The White Mountains in New Hampshire offer up arguably the best hiking on the east coast with its 48 4,000 footers. Known for Mount Washington and the insane number of rocks along any given trail, this area will challenge you.
A big bucket list hike for many is the Presidential Traverse and part of the preparation for this hike is to take on the Franconia Ridge Trail. It is said that if you can hike the Franconia Ridge Trail, you can do the Presidential Traverse.
I may have done this in the wrong order but hey, here we are.
Starting point
If you are looking to get an early start staying close to the trail is always a good idea. Directly across the street from the trailhead for the “Falling Waters Trail,” where you will start the Franconia Ridge Trail loop, is the Lafayette Place Campground.
The campground is open until October 10th and does not allow pets. They have options of pop-up/tent sites, platform sites, standard sites and tent only sites. Rates are around $25 a night plus taxes.
If for some reason you need to cancel your stay, they will refund you only $10 of that fee, so keep that in mind.
The other option (and has become a bit of a tradition for me) is staying in the town of Gorham, NH. This is a cute mountain town with a few really good restaurants (I always eat at Road Hawg BBQ Swine Dining) and cheap, clean, no frills places to stay (as low as $68 a night for some places).
If you decide to stay at Lafayette Place Campground, in the morning you can park your car in the lot just outside the campground. It has a tunnel that runs under the highway to the trailhead. The other option, of course, is to park in the large trailhead parking lot. It really just depends on your preference and the direction you are arriving from.
Also, there are porta-potties on site at the main parking lot of the trailhead.
Trail information
The best route to take (in my opinion and others I have read) is to go up the Falling Waters Trail and come down the Bridle Path trail.
The total trail length is 8.5 miles from start to finish.
The Falling Waters Trail is beautiful. There are photo opportunities around each corner and multiple waterfalls along the way.
Some areas of the trail are rather flat and make for nice walking but as you start to really ascend towards your first peak, Little Haystack Mountain, the trail becomes mostly boulders that require some serious leg muscle.
Eventually you reach the alpine zone and your first peak. Little Haystack is around 4,700 feet tall but for whatever reason doesn’t count as one of the White Mountains 48 4,000 footers. I don’t know how they decide which mountains get to be a part of that elite group but for whatever reason this one didn’t make the cut.
Once you arrive at Little Haystack Mountain you will follow the Franconia Ridge Trail to the two mountains that are part of that elite 48, Mount Lincoln and Mount Lafayette, both of which are over 5,000 feet.
It is said that this is the most scenic trail in the entirety of the White Mountains. The trail is beautiful, unfortunately the day that I hiked the trail it was also socked into clouds and there were zero views.
But even without the magnificent views, the trail itself is truly stunning. The entire way is well marked with cairns and blazes, but in the clouds you need to pay close attention because it can be easy to get off trail.
Once you have reached Mount Lafayette you will begin you descent down the Greenleaf trail to the Greenleaf Hut, one of AMC’s mountain huts, where you can spend the night for around $128 a night. This includes dinner and breakfast. Having stayed in the Lake of the Clouds hut before I can tell you it’s a great way to spend a night.
If you are not into spending the night but are doing this as a day hike (totally doable) then you can stop for a bathroom break, some water and the purchase of some snacks and other drinks, like juices and coffee.
From there you will follow the Bridle Path Trail the remainder of the way back to your car. I personally didn’t find this as nice of a trail as the Falling Waters trail. Maybe it was because at that point my legs were beginning to shake, and I was getting tired or maybe because it just wasn’t as pretty.
There is one fantastic viewpoint along the descent that allows you to see where you just came from. This trail is pretty popular with the less experienced hikers who are just looking to hike to the hut and back, so expect to see more people on this trail.
The hike down is mostly boulders with very little flat trail for a reprieve. Honestly, the reason why I say to go in this direction is when you are starting the hike you are fresh and excited and want to take the time to really enjoy the falling waters trail.
With the bridle path trail being less scenic and you being more tired this part of the trail gives you the chance to just put your head down and slog your way to the bottom.
This entire trek can be done in a day. It took me around 6 ½ hours, with many stops for photos and a few stops on the top to have a snack and some water.
What to bring
Whenever I see people hiking in places like this with no water and not even a daypack I have to cringe. These trails are no joke and someone without experience could get hurt or stuck so having the right gear with you is important.
The main items you should have include:
- At least 2 liters of water (I brought my camelback with me and an extra water bottle and both were gone by the time I reached the bottom)
- A day pack for an extra layer or rain jacket (the White Mountains have unpredictable and sometimes wild weather patterns)
- Snacks (this is a tough hike make sure to stay fueled for the entire trek)
- Hiking poles (this is a given for me, it keeps my hands from swelling and saves my knees from the jarring hike down on the boulders)
- Trail runners or hiking boots (this is not a trail you can hike in your sandals, so don’t even try it)
- Small first aid kit (I always have this, just in case)
- Head lamp (again, just in case or if you decide to start the trip really early and the sun hasn’t yet risen)
- Map (I always have a hardcopy map with me. You cannot get a signal on your phone everywhere in the White Mountains, so don’t take a chance thinking you can just rely on your cellphone to get you out of trouble here)
Best time to hike the Franconia Ridge Trail loop
Though you can hike this trail any time of the year, for the best weather and clearest skies plan for late May through September.
I always pick a little later in the season to try and avoid some of the crowds but always check the weather multiple times before heading out. Like I said the White Mountains have a weather pattern all their own and should not be taken lightly.
Concluding Thoughts
Though my day did not provide any views, it did provide a stunning and challenging hike that kept some of the crowds away. It gave me the time and space I needed in nature to recenter and push my limits.
As I hiked that trail I was once again reminded of what I am capable of. Just when you think you aren’t going to be able to go any further you realize that you can, and that realization sticks with you. It makes you think about all the other things you thought you wouldn’t be able to do and how they just might be possible.
