Mount Lafayette

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mount Lafayette
Mount Lafayette from ridge, July 2004
Elevation	5,260 feet (1,603 metres)
Location	Franconia, New Hampshire, USA
Range	Franconia Range
Coordinates	44°10′0.0″N, 71°39′0.0″W
Topo map	USGS Mount Lafayette
First ascent	unknown
Easiest route	Hike from trailheads directly off Route 93

Mount Lafayette is a 5,260' mountain on the northern end of Franconia Ridge in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It is one of the most popular dayhike destinations in the White Mountain National Forest due to the spectacular views that its summit affords and its convenient location beside Interstate 93. The upper portion of the mountain is located in the Alpine Zone, an area of little vegetation that is characterized by rock fields and harsh weather conditions. A variety of trails lead up over 3000' vertical feet to its exposed summit. The Greenleaf Trail begins at the parking lot for the Cannon Mountain tramway and ascends to the Appalachian Mountain Club's Greenleaf Hut, then continues to the summit. The Bridle Path trail follows a western spur ridge of Lafayette from Lafayette Place Campground on Interstate 93 past Greenleaf Hut and joins the Greenleaf Trail, reaching the summit 1.1 miles after the hut. The peak is at the junction of the Garfield Ridge Trail, which follows the ridge northeast to Mt. Garfield, and the Franconia Ridge Trail, which leads south to Mts. Lincoln, Liberty, and Flume. Both the Garfield Ridge Trail and the Franconia Ridge Trail form part of the Appalachian Trail.

A very popular hike is to make a loop using the Old Bridle Path, the Franconia Ridge Trail over Mt. Lincoln and Little Haystack, and the Falling Waters Trail which returns you to Lafayette Place Campground.

Mount Lafayette is the highest point in the Franconia Range, a line of peaks along the east side of Franconia Notch. That makes it the highest peak in New Hampshire outside of the Presidential Range. It is also ranked sixth in the state in elevation on the four-thousand footers list and fourth in New England in topographic prominence on the fifty finest list.

On the western side, its lower slopes lie inside Franconia Notch State Park. The remainder of the mountain lies within the White Mountain National Forest. The summit marks the western border of the Pemigewasset Wilderness Area within the WMNF.

[edit] See also

• White Mountains Region
• List of mountains in New Hampshire

[edit] External links

• Paintings of Mount Lafayette

4000-foot mountains of New England

Maine: Abraham • Bigelow (Avery) • Bigelow (West) • Crocker • Katahdin (Baxter) • Katahdin (Hamlin) • North Brother • Old Speck • Redington • Saddleback • Saddleback Horn • South Crocker • Spaulding • Sugarloaf New Hampshire: Northern ranges:   Cabot • Waumbek Carter-Moriah Range:   Carter Dome • Middle Carter • Moriah • South Carter • Wildcat (A) • Wildcat (D) Presidential Range:   Adams • Eisenhower • Jackson • Jefferson • Isolation • Madison • Monroe • Pierce • Washington Crawford Notch area:   Field • Tom • Willey Twin Range:   Bond • Bond (West) • Bondcliff • Galehead • Hale • North Twin • South Twin • Zealand Pemigewasset Wilderness:   Carrigain • Hancock (North) • Hancock (South) • Owl's Head Sandwich Range:   Osceola • Osceola (East) • Tripyramid (Middle) • Tripyramid (North) • Passaconaway • Tecumseh • Whiteface Franconia Range:   Flume • Garfield • Lafayette • Liberty • Lincoln Western White Mountains:   Cannon • Kinsman (North) • Kinsman (South) • Moosilauke Vermont: Abraham • Camel's Hump • Ellen • Killington • Mansfield