Franconia Notch State Park

United States New Hampshire LincolnFranconia Notch State Park

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Franconia Notch State Park is a public recreation area and nature preserve that straddles eight miles of Interstate 93 as it passes through Franconia Notch, a mountain pass between the Kinsman Range and Franconia Range in the White Mountains of northern New Hampshire, United States.

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My second Fall season in New England and I am amazed again. I was super lucky to be here during the peak foliage for all these incredible colors. It’s so beautiful that you want to stop everywhere and snap as many pics and videos as possible. Here are a couple of useful tips that will help you plan your trip: When to come? 🍁 There are several websites that provide Fall foliage tracker e.g. visitnh.com but in general if you visit New England in the first two weeks of October you can’t go wrong How to move around? 🍁 The more you go North the earlier colors will appear so plan your trip accordingly. Start at the most North point and travel South for the best experience Where to go? 🍁 There are so many places to visit that it’s hard to list them all here. Some of my favorites are: 🍂 Acadia National Park, Maine 🍂 Franconia, New Hamsphire 🍂 The White Mountains, New Hampshire 🍂 Dixville Notch State Park, New Hamsphire 🍂 Woodstock and Stowe, Vermont 🍂 Indian Head Hike, New York Are you planning a Fall trip to New England? 📷: @sonyalpha 📌 Save this post for the next year … #newengland #newenglandfall #fallcolors #fallvibes #foliage #fallfoliage #newenglandlife #fallroadtrip #fall2022 #autumncolors #autumnvibes🍁 #usatravel #girltraveler #iammissadventure #nycblogger #travelblogger #travelcaptures #fallreels #travelreels #travelreel #travelreelsoninstagram

glamofnycglamofnyc

3K196

Must visit places in New Hampshire in fall 👇🏼 📍Kancamagus Highway 📍Dixville Notch state park 📍Mount Washington auto road 📍Cog railway 📍Loon mountain 📍Franconia notch state park 📍Flume gorge 📍Artists bluff Don’t forget to save and Share 🫶🏼 New Hampshire in fall, Autumn in New England, weekend getaway, fall getaway, fall adventure, autumn getaway #newhampshire #explorenewhampshire #visitnh #newhampshirefall #newhampshireoutdoors #nhstateparks #livefreenh #fallinnewengland #nycweekendgetaway #travelcreator #fallroadtrip #fallfoliage #autumn #usatravel #roadtripusa #thingstodoinnewengland

kamana__pkamana__p

048

Where to Hike Near Boston on the East Coast: White Mountains Experience

GrettaGretta

880

Hike for the Mt. Lafayette and Franconia loop is extremely challenging. While trails are clear on assent, while moving through the end of the hike at the end at dusk trails are less apparent, accented by the actual exit that we almost missed due to no sign when it was dark. All said, rangers are helpful and apparently always siding with caution at the trailhead. We encountered 40 F Temps at start but at the summits, we saw 25 F and 30mph winds. Face coverings for the loop are highly recommended to avoid drying out of lips, or even worse issues at low temperatures. Many people on this trek make it both safer and hectic as constant issues occur to let faster hikers go by. We were 50+ yr old hikers so definitely slower. Being in cardio shape is necessary with strong enduring legs because exhaustion at the top is not a good feeling when the hike across the 4 peaks is equally challenging as you change elevation by traversing down from one peak then hiking up the next, I'm estimating 600+ feet each time. 5000 ft. with wind makes wind resistant top layers a must. Stopping for us was necessary but not for long or cold takes over. Hothands were a guaranteed good idea. The Greenleaf hut was a good break in the middle of the decent but there is still 3 miles left of rough terrain to reach the lot, although not as imposing as the upper elevations. This is a mountain with boulders throughout the trails. To be clear, this hike is constant Boulder climbing up and down. Not a walking trail like you see in VA or PA. This was tough. Very tough. So tough you want to buy a t-shirt saying you finished this thing at our age. Beautiful panoramas at the peaks make it a breath-taking journey - just be prepared with layers and watch Mt. Washington observatory weather to get estimates of conditions. Cold is not a phone friend so pack a small charged battery in case you don't set your phone/camera to no wifi/Bluetooth. Cold reduces battery life as well. One last advice- at first peak (Little Haystack) find cover behind the boulders to get aways from the wind. Very enjoyable to eat a snack if you get a spot with other hikers. A change of shirt at the hut made my hike better since sweating is a guarantee for me. Many seasoned hikers had shorts but had stamina to keep moving. Not sure how they fared on the ridge with wind chill so layer up and leave room in your pack. Water was an absolute necessity, so be prepared to need to carry enough to avoid dehydration. At the hut, I must have drank 32 oz. to recharge. Still needed more for the remaining hike down, so refill there. FYI- no rangers on mountain, just friendly hikers. So be ready to handle your issues. Many hikers ended up finishing later than anticipated so bring headlamps as a safety option. No way down without them.

