Franconia Ridge is the most epic hike in New Hampshire’s White Mountains and the Flume Slide Trail makes for an even more dangerous accent.

When I hiked the Appalachian Trail I had been so excited to hike across Franconia Ridge. I was looking forward to this section of trail for my entire hike. However, when I finally reached the ridge, a thick cover a clouds ruined any views. I was so disappointed that I vowed to return to Franconia Ridge someday to enjoy its views in good weather. At last, the opportunity arose this past June and I returned to the White Mountains to tackle the ridge.

*SIDE NOTE* For those wondering, my Superior Hiking Trail adventure has ended but it will take some time editing videos before I am ready to blog about it. Stay tuned!

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THE ROUTE

My hike began at the Franconia Notch parking lot adjacent to Lafayette Campground. From the parking lot we hiked south along the multi-use path to the Liberty Spring Trail (AT). After 0.6 miles, we left the AT behind and set off down the Flume Slide Trail climbing steeply for 3.3 miles to the Franconia Ridge Trail. After 5 miles on the ridge trail we reached Mt. Lafayette. From the summit it was 1.1 miles down the Greenleaf Trail to the hut where we then followed the Old Bridle Path for 2.7 miles back to the parking lot.

Total Distance: 15 miles (24.1km)

Total Time: 11 hours (we planned on 9 hours…boy were we wrong)

THE HIKE

We set off from the parking lot around 11am. It was a weekday so the parking lot was not yet full. We meant to follow the Pemi Trail south until the next trail junction, however, we mistakenly took the paved multi-use path. This led us to a nice surprise as we passed by a geological formation known as The Basin. Since the last Ice Age, water carved a 15-foot deep hole in the granite. A sign noted that Henry David Thoreau called it “perhaps the most remarkable curiosity of its kind in New England.”

We continued on, passing under the highway before meeting up with the Liberty Spring Trail and the Appalachian Trail (AT). The AT actually follows the Liberty Spring Trail up to the ridge and I remembered all too well my hike through this section way back when. Nostalgia washed over me when I spotted the white blazes on the trees marking the AT.

We followed the Liberty Spring Trail and the AT for 0.6 miles before diverting off onto the Flume Slide Trail. Back when I hiked the AT, I followed the Liberty Spring Trail up to the ridge. This time, we opted for the Flume Slide Trail because it was something different and allowed us to summit Mount Flume and Liberty. We had watched YouTube videos the night prior and it showed the Flume Slide Trail as extremely steep and technical. I was skeptical as the trail meandered through the woods gaining elevation gradually.

It was 3.3 miles to the ridge and most of it was rather easy. We crossed a few streams, never getting our feet wet. The terrain slowly became steeper and steeper until we began to climb vertically.

I was beginning to remember just how rocky the White Mountains are. It was all coming back to me as I recalled how difficult this terrain had been on the AT. It would seem the Flume Slide Trail was even worse! We were faced with sheer rock faces that we had to scramble up somehow. I did not feel particularly safe as we climbed.

I began to regret our route choice. The final 0.5 miles of the Flume Slide Trail seemed incredibly vertical. I grabbed onto trees and whatever I could to stable myself as we climbed higher and higher. It was as if the trail had saved all of the 2,500 feet of elevation gain for the very last half mile. Our pace was extremely slow as we ascended to the ridge. Water trickled down across the smooth rock face, adding a slippery danger to our hike. I could not imagine attempting this trail in the winter with snow and ice. As I looked out in the distance, the views made it all worth it.

At last we reached the ridge and the junction with the Franconia Ridge Trail. From here we set off to the summit of Mount Flume at 4,328ft (1,319m). The wind picked up and I had to don my buff around my head like a babushka to keep my hat from flying away. Finally I was treated with incredible views, the likes I never saw on the AT. I could see Mount Lincoln and Lafayette off in the distance.

From Mount Flume we continued on to Mount Liberty at 4,459ft (1,359m) where we passed the Liberty Spring Trail, an alternate route to the ridge. After Mount Liberty we headed on to Little Haystack at 4,760ft (1,451m). We were hiking well above tree line and the views were incredible. The cloud cover was low and it felt like we could nearly touch the sky.

From Little Haystack we headed toward Mount Lincoln at 5,089ft (1,551m). The ridge was epic with views all around. We could see the rest of the White Mountains in the distance save for the highest peak, Mount Washington, which was covered in clouds. I was so happy to enjoy the views I never had while on the AT. For reference, here is a photo I took on the AT as I traversed Franconia Ridge…notice the clouds:

From Mount Lincoln we hiked on, climbing ever higher. There was an energy in the air; I felt so incredibly alive and refreshed! Behind us we could see the length of the ridge stretching all the way back to Mount Flume.

At last we reached the summit of Mount Lafayette at 5,249ft (1,600m). We stood just beneath the clouds as the wind gusted. It was heavenly, surrounded by beautiful mountains with the entire world below. We had the entire summit to ourselves as all the other hikers had left hours ago. It was 7pm and we were well behind our schedule. Now it made sense why no one else shared the mountain with us. We only had two hours of daylight left to cover a nearly 5-mile descent.

We descended quickly down the Greenleaf Trail for 1.1 miles, soaking in the last of the views. Actually, we weren’t very quick. We constantly stopped to take more pictures. The sun would set in an hour and we had to increase our pace. Soon enough we arrived at Eagle Lakes and the Greenleaf Hut.

As expected for a Friday night in June, there was no room at the hut. With the sun sinking low, we headed 2.7 miles down the Old Bridle Path. We were now below tree line and as the sun set, the trail became treacherous in twilight. Luckily we had a headlamp to help guide the way. If we had finished according to schedule we would have avoided the darkness. But I did not regret a minute of the time we spent enjoying the views on the ridge! At last we reached the parking lot after 11 hours of hiking, 2 hours past schedule.

All in all, this is an incredible hike and I highly recommend a visit to Franconia Ridge. However, I do not recommend taking the Flume Slide Trail. A better route would be to follow the Liberty Spring Trail all the way to the ridge, avoiding the Flume Slide Trail altogether. This would shorten the hike a bit and skip Mount Flume and Liberty but the ascent would be much safer and less strenuous. Either way, you won’t regret a visit to the White Mountains!

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