Hike Mt Lafayette, Mt Lincoln and Little Haystack Mt, NH

Hike Distance: 9.9 miles

Elevation Gain: 3,822 ft

Prominence: Lafayette 3,320 ft; Lincoln 169 ft; Little Haystack < 80 ft

TrailsNH Hiking Difficulty Calculator: 275 – Strenuous

Click here for a review of prominence and its role in mountain topography

Click here to navigate to the TrailsNH website for a description of the hiking difficulty calculator

A Quote to Summarize this Hike

“Mountains have a way of dealing with overconfidence.” Hermann Buhl.

The trek to Mt Lafayette, Mt Lincoln, and Little Haystack Mt via the Franconia Ridge Trail ranks among the most popular hikes in the White Mountains. After considering various routes, we decided to tackle the loop in a clockwise direction: following the Old Bridle Path and Green Leaf Trail to reach Lafayette, then taking the Franconia Ridge Trail to summit Lincoln and Little Haystack, and finally descending to the trailhead via the Falling Water Trail.

We began our day early and hit the trail by 8:00 AM. The weather was ideal for a long hike, with cool temperatures and no wind.

Crossing over Walker Brook.

The root pattern on this tree is remarkable. It likely started its life on a nurse log that has since decomposed.

We were surprised by the lack of fall colors in the trees.

It wasn't long before we left the flat stretch of trail behind and began the rocky climb to the summit of Lafayette. People unfamiliar with the White Mountains are often surprised by the trails' rugged nature. They tend to be narrow, steep, and demand proficient scrambling skills for both climbing up and coming down.

The Appalachian Mountain Club states that the notion of New England trails being rockier and steeper compared to other regions in the country is somewhat accurate.

These trails are among the oldest in the country, which might explain why they are rougher compared to others, due to the construction standards at the time they were created.

We appreciated the brief break with some well placed steps to ease the strain on our quads and hamstrings from the 1.5-mile stretch.

After 75 minutes we emerged from the dense evergreen and birch and approached the first vista.

Overlooking Walker Ravine and Agony Ridge that tops out at the Greenleaf Hut is where the trail begins the final incline to the summit. From the Hut we followed the Greenleaf Trail almost entirely above the treeline to Mt Lafayette (peak right of center). To reach this vista we had hiked about 2 miles and gained over 1,700 feet in elevation.

Rising to 5,260 feet, Mount Lafayette is New Hampshire's 6th tallest peak and ranks as the second most prominent, with a prominence of 3,320 feet, only exceeded by Mt. Washington, which stands at 6,148 feet.

Soon, we returned to rock hopping as the trail became steeper over the next 0.5 miles, making the footing less stable. The trail has an average grade of 17% and reaches a maximum of 78%.

Hiking in the White Mountains is not for everyone. Here is an excerpt from a letter to the editor of a local NH newspaper: "The trails in the White Mountains are a disgrace," wrote Altz-Smith, who said she and her husband are "veteran backpackers from Alabama with 40 years of hiking experience. You have to negotiate boulders and, basically, hike rocky stream beds to gain the most meager vistas and distance. These trails are dangerous and limit safe use to only athletes. The Mount Jackson trail raises those hazards to unacceptable levels. The boulders should be reduced to proper steps and the last section should have handholds for safety."

Throw in some scrambling to add to the excitement and exertion.

If you're used to hiking in areas of the country where the trails are well-maintained and fairly smooth, you might find hiking in the Whites to be disappointing due to the constant challenge of navigating rocks and exposed roots. This makes hiking with a 35-mm camera particularly difficult.

The effort was rewarded with views of Franconia Notch and the Cannon Cliff. Standing approximately 1,000 feet tall and stretching over a mile in length, Cannon Cliff is the largest vertical rock face in the Northeast.

Glancing back at the southern tip of Franconia Notch, you can see the entrance to the parking lot where we began (just right of center).

The Christmas tree scent helped to make the hike less painful.

Moss covered every surface except for the rocks on the path.

After two hours, we had covered three miles and gained 2,431 feet in elevation. The Greenleaf Hut is one of eight backcountry huts operated by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) in the White Mountain National Forest. Constructed in 1930, Greenleaf has seen some upgrades in recent years. It accommodates 48 people in two bunkrooms with a crew of five.

The hut offers a spectacular view over Eagle Lake, located beneath the slope of Mount Lafayette (top right of center). The mountain appears even more majestic as its summit is hidden behind the curve of this massive mound. It seems like the summit is over 1.1 miles away.

The start of the Greenleaf trail was boggy by the lake's edge.

A quick gain in elevation gave us spectacular views of the White Mountains. In the distance is Mt Moosilauke, another of the NH 4000 footers that we've climbed. It looks like an orange carpet was stretched across the mountains. Click here to navigate to the Hike Mt Moosilauke blog.

In addition to the ruggedness of the trails, the climbs to the high peaks of White Mountain are very steep, with elevations increasing over 1,000 feet per mile for several miles without any switchbacks to offer physical or mental relief to tired hikers. In these situations, it's best to keep your gaze downward to maintain hope and take small steps to prevent overworking your quadriceps muscles.

