Franconia Ridge Loop | Mount Lafayette | Top Hike in the Eastern United States | New Hampshire
Note: See the Trail Dashboard at the end that gives detailed information about the Franconia Ridge Loop, including how it scored on four difficulty components.
Nestled in the Northern Appalachian Mountains of New Hampshire are the beautiful and rugged White Mountains, home to the Franconia Notch State Park and our famed Franconia Ridge Loop. This hike takes you from the ample yet often filled trailhead parking, up a strenuous 4-mile, 3,500 foot climb, past elegant waterfalls, and eventually to the rugged alpine tundra. Once there, you will encounter up-and-down exposed hiking as you traverse the famed knife ridge between three peaks: Little Haystack, Mount Lincoln, and Mount Lafayette. This rite of passage for adventure-seekers combines steep, rocky terrain entwined with a cascading brook and breath-taking panoramic views. Once experienced, there will be no question as to why this escapade is listed among National Geographic’s list of the 20 “World’s Best Hikes” as well as a top rated trails in the Eastern U.S. on both HikingProject and AllTrails hiking apps. But on this trek, the rewards are not simply provided; they must be earned. This classic route may take all of your energy - but it will give back many-fold in return.
CONTENTS
00:00 Intro Teaser
01:02 Map & Overview
02:32 Start of Hike
03:02 Falling Waters Trail
06:13 Rocky Ascent
08:00 The Alpine Zone
08:30 Little Haystack
10:49 Mount Lincoln
12:45 Mount Lafayette
15:15 Down to the Hut
16:23 Final Descent
17:02 Trail Dashboard
17:32 Back at Trailhead
Trail Dashboard
While the waterfalls and panoramic views of the ridgeline provide a 9 Astonishing for scenery, this comes with a price. The terrain is challenging and rocky. The drop-offs and wicked weather lead to tense anxiety. The 4,000 feet of elevation gain and peak 27% grade is treacherous. And the 9-mile distance is quite long. Any way you slice it, the difficulty is a 10 Grueling.
Пікірлер: 16
Just did this, kicked my ass, but i had it coming. Awesome!
@criscale3667
9 ай бұрын
LMAO! That is the most exhausting hike we’ve done! Glad you made it. We appreciate you sharing that special moment with us!
Great video sharing! Loved watching it. Stay connected friend 😊🙋🏼♀️
Thank you for recording this hike. I did it a year ago, with my daughter. Hard going, and I was sore for a couple of weeks, but clearly one of the best hikes I've done.
@criscale3667
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for the comment. We still talk about that hike. It was an endurance hike indeed - going up AND coming down. I'm sure that was a special experience with your daughter. I am curious, though: what hikes have you done that you may consider better?
I did that hike way back in 1979 or so. I started by climbing up Lafayette and hiked south to Liberty Springs. It was excellent, but I would have to say that the Whites have many hikes that are just a spectacular or even better. Thanks for bring back a good memory. 👍
@criscale3667
Жыл бұрын
The White Mountains are too beautiful to be contained within one hike - although this one gets a lot of notoriety. We are so happy to bring back memories for you. Thanks for commenting!
Beautiful.
@criscale3667
2 жыл бұрын
No doubt! Cheers - and thanks for commenting.
Hi there 👍 thanks for sharing and indeed a great watching time. How long did you guys took to reach the submit( Lincoln) and what is the total time taken for in and out ❤. Thanks 🙏
that looks like so much fun! we just found your channel... enjoying your hiking adventures 😄
@criscale3667
2 жыл бұрын
Welcome. Thanks for joining. There is more to come!
Thank you for sharing your videos. Did you hike the loop in October?.thank you
@criscale3667
Жыл бұрын
Yes, it was October. The Alpine zone did not give the best opportunity for fall foliage, but the surrounding areas did. It was crisp and cool - but very tolerable. Thanks so much for leaving the comment and question. I hope you get a chance to visit there!
This hike is on my summer 2023 list - is it labeled well?
@criscale3667
Жыл бұрын
Not only is it well marked, bu in the summer this will be very popular - and you’ll have plenty of folks with the same destination. Not the hike for solitude, but it breathtaking - and one of our favorites of all-time. Thanks for watching.