James SkaparsJames Skapars

This park is a beauty. There are so many things to do here and one might get too overwhelmed. I suggest the following places: 1. Visit Mt. Washington - There are 3 ways to reach the top: Guided Tours, Cog railway, or your own car. Guided tours are 2 hours from base to base so, it might feel a bit rushed. Visiting with your own car is adventurous - roads get narrower sometimes, and there is no railing, it is a bit challenging but if you're up for it, then definitely do try. It's worth the experience. Cog railway is plain beautiful, you get to enjoy the scenic views without any effort - If driving up with your car is overwhelming, this is definitely the best option. 2. Take a train - Conway Scenic. They do these guided tours and it's just fun in the train. They have trains starting almost every hour until 1 I guess. I'm not sure, but you can check their website. 3. Take the Cannon Mountain tramway at Franconia Notch State Park - it's just fun and has breathtaking views. After taking the tramway, you'll have to hike a little - it's a very small hike probably less than 5 minutes. then, you'll reach a building that's 3 stories high. Take the stairs and you'll reach the top. - That's where it has all those views, They say that on a clear day you can even see Canada. From there, definitely do visit Flume Gorge. Funny story, when we were thinking of visiting places for fall colors, we saw a beautiful scenic water falls sliding across our TV in Fire TV wallpapers, the title said "Avalanche Waterfalls" but when we visited this state park, we couldn't find it. Nobody knew those waterfalls, google maps took us to Flume Gorge and from the pictures hanging outside the Flume Gorge, we realized it's the same. Unfortunately we visited after the closing hour and couldn't see those waterfalls. But I heard it's definitely worth visiting. All in all, NH is a beauty. Always call before visiting these places as they might close during extreme weathers.

Prashanth VissapragadaPrashanth Vissapragada

I hiked Mount Lafayette and Franconia Ridge Trail Loop. It was an absolutely gorgeous hike, and I would definitely recommend it. The trail is not easy. It took me over 5 hours, and I'm a pretty avid hiker. It was completely worth it for the views at the top, though. Most folks could probably do this hike, but if you're not used to hiking it's going to be tough. I could easily see this trail taking 10 hours if you're not in the best of shape. There's also a lot of spots where you're scrambling, which means that you'll need to use your hands to navigate up inclines that would be difficult to simply hike up. I would encourage anyone doing this hike to bring lots of water. I went through 3 liters, and it wasn't particularly hot out. I would also recommend you dress in layers. I started out in shorts and a t-shirt, but I had to throw on a jack once I reached the summit. It's very windy at the top, and the temperature was at least 20 degrees colder. The fog also comes in and out very quickly. It went from perfectly sunny to less than 20 feet of visibility in minutes. The parking was free, but the lot filled up very quickly. I got there at 7:30 in the morning, and the lot was already half filled up. Luckily, you're above the tree-line for a decent chunk of the hike, so you'll find some moments of solitude at the top even though it's a very popular trail.

