Mt. Lincoln, Mt. Lafayette, Little Haystack

Tammy McNamara

Hike Length: Dayhike

Trails: Falling Waters Trail to Franconia Ridge Trail, down the Bridal Trail

Date: July 2002

The trailheads are both located right off of I-93 north in Franconia Notch. This was a fairly challening hike up Falling Waters Trail which is fairly steep and rocky and is aptly named, there is a river running along the trail. Once above treeline, the ridge was entirely enveloped in clouds so there wasn't much of a view, but on a clear day there are spectacular views of Franconia Notch. Some spots along the trail are a little frightening if you are afraid of heights due to the dramatic drop offs. We hiked above treeline on a rocky trail lined by cairns over Little Haystack, Mt. Lincoln, & finally to the peak of Lafayette, this part of the hike was very cold and windy. The Greenleaf AMC hut is located below treeline on Lafayette and is currently being renovated. We did not spend too much time here as they do not allow dogs and we had our beloved little hiking hound, Annie, with us. The Bridal Trail is steep & rocky up top, but levels out to some easier switchbacks as you descend. Overall a challenging and fun hike that took us over two 4000+ foot mountains. The roundtrip took us about 6.5 hours.

Equipment: Warm clothing!