Mount Lafayette Loop

The Mount Lafayette Loop begins in Franconia Notch, at the edge of the White Mountain National Forest, and climbs away from the parkway into shaded hardwood and spruce forest. The route follows the Falling Waters side of the loop beside Walker Brook and Dry Brook, passing Stairs Falls and Cloudland Falls as the trail becomes rockier and more mountain-like.

Above the waterfalls, the itinerary rises toward the open crest of Franconia Ridge, reaching Little Haystack Mountain before following the Appalachian Trail section of the ridge toward Mount Lincoln and Mount Lafayette. This high traverse is the scenic heart of the loop, with broad views over Franconia Notch, the Pemigewasset Wilderness, the Kinsman Range, and the surrounding White Mountains.

From Mount Lafayette, the route leaves the ridge on the Greenleaf Trail, descending past rocky alpine slopes to Greenleaf Hut, set below the summit in a dramatic mountain basin. The return follows the Old Bridle Path through forested ridges and brookside terrain, gradually closing the loop back toward Lafayette Place and the starting area.

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