Tim BirbeckTim Birbeck

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Nearby Attractions Of Franconia Notch State Park

Lafayette Place Campground

4.5

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Old Bridle Path Trailhead

4.9

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Franconia Notch

4.8

(76)

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Lonesome Lake

4.9

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Overview

4.8

(3K reviews)

Phone

(603) 823-8800

Call

Website

nhstateparks.org

Visit

Deep Dive

A deep dive into Franconia Notch State Park

My second Fall season in New England and I am amazed again. I was super lucky to be here during the peak foliage for all these incredible colors. It’s so beautiful that you want to stop everywhere and snap as many pics and videos as possible. Here are a couple of useful tips that will help you plan your trip: When to come? 🍁 There are several websites that provide Fall foliage tracker e.g. visitnh.com but in general if you visit New England in the first two weeks of October you can’t go wrong How to move around? 🍁 The more you go North the earlier colors will appear so plan your trip accordingly. Start at the most North point and travel South for the best experience Where to go? 🍁 There are so many places to visit that it’s hard to list them all here. Some of my favorites are: 🍂 Acadia National Park, Maine 🍂 Franconia, New Hamsphire 🍂 The White Mountains, New Hampshire 🍂 Dixville Notch State Park, New Hamsphire 🍂 Woodstock and Stowe, Vermont 🍂 Indian Head Hike, New York Are you planning a Fall trip to New England? 📷: @sonyalpha 📌 Save this post for the next year … #newengland #newenglandfall #fallcolors #fallvibes #foliage #fallfoliage #newenglandlife #fallroadtrip #fall2022 #autumncolors #autumnvibes🍁 #usatravel #girltraveler #iammissadventure #nycblogger #travelblogger #travelcaptures #fallreels #travelreels #travelreel #travelreelsoninstagram

glamofnycglamofnyc

3K196

Must visit places in New Hampshire in fall 👇🏼 📍Kancamagus Highway 📍Dixville Notch state park 📍Mount Washington auto road 📍Cog railway 📍Loon mountain 📍Franconia notch state park 📍Flume gorge 📍Artists bluff Don’t forget to save and Share 🫶🏼 New Hampshire in fall, Autumn in New England, weekend getaway, fall getaway, fall adventure, autumn getaway #newhampshire #explorenewhampshire #visitnh #newhampshirefall #newhampshireoutdoors #nhstateparks #livefreenh #fallinnewengland #nycweekendgetaway #travelcreator #fallroadtrip #fallfoliage #autumn #usatravel #roadtripusa #thingstodoinnewengland

kamana__pkamana__p

048

Where to Hike Near Boston on the East Coast: White Mountains Experience

GrettaGretta

880

Hike for the Mt. Lafayette and Franconia loop is extremely challenging. While trails are clear on assent, while moving through the end of the hike at the end at dusk trails are less apparent, accented by the actual exit that we almost missed due to no sign when it was dark. All said, rangers are helpful and apparently always siding with caution at the trailhead. We encountered 40 F Temps at start but at the summits, we saw 25 F and 30mph winds. Face coverings for the loop are highly recommended to avoid drying out of lips, or even worse issues at low temperatures. Many people on this trek make it both safer and hectic as constant issues occur to let faster hikers go by. We were 50+ yr old hikers so definitely slower. Being in cardio shape is necessary with strong enduring legs because exhaustion at the top is not a good feeling when the hike across the 4 peaks is equally challenging as you change elevation by traversing down from one peak then hiking up the next, I'm estimating 600+ feet each time. 5000 ft. with wind makes wind resistant top layers a must. Stopping for us was necessary but not for long or cold takes over. Hothands were a guaranteed good idea. The Greenleaf hut was a good break in the middle of the decent but there is still 3 miles left of rough terrain to reach the lot, although not as imposing as the upper elevations. This is a mountain with boulders throughout the trails. To be clear, this hike is constant Boulder climbing up and down. Not a walking trail like you see in VA or PA. This was tough. Very tough. So tough you want to buy a t-shirt saying you finished this thing at our age. Beautiful panoramas at the peaks make it a breath-taking journey - just be prepared with layers and watch Mt. Washington observatory weather to get estimates of conditions. Cold is not a phone friend so pack a small charged battery in case you don't set your phone/camera to no wifi/Bluetooth. Cold reduces battery life as well. One last advice- at first peak (Little Haystack) find cover behind the boulders to get aways from the wind. Very enjoyable to eat a snack if you get a spot with other hikers. A change of shirt at the hut made my hike better since sweating is a guarantee for me. Many seasoned hikers had shorts but had stamina to keep moving. Not sure how they fared on the ridge with wind chill so layer up and leave room in your pack. Water was an absolute necessity, so be prepared to need to carry enough to avoid dehydration. At the hut, I must have drank 32 oz. to recharge. Still needed more for the remaining hike down, so refill there. FYI- no rangers on mountain, just friendly hikers. So be ready to handle your issues. Many hikers ended up finishing later than anticipated so bring headlamps as a safety option. No way down without them.