We entered the last forested area before transitioning to the zone between forest and the treeless alpine tundra above. The summit seemed further than 1 mile away.

The final half mile to the summit traversed a rocky path marked by cairns. The path began with a gentle incline.

However, the trail quickly became steeper, exceeding a 20% grade, but we took only a few breaks since we were eager to reach the summit. The cairns may not seem necessary on a day like today but imagine how difficult it would be to follow the trail in snow or fog.

The Greenleaf Hut was getting smaller with each step toward the summit.

At this point, our legs were feeling the effects of the 4-mile uphill climb.

The final part of the trail had a slope exceeding 30% and peaked at 53%.

The summit was right over this ridge.

We arrived at the summit in 3 hours after hiking 4 miles and ascending 3,443 feet. The sky was cloudy with a gentle breeze, creating nearly ideal conditions for October.

A close-up of the geodetic survey marker at the summit.

To the North, Mount Washington stands in the distance. At 6,228 feet, it is the highest mountain in NH. Click here to visit our Mt Washington hike blog.

At the summit is the foundation of a building which was used as hiker hut and stables for bridle horses but burned long ago.

After enjoying the views and having a well-deserved rest, we started our hike on the Franconia Ridge Trail. Photos cannot truly capture the essence of this trail. The ridge acts as the backbone of the Franconia Mountain range, connecting all its major summits. The rounded peak visible in the background (left of center) is Mt Liberty. Reaching this 4,459-foot Franconia summit wasn't part of our plans for today.

Although it looks like a straight route from Lafayette to Lincoln, the trail dips and climbs more than it appears. It's a one mile trek between these two peaks.

With solid footing we quickly descended from the peak. Glancing back at Lafayette, you can follow the trail from the rock summit through the low brush.

This curved rocky ridge is Mount North Lincoln, also referred to as Mount Truman (5,020 ft). While it is a segment of the Franconia Ridge, Truman is excluded from the New Hampshire 4,000 footers list because it lacks sufficient vertical prominence (78 ft). Although it is shown on maps at the Lafayette Place trailhead, Mt. Truman is not marked on most topographical maps.

I really appreciate this sign on the trail. The alpine environment is extremely delicate. Please keep this in mind while hiking, whether it's here or elsewhere.

Franconia Ridge is considered a knife-edge trail, though it is not as narrow as some ridge trails. I captured this photo of the trail from Lafayette as we neared the halfway point to Mt. Lincoln.

This picture was taken from the same spot but facing Mt Lincoln. Navigating this trail during inclement weather would be challenging.

A rock outcropping in the middle of the trail.

We are nearing the summit of Mt Lincoln, our second 4000-footer in New Hampshire today.

The summit was crowded so we didn't hunt around for the geodetic survey marker.

Feeling strong after our legs had recovered from the initial climb.

The view from our lunch spot.

Our final view from the Lincoln summit looking back at Mt Lafayette.

The final summit of the day, Little Haystack Mountain, was reached after a brief 0.7-mile hike. In the distance, two other peaks of the Franconia Mountain Range can be seen: Mount Liberty at 4,459 feet (center) and Mount Flume at 4,328 feet (left of center).

The path traced along the ridge. If you look carefully, you can spot hikers on the trail descending to the rocky outcrop.

Little Haystack is the last peak to the right.

I took this picture looking back at Mt Lincoln as we approached Little Haystack summit.

The summit was surprisingly busy for a midweek afternoon. We only stayed for a few minutes to enjoy the views and glance back at the ridge trail.

Although Little Haystack stands at an elevation of 4,760 feet, it doesn't fulfill all the criteria for NH 4000-footers. However, the views and the experience of finishing the loop trail made the trip worthwhile.

Now began the knee jolting and ankle twisting 3.2 mile hike on Falling Water Trail.

Because trails in the Whites run straight up and down the mountains at steep grades without switchbacks, they behave like rivers when it rains. The trails become channels for the water causing erosion and exposing even more roots and rocks and further deepening the trails and channels.

Some people easily glide from rock to rock without any trouble. Others, including myself, cautiously maneuver between rocks and around roots. The trail had an average grade of 20%, reaching a maximum of 48%.

As happens often, the number of pictures on 'the way down' decreased significantly for a number of reasons. First every step involved rocks or roots so it was impossible to walk and focus a camera at the same time. Secondly, low-level lighting on the trail makes photography more challenging.

Less than two miles from the summit, the trail crossed Dry Brook which forms a series of waterfalls and cascades. The first and most magnificent of these was the 80-foot tall Cloudlands Falls. Its impressive fan-like structure begins with a two-foot opening at the top and flows over several tiers to a base that is 25 feet wide.

Typically, this spot is quite crowded, but because it was late in the day, we had the place to ourselves. Hopefully, this picture provides a sense of the falls' height.

These are the cascading waters of Swiftwater Falls. They provided a welcome distraction from the challenging trail conditions.

After this entertainment, we had less than one mile left to hike. We arrived at the car tired, sweaty, and ready to drive home.

• Hike Distance: 9. 9 miles

• Duration: 7.6 hours

• Average Pace: 46.5 min/mile