Lonesome Lake Trail

The Franconia Notch area of New Hampshire has many roadside adventures to go on, bringing in thousands of visitors every year, but my favorite place in the notch is Lonesome Lake. At 3 miles, the hike is easy enough for the whole family, but most people visiting the notch stick to the roadside attractions, keeping the crowds at Lonesome down. The views around the lake are incredible, looking o...

The best place to park when doing this hike in the winter is at the Lafayette Campground. The campground and parking lot are typically empty in the cold winter months, aside from occasional cross-country skiers on the Pemigewasset bike path. The Lafayette campground parking lot is directly accessible by I-93 north and south. To start the hike, walk through the campground and follow the signs th...

This is a multi-day backpacking loop in Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire (located in the the White Mountains).Leave the car at the Lafayette Place Campground, (about 1700' elevation), then head up 1.4mi to Lonesome Lake. If you start hiking in the evening, as the sun is setting, you can stop here to set up hammocks a couple hundred feet off the trail, and hunker in for the night.In the...

Starting from the parking lot, the two trails initially begin together. Less than a mile in the trails split into Old Bridle Path to the left, and Falling Waters Trail to the right. Most people choose to go up and down on the same trail. To those doing to loop, most choose to hike up Falling Waters, and down Old Bridle. (I recommend the opposite.) Old Bridle has magnificent views which start at...

The White Mountains offer some of the most prime foliage sightseeing (aka 'leaf peeping') in New England. Tourists flock to the Franconia Notch State Park area and surrounding parts of the White Mountains every October, but camping is generally less common. October can be a cold month in New Hampshire, with an average low of about 36 degrees Fahrenheit, but if you have the right gear, the foggy...

 Park at Lafayette Place right off of I-93. It is one of the most accessible trail heads to hit a “4,000 footer” in the White Mountains and has plenty parking. Signage is visible and easy to follow as you begin at 1,800 feet and walk through a wooded campground onto the Lonesome Lake Trail. The trail starts to climb right away but in most conditions no traction will be needed for this first sec...