This New Hampshire hike has it all with expansive views, majestic waterfalls, and two 5K peaks.
By Dan Mathers
When people debate what are the best hikes in New England, the Franconia Ridge Loop is always part of the discussion.
This classic 8.9-mile hike in New Hampshire runs along 1.7 miles of Franconia Ridge, providing hikers with stunning 360-degree views of the surrounding White Mountains. Along the way, it summits Mount Lafayette (5,249 feet) and Mount Lincoln (5,089 feet).
Because of its incredible views, it’s understandably a popular hike. That popularity only grows in the autumn, when cool temperatures and often clear skies combine with colorful fall foliage to create ideal hiking conditions and jaw-dropping scenery.
Franconia Ridge’s popularity can cause it to feel a bit crowded on the weekends come fall. Because of that, I usually avoid it this time of year.
But this year I did something different.
Watching the weather report, it looked like Wednesday, October 1 was going to be perfect. Clear skies and a drop in temperatures would likely mean great views from the ridge. And if I took the day off on a Wednesday, I figured I’d probably have the ridge mostly to myself. And that’s exactly what happened. Check out the video of the hike on our YouTube channel below.
The Franconia Ridge Loop follows the Falling Waters Trail up to the ridge, crosses the ridge over to Mount Lafayette, and then descends following the Greenleaf Trail to Old Bridle Path. It generally takes roughly 6.5 hours to complete.
Perhaps because of the hike’s popularity, inexperienced hikers will often underestimate it, and sometimes get hurt or need a rescue. Understand: this a strenuous hike. It has just under 4,000 feet of total elevation gain. The terrain is also rocky and steep in places, and the rocks are often wet and slippery near the falls.
Hikers can also do the loop in the opposite direction—climbing Old Bridle Path to Greenleaf and descending Falling Waters—but most people prefer to climb Falling Waters both because of its steepness and because of the views of cascading waterfalls along the trail.
The crown jewel of these waterfalls is Cloudland Falls. It stands roughly 80 feet high and is the third waterfall hikers encounter when climbing the trail. Unfortunately, for my hike, New Hampshire had been experiencing a historic drought, so the falls weren’t nearly as impressive as they usually are. But they were still beautiful.
When climbing Falling Waters Trail, make sure to take the side hike out to Shining Rock. It is one-tenth of a mile to Shining Rock, although the terrain is steep and rocky. But it features a dramatic rock face and a cliff you can walk out on and see expansive views.
Depending on the sunlight, you’ll see why it’s called Shining Rock when you’re on Old Bridle Path. Look out at the ridge and you’ll often notice Shining Rock brightly reflecting the sunshine.
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For more of New England’s best hikes, make sure to check out our article on the 10 best hikes in New England.
In creating the list, we wanted hikes that provided a full, well-rounded hiking experience. We wanted hikes that reward hikers with beautiful scenery, but are also were enough of a challenge to provide hikers with the time and miles to give them a sense of accomplishment and a memorable experience.
While there are lots of hikes to choose from, from short scenic jaunts to multi-day adventures, we tried to stay in the one-day range (with one exception that probably needs to be an overnight).