James SkaparsJames Skapars

This park is a beauty. There are so many things to do here and one might get too overwhelmed. I suggest the following places: 1. Visit Mt. Washington - There are 3 ways to reach the top: Guided Tours, Cog railway, or your own car. Guided tours are 2 hours from base to base so, it might feel a bit rushed. Visiting with your own car is adventurous - roads get narrower sometimes, and there is no railing, it is a bit challenging but if you're up for it, then definitely do try. It's worth the experience. Cog railway is plain beautiful, you get to enjoy the scenic views without any effort - If driving up with your car is overwhelming, this is definitely the best option. 2. Take a train - Conway Scenic. They do these guided tours and it's just fun in the train. They have trains starting almost every hour until 1 I guess. I'm not sure, but you can check their website. 3. Take the Cannon Mountain tramway at Franconia Notch State Park - it's just fun and has breathtaking views. After taking the tramway, you'll have to hike a little - it's a very small hike probably less than 5 minutes. then, you'll reach a building that's 3 stories high. Take the stairs and you'll reach the top. - That's where it has all those views, They say that on a clear day you can even see Canada. From there, definitely do visit Flume Gorge. Funny story, when we were thinking of visiting places for fall colors, we saw a beautiful scenic water falls sliding across our TV in Fire TV wallpapers, the title said "Avalanche Waterfalls" but when we visited this state park, we couldn't find it. Nobody knew those waterfalls, google maps took us to Flume Gorge and from the pictures hanging outside the Flume Gorge, we realized it's the same. Unfortunately we visited after the closing hour and couldn't see those waterfalls. But I heard it's definitely worth visiting. All in all, NH is a beauty. Always call before visiting these places as they might close during extreme weathers.

Prashanth VissapragadaPrashanth Vissapragada

I hiked Mount Lafayette and Franconia Ridge Trail Loop. It was an absolutely gorgeous hike, and I would definitely recommend it. The trail is not easy. It took me over 5 hours, and I'm a pretty avid hiker. It was completely worth it for the views at the top, though. Most folks could probably do this hike, but if you're not used to hiking it's going to be tough. I could easily see this trail taking 10 hours if you're not in the best of shape. There's also a lot of spots where you're scrambling, which means that you'll need to use your hands to navigate up inclines that would be difficult to simply hike up. I would encourage anyone doing this hike to bring lots of water. I went through 3 liters, and it wasn't particularly hot out. I would also recommend you dress in layers. I started out in shorts and a t-shirt, but I had to throw on a jack once I reached the summit. It's very windy at the top, and the temperature was at least 20 degrees colder. The fog also comes in and out very quickly. It went from perfectly sunny to less than 20 feet of visibility in minutes. The parking was free, but the lot filled up very quickly. I got there at 7:30 in the morning, and the lot was already half filled up. Luckily, you're above the tree-line for a decent chunk of the hike, so you'll find some moments of solitude at the top even though it's a very popular trail.

Tim BirbeckTim Birbeck

Franconia Notch State Park

Description

Ratings

Description

Plan your stay

Pet-friendly Hotels in Lincoln

Affordable Hotels in Lincoln

The Coolest Hotels You Haven't Heard Of (Yet)

Trending Stays Worth the Hype in Lincoln

Posts

Where to Hike Near Boston on the East Coast: White Mountains Experience

Nearby Attractions Of Franconia Notch State Park

Lafayette Place Campground

Old Bridle Path Trailhead

Franconia Notch

Lonesome Lake

Lonesome Lake

Falling Waters Trailhead

Reviews

Overview

Phone

Website

Duration · 3h

Deep Dive

Where to Hike Near Boston on the East Coast: White Mountains Experience