Mt. Lafayette - NH 4,000'er Series #6 of 48

To hike with geocachers on trails all over the world.

New Hampshire, USA has 48 mountains over 4,000' (1,200 m) high. Since 1957, the Appalachian Mountain Club has awarded just over 10,000 hikers admission to the AMC Four Thousand Footer Club for climbing all 48 peaks in a lifetime.

Mt. Lafayette (5,249' or 1,600 m) is the northern peak on Franconia Ridge.  It has wonderful views on a clear day.  It was named for General Lafayette, a French general who aided George Washington and the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.  Lafayette later made a tour of New Hampshire and other states in 1824-25 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill.

The classic hike is to do a loop over Mts. Lincoln and Lafayette by heading up the Falling Waters Trail, across the ridge over Little Haystack, Mt. Lincoln, and Mt. Lafayette before descending on the Bridle Path. This hike is 8.9 miles with 3,900 feet of elevation gain. The views are spectacular, if the weather is cooperative. But it can be life-threatening if the weather is bad. To hike Mt. Lafayette alone, you hike up the Bridle Path to the AMC Greenleaf Hut, then climb the Greenleaf Trail for a mile above treeline before reaching the summit.  Returning the same way gives a hike of 8.0 miles with 3,600' of elevation gain.  Another option is to hike the Greenleaf Trail the entire way, going through spectacular Eagle Pass.  Using the Greenleaf Trail is a hike of 7.6 miles with 3,300' of elevation gain.  A longer option is to use the Skookumchuck and Garfield Ridge Trail to hike from the north.  This hike is 10.2 miles roundtrip with 3,550' of elevation gain.  Since the AMC Mt. Greenleaf Hut is a mile below the summit of Mt. Lafayette, it is possible to do any of these hikes over two days by overnighting at the hut.