Mount Lincoln and Mount Lafayette via Falling Waters Trail
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Mount Lincoln and Mount Lafayette Hike Overview
Mount Lincoln (5,089’) and Mount Lafayette (5,260’) are among the tallest mountains in New Hampshire ranking at #6 and #7. Mount Lincoln and Mount Lafayette are usually hiked together as a loop, and the hike is considered one of the most beautiful in New Hampshire. The views along the ridge are breathtaking!
Trail Details
Trail: Falling Waters Trail > Franconia Ridge > Old Bridle Path
Length: 8.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 3,800 feet
My Trail Time: 5 hours hiking; 6 hours total
Hike Overview
Although you can hike the trail in either direction, I prefer hiking it counterclockwise, ascending to Mount Liberty first. I like hiking the Falling Waters Trail on fresh legs since it is steep and wet, with a few river crossings.
Although this is one of the most popular hikes in New Hampshire, it is a strenuous hike, gaining almost 4,000 feet of elevation. The weather is also unpredictable on Franconia Ridge, making it crucial to research the summit weather before hiking.
It is also one of the most popular hikes in New Hampshire, and parking is limited. On weekends, the Old Bridle Path parking lot can be full by 8:00 AM or earlier. If the parking lot is full, parking is available at Peabody Big Lot at Cannon Mountain, and a shuttle will take you to the trailhead for a small fee.
Mount Lincoln and Mount Lafayette Hike via Falling Waters Trail Guide
June 18, 2020
**Always remember to leave no trace. It is crucial to pack out what you pack in and throw away your trash properly.
I hiked Mount Lincoln and Mount Lafayette with my wonderful sister Gina on a beautiful June morning. I was saving this hike for a weekday because it can be very overcrowded, so I was excited that the weather was cooperating for the Thursday I had off. We arrived at the Old Bridle Path trailhead at 8:00 AM and had plenty of parking available, which was a relief! We were both excited about the hike because the weather was looking fantastic with clear skies and 60° summit temps. Gina hiked Mount Lafayette a few years ago on a cloudy and cold day, so she did not get to experience the beautiful views Franconia Ridge has to offer.
The hike to Mount Lincoln and Mount Lafayette started on Old Bridle Path for 0.2 miles. The trail then split to hike to either summit. If we continued left onto Old Bridle Path, we would have arrived at Mount Lafayette after 4 miles. We chose to turn right onto Falling Waters Trail to hike to Mount Lincoln. The first mile of Falling Waters Trail was easy and brought us past a beautiful waterfall. The trail then became very steep. After another 0.5 miles, we came across another beautiful waterfall that made for a great place to take a break. A lot of people only hike this trail to the waterfalls, so I recommend hiking Falling Waters Trail first to enjoy the waterfalls when it is more peaceful.
After enjoying the last waterfall, it was time to continue climbing up Falling Waters Trail. The next 1.5 miles were relentless! It was a constant climb with minimal flat sections. We kept our heads down and continued to climb until it felt like our legs were going to fall off. Falling Waters Trail had a rock staircase, which helped with the elevation gain. After what felt like an eternity, we finally reached Little Haystack Mountain! Although it is over 4,000 feet, it is not on the 4,000 Footers List because it stands less than 200 feet above Franconia Ridge.
The views from Little Haystack Mountain were beautiful! We took a quick water break then continued the 0.7 miles on Franconia Ridge to Mount Lincoln. Franconia Ridge offered some of the most beautiful views I have seen in New Hampshire. Gina kept saying how the views felt surreal, and I had to agree. I finally understood why this was one of the most popular hikes in New Hampshire.
The hike to Mount Lincoln on Franconia Ridge was primarily level with a few sections of elevation gain until you reached the last push to the summit. After what felt like only a few minutes, we arrived on Mount Lincoln’s summit at 11:00 AM and shared the summit with two other hikers. We took a half-hour break to enjoy the views and eat snacks. Mount Lincoln’s views were my favorite of the day! Because it was a cloudless day, we could see all of the White Mountains. It was well-worth the relentless climb.
After we enjoyed a snack and the views, we began the 0.9-mile hike on Franconia Ridge to Mount Lafayette. The views on this portion of Franconia Ridge helped us forget that our legs were tired, and before we knew it, we were at the final push to Mount Lafayette’s summit. The final push was brutal on our legs, but it was quick because we kept our heads down and kept moving. Just before we summited Mount Lafayette, I noticed I wasn’t getting any water from my hydration reservoir. When I checked my pack, everything was soaked, and I had no water left in my reservoir. The hose wasn’t staying attached to the bladder, so it dumped all of my water out… Yeah, great timing as we still had 4.5 miles left of the hike.
We arrived at Mt. Lafayette’s summit at noon, and it was PACKED. We shared the summit with at least 40 people and 1,000,000 bugs. There were a few bugs along Franconia Ridge, but nothing that compared to the amount that were on Mt. Lafayette’s summit. As soon as we stepped onto the summit, they swarmed us. We moved around on the summit for 15 minutes hoping to find a spot with fewer bugs but did not succeed. We ate our lunch quickly and then began our descent on Greenleaf Trail.
The descent was relentlessly steep. It felt like it took us forever to hike 1 mile down Greenleaf Trail to Greenleaf Hut. Once we arrived at Greenleaf Hut, we took another 15-minute break as I was looking for water. Some huts have a place to refill water outside, but unfortunately, Greenleaf Hut did not. It looked like Gina and I would be sharing half a liter of water for the remainder of the hike.
We began our descent on Old Bridle Path after our short break, and that was where the heat started to kick in. Most of Old Bridle Path was exposed to the sun with minimal shade, so it became hot quickly as we were descending. The heat coupled with the steep descent and not having a lot of water made for a miserable hike. The last 3 miles on Old Bridle Path seemed to take an eternity.
I read that a lot of people prefer to hike up Old Bridle Path because it is the more difficult trail, and when we were descending, I understood why. We kept moving, and after over an hour of hiking, we were finally at the Falling Waters Trail junction! We pretty much ran down the last 0.2 miles to the car because we needed water and AC.
The hike to Mount Lincoln and Mount Lafayette was tough! I think if my hydration reservoir did not break, and we had plenty of water, the descent wouldn’t have been as miserable. I still recommend hiking counterclockwise up Falling Waters Trail and down Old Bridle Path, so you can experience the beautiful waterfalls before they are swarmed with people.
Have you hiked Mount Lincoln and Mount Lafayette? How was your experience on the trail?
Hey, I’m Nichole!
I am the creator behind Nichole the Nomad, the home of my explorations around the world, mountain hikes, and beautiful pictures taken along the way. I have a deep passion for capturing the world in a beautiful light and sharing my experiences.
I created this blog to share my travels, show how beautiful the world is, provide tips and tricks for traveling, and encourage you to explore. Whether you want to travel across the world or explore what’s in your backyard, I hope this blog inspires you to get outside and find your adventure!