peculiar thing was the official map showed two different lakes at Greenleaf Hut but I saw only one; the other (smaller) lake could be seasonal. Sources vary, but I would recommend to do this hike in a counter-clockwise direction, since heading down on the Greenleaf Trail affords expansive views for a length of time.
#Hiking
Franconia Notch State Park NH - Mount Lafayette 5260 Elevation - Deranged Survival
Falling waters trail, Franconia ridge trial, old bridle path. Mount Little Haystack, Mount Lincoln, Mount Lafayette.
Music By: Kevin Pelland
Hiked a total of 8.9 miles from start to finish. Amazing view points and beautiful streams. This is a popular trail so get there early.
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HIKING IN THE WHITE MOUNTAINS | Mt. Lincoln & Mt. Lafayette
When it comes to hiking in the White mountains, look no further than the popular Mt. Lincoln - Mt. Lafayette loop. Just over two hours from Boston and accessible from Interstate 93 in New Hampshire, this 8.8 mile loop has it all. Cascading waterfalls, mountain lakes, and an exposed ridge walk are just a few of the highlights that this route has to offer. Mt. Lafayette is the 6th highest mountain in New Hampshire, standing at 5,260 ft. and is also the tallest mountain located outside of the well known Presidential Range.
This loop hike also crosses over Little Haystack Mountain at 4,760 ft. (though it does not qualify for the list of 48, 4,000+ foot NH peaks) as well as Mt. Lincoln, the 7th highest mountain in New Hampshire at 5,089 ft. of elevation. Though the mileage on this hike is not unreasonably high (8.8 miles), the total elevation gain is 3,900 ft. and must be taken into consideration before attempting this loop. This is in my opinion the best day hike loop that New Hampshire has to offer, and the 360 degree views from the exposed Franconia Ridge are simply breathtaking.
Trail Route that I took in this Video:
Trailhead is located at the Lafayette Place Parking area on the Northbound side of Interstate 93 in Franconia, New Hampshire.
Old Bridle Path (0.2 miles to Falling Waters Trail)
Falling Waters Trail (3.0 miles to Franconia Ridge Trail)
Franconia Ridge Trail (0.7 miles to summit of Mt. Lincoln)
Franconia Ridge Trail (0.9 miles to summit of Mt. Lafayette)
Greenleaf Trail (1.1 miles to Greenleaf Hut)
Old Bridle Path (2.9 miles back to trailhead and parking lot)
Total loop distance = 8.8 miles
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Videos of New Hampshire 4,000+ foot peaks:
1) Kinsmans
2) Mt. Moosilauke
3) Mt. Garfield
4) Mt. Carrigain
5) Osceolas
6) Mt. Lincoln & Mt. Lafayette
7) Mt. Waumbek
8) Mt. Flume & Mt. Liberty
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Brewery that I work for:
Great North Aleworks
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Franconia Notch Traverse trail loop _ The White Mountains , New Hampshire 1080p
The Franconia Ridge Traverse is one of the most popular higher summit loops in the White Mountains. It traverses the two popular 5000 footers of Mount Lincoln and Mount Lafayette and one sub peak, Little Haystack at 4800 feet.
We took the Falling Waters trail that follows a crystal clear cascade consisting of 3.2 miles of a steep rocky trail to the summit of Little Haystack Mt. at 4800 feet.
We then followed the Franconia Ridge 1.7 miles to Mt. Lincoln and Mt. Lafayette that are both above 5000 feet. Then headed down to the AMC Greenleaf Hut for 1.1 miles and then proceeded down the Old Bridle Path for 2.9 miles to the Parking lot . It took us exactly 8 hours to traverse the 8.9 mile loop....enjoy.
Don't mind the poor editing and the shaky cam ;)
Mount Lafayette loop hike - NH 2019
Little Haystack Mtn 4760 ft (1451m), Mt Lincoln 5,089 feet (1,551 m), Mt Lafayette 5,260 ft (1,603 m) - Hike New England
Distance: The Franconia Ridge Loop is an 8.9 mile, Elevation Gain: 3,900 feet.
2019
Mount Lafayette Franconia Notch Greenleaf Trail Bridle Path NH
Mount Lafayette is a 5,249 foot (1,600 m) mountain at the northern end of the Franconia Range in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, United States.
Mount Lafayette is the highest point in the Franconia Range, a line of peaks along the east side of Franconia Notch. It is the sixth highest peak in New Hampshire and the highest outside of the Presidential Range. It is the second most prominent peak in the state.
It appears on the New England Fifty Finest list of the most topographically prominent peaks in New England. The mountain's upper reaches are located in the alpine zone, an area where only dwarf vegetation exists due to the harsh climate.
Trails :]
A variety of trails lead up over 3,000 vertical feet (900 m) to its exposed summit.
The Greenleaf Trail begins at the parking lot for the Cannon Mountain tramway and ascends to the Appalachian Mountain Club's Greenleaf Hut, then continues to the summit.
