Mt lafayette… my very favourite hike this summer. Way less popular then Mt Washington, Lafayette is part of the presidential range. Nevertheless, it is still pretty crowded, but totally worth it since it is there that you’ll walk on one of the most beautiful trail in the United States: the Franconia ridge trail.
Level of difficulty: Intermediate Altitude: 5620 feet Elevation: 3848 feet Distance: 8,9 miles (14,3 km) Duration: around 7 hours Appreciation : 5/5
The best way to explore Mt Lafayette is to take the loop that combines Mt Lafayette, Little Haystack and Lincoln. You’ll have to start by taking the Falling waters trail. This trail is really nice since you’ll be walking along a series of waterfalls. Enjoy the views and take your time because the ascent is pretty intense. You’ll then arrive at the first summit, Little Haystack. You’ll continue your walk on the famous Franconia ridge trail reaching Mt Lincoln and then Mt Lafayette. The views on the ridge are surreal. Although, you probably won’t decide to take a lunch break on the summit since the wind is really intense. Going down on the other side of the ridge (Green leaf trail), you’ll get down slowly to an alpine area and you’ll reach the Greenleaf hut. A beautiful hut on the side of a lake in the middle of the mountain where you might want to sleep in for the night. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to sleep there since the accommodations is pretty expensive ( 100$ per night per person). From there you’ll take the Old brittle path to get back to the parking lot.
The difficulty of the hike in my opinion, is more in the length then in the elevation. If you want to spend a day in the White mountains, this is definitely the place for you.
Opmerkingen