The Bridle Path trail follows a western spur ridge of Lafayette from Lafayette Place Campground on Interstate 93 past Greenleaf Hut and joins the Greenleaf Trail, reaching the summit 1.1 miles (1.8 km) after the hut.
The peak is at the junction of the Garfield Ridge Trail, which follows the ridge northeast to Mount Garfield, and the Franconia Ridge Trail, which leads south to Mounts Lincoln, Liberty, and Flume. Both the Garfield Ridge Trail and the Franconia Ridge Trail form part of the Appalachian Trail.
A very popular hike is to make a loop combining the three most notable summits of the Franconia Range. The loop starts with the Old Bridle Path to the AMC Greenleaf Hut.
From there, one takes the Greenleaf Trail to the summit of Mt. Lafayette. Turning south along the Franconia Ridge Trail, one passes over Mount Lincoln and Little Haystack, then descends via the Falling Waters Trail, which connects back with the beginning of the Old Bridle Path. This loop is 8.9 miles (14.3 km) long, with a cumulative elevation gain of about 3,900 feet (1,200 m).
Franconia Ridge Loop in the White Mountains of New Hampshire
Backpacking the White Mountains. Francia Ridge Loop, Mount Little Haystack, Mount Lincoln, Mount Lafayette, Lafayette Camping Ground, Appalachian Trail, Falling Water Trail, Green Leaf Hut, Adventure, Camping, Mountain Climbin
Cannon Mountain Aerial Tram Franconia Notch New Hampshire Skiing & Views of Mount Lafayette
Here are some scenes captured at Cannon Mountain Ski area in Franconia Notch New Hampshire. It was extremely cold on this Friday February 20th 2015. With tons of fresh snow, ski conditions were ideal. Riding the tram up the mountain is as much fun as skiing down the mountain. At the summit, there is a spectacular view of Mount Lafayette and other peaks in the White Mountain Range. You can warm up, get a drink and a bite to eat inside the lodge.
Franconia Ridge Traverse Loop
Fun trail in the white mountains and a beautiful day. It goes through mount Lincoln, Lafayette and Little Haystack. You can see the GPS route here:
Mount Lafayette franconia ridge trail loop
hiking at Mount Lafayette franconia ridge trail loop and falling waters in new Hampshire this mountain is part of the white mountains
Hike to Mt. Lafayette | White Mountains | 360 Degree
Up the Falling Waters Trail to the Franconia Ridge Trail, over Mount Lincoln and up over Mt. Lafayette on our way down to Greenleaf Hut.
See waterfalls and mountain peaks in glorious 360!
Mt. Lafayette and Franconia Ridge Trail.
Hike in Franconia Notch State Park.
Hike from Lafayette Campground to Little Haystack Mt via Falling Water Tr. Franconia Ridge to Mt. Lafayette and return via Old Bridge Path.
Mt. Lafayette 5260' White Mountains NH
Hiking up the Skookumchuck Brook Trail to the Garfield Ridge trail to Mt. Lafayette on a great day in the whites
Franconia Ridge Trail Loop (Mt Lafayette)
5 Janvier 2017,
Mt Lafayette, Mt Truman, Mt Lincoln, Mt Little Haystack
Franconia Ridge Traverse
Be sure to click Watch in High Quality before viewing video.
In August 2008 we completed the Franconia Ridger Traverse in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
On Day 1 we ascended the Falling Waters trail to Little Haystack, then north along Franconia Ridge to Mt. Lincoln (5089 ft) and then to Mt. Lafayette (5260 ft). It was a clear day with good views.
We descended about one mile down to the Greenleaf Hut for the night.
In the morning we descended the final 2.9 miles down the Old Bridal Path in rain and fog.
INSANE VIEWS ATOP THE FRANCONIA RANGE | Hiking Mt. Flume & Mt. Liberty
Hiking Mt. Flume and Mt. Liberty in the White Mountains of New Hampshire yields some of the most incredible views in all of the Northeast of the United States. These are two 4,000+ foot mountains located along the Franconia Mountain Range that are easily accessible from Interstate 93 within the well-visited Franconia Notch State Park. The most popular parking area for this hike begins at the Flume Gorge Visitor Center. The entire round trip, out and back hike is approximately 10.6 miles. This hike was filmed in late March, 2018.
Trail route that I took in this video:
Common trailhead parking is located at the Flume Gorge Visitor Center on the Northbound side of Interstate 93 (Exit 34A) in Franconia, New Hampshire.
Franconia Notch Bike Path (0.9 miles to Liberty Spring Trail)
Liberty Spring Trail (0.6 miles to Intersection with Flume Slide Trail)
Liberty Spring Trail (2 miles to Liberty Spring Tentsite)
Liberty Spring Trail (0.3 miles to Franconia Ridge Trail)
Franconia Ridge Trail (0.3 miles to summit of Mt. Liberty)
Franconia Ridge Trail (1.2 miles to summit of Mt. Flume)
RETRACE STEPS
Franconia Ridge Trail (1.2 miles to summit of Mt. Liberty)
Franconia Ridge Trail (0.3 miles to Liberty Spring Trail)
Liberty Spring Trail (2.9 miles to Franconia Notch Bike Path)
Franconia Notch Bike Path (0.9 miles back to Flume Visitor Center parking lot)
Total out-and-back distance = 10.6 miles
If you enjoyed this video, please give it a ???? and subscribe to the channel since I create new content just like this all of the time!
........................................................................
Videos of New Hampshire 4,000+ foot peaks:
1) Kinsmans
2) Mt. Moosilauke
3) Mt. Garfield
4) Mt. Carrigain
5) Osceolas
6) Mt. Lincoln & Mt. Lafayette
7) Mt. Waumbek
8) Mt. Lincoln & Mt. Flume
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Brewery that I work for:
Great North Aleworks
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Follow the adventure @GettsWild:
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Mt. Lafayette 5,249 ft - Franconia Ridge Trail - Falling Waters
In mid May, we took to the trails. This is our favorite accent to date. We took the Falling Waters Trail to summit Little Haystack 4,760 ft. We then took the Franconia Ridge trail and traversed across to Mount Lincoln 5,089 and then over to the Summit of Lafayette.
Franconia Ridge - A Classic White Mountains Adventure: Adventure Man USA- Ep. 22
Adventure Man and Adam hike one of New Hampshire's most popular, classic and challenging trails, Franconia Ridge! Come along and learn everything you need to know to do the hike yourself.
Find Adam on Instagram as amc31b
or here:
Theme song, Good For Nothing Safety, by Twin Musicom. Check them out at:
Reserve a tent site at Lafayette Place, the campground near the trail (or any State/National Park campground), by visiting:
Find out more about Lafayette Place Campground here:
From Wikipedia:
The Franconia Range is a mountain range located in the White Mountains of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It is the second-highest range of peaks (after the Presidential Range) in the White Mountains.
Franconia Ridge is a prominent ridge which forms the backbone of the range, stringing together all of its major summits.
From north to south, the highest summits of the range include:
Mount Lafayette 5,249 feet (1,600 m) *
Mount Truman 5,000 feet (1,500 m)
Mount Lincoln 5,089 feet (1,551 m) *
Little Haystack Mountain 4,780 feet (1,460 m)
Mount Liberty 4,459 feet (1,359 m) *
Mount Flume 4,328 feet (1,319 m) *
The summits marked with an asterisk (*) are included on the Appalachian Mountain Club's peak-bagging list of Four-thousand footers in New Hampshire.
The Franconia Range hosts the third largest connected area of alpine tundra in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, only surpassed by the Presidential Range and the Katahdin massif.
Approximately 2.5 miles (4.0 km) along the crest of the ridge is in the alpine zone. This area runs from the treeline just below the summit of Little Haystack all the way to the treeline north of Mount Lafayette, and affords constant 360-degree views of the White Mountains. To the east of the ridge lies the rugged and uninhabited Pemigewasset Wilderness.
While Mount Liberty and Mount Flume are almost entirely forested, their summits rise just above the treeline, providing views of the area.
The Franconia Ridge Trail, which coincides with the Appalachian Trail from Mount Lafayette to Mount Liberty, traverses the ridge over all the aforementioned mountains.
One hike on the ridge is a 8.9 miles (14.3 km) loop involving the Falling Waters Trail, the Franconia Ridge Trail, the Greenleaf Trail, and the Old Bridle Path, which includes the majority of the above-treeline portion of the ridge. Known as the Franconia Ridge Loop or Franconia Ridge Traverse, the loop is strenuous, with a cumulative gain of over 3,900 feet (1,200 m), and traverses the rocky cones of Little Haystack Mountain, Mount Lincoln, and Mount Lafayette.
The exposed nature of the ridge and the changeable weather of the White Mountains make it a more dangerous hike than it may appear. Injuries and even fatalities from falls and exposure are not uncommon. One man died after he and a companion were trapped February 11, 2008, by fast-moving winter weather.
Hiking White Mountains: Franconia Ridge Loop
Hiking the Franconia Ridge Loop in the White Mountains New Hampshire. This is the bigger loop. The trails add up to 16.9 miles but when we were done my watch said we have gone 20.75 miles. This was all in one day after spending the night trying to sleep in the car lol. August 2, 2015
The Franconia Ridge of NH
Gypsy and I picked a perfect day to spend a few miles above the trees ! An 8.9 mile loop , The falling waters trail , the Franconia Ridge trail to The Old Bridal Path . This hike takes us up and over three mountains , two of which are in NH's 48 , 4,000+ foot mountains club! First there's Little Haystack 4,780' , a beautiful peak. But due to prominence , the mountain is considered a sub peak. Then we have Mt. Lincolin , NH's 7th tallest peak at 5,089' followed by Mt. Lafayette , 5,260' , The 6th highest in the state, with one of the most incredible ridges in the state tucked between the two mountains ! The ridge is amazing, Conditions were perfect ! A great day ! Enjoy !!!!
filmed with GoPro Hero 7 Black ,
I phone 10 and a DJI Osmo mobile 2 Gimbal