Franconia Range
Encyclopedia
The Franconia Range is a mountain range
located in the White Mountains
of the U.S.
state of New Hampshire
. It is the second-highest range of peaks (after the Presidential Range
) in the White Mountains.
Franconia Ridge is a prominent ridge
which forms the backbone of the range, stringing together all of its major summits.
of the range include:
The summits marked with an asterisk (*) are included on the Appalachian Mountain Club
's peak-bagging list of "Four-thousand footers
" in New Hampshire.
in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains
, only surpassed by the Presidential Range
and the Katahdin
massif
.
Approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) along the crest of the ridge is in the alpine zone. This area runs from the treeline just below the summit of Little Haystack all the way to the treeline north of Mount Lafayette, and affords constant 360-degree views of the White Mountains. To the east of the ridge lies the immense beauty of the Pemigewasset Wilderness
.
While Mount Liberty and Mount Flume are almost entirely forest
ed, their summits rise just above the treeline, and provide spectacular views.
from Mount Lafayette to Mount Liberty, traverses the ridge over all the aforementioned mountains.
An extremely popular hike dubbed the Franconia Ridge Loop is an 8.9 miles (14.3 km) loop which includes the majority of the above-treeline portion of the ridge. This loop is very strenuous, with a cumulative gain
of over 3900 feet (1,188.7 m), but extremely rewarding in good weather as it traverses the rocky cones of Little Haystack Mountain, Mount Lincoln, and Mount Lafayette. This loop involves the Falling Waters Trail, the Franconia Ridge Trail, the Greenleaf Trail, and the Old Bridle Path.
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
located in the White Mountains
White Mountains (New Hampshire)
The White Mountains are a mountain range covering about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. Part of the Appalachian Mountains, they are considered the most rugged mountains in New England...
of the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state of New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
. It is the second-highest range of peaks (after the Presidential Range
Presidential Range
The Presidential Range is a mountain range located in the White Mountains of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Containing the highest peaks of the Whites, its most notable summits are named for American Presidents, followed by prominent public figures of the 18th and 19th centuries.Mt...
) in the White Mountains.
Franconia Ridge is a prominent ridge
Ridge
A ridge is a geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance. Ridges are usually termed hills or mountains as well, depending on size. There are several main types of ridges:...
which forms the backbone of the range, stringing together all of its major summits.
Summits
From north to south, the highest summitsSummit (topography)
In topography, a summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. Mathematically, a summit is a local maximum in elevation...
of the range include:
| • Mount Lafayette | 5249 feet (1,599.9 m) * | |
| • Mount Truman | 5000 feet (1,524 m) | |
| • Mount Lincoln Mount Lincoln (New Hampshire) Mount Lincoln is a 5,089-foot-high mountain within the Franconia Range of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Lincoln is located between Little Haystack and Mount Lafayette. All three overlook Franconia Notch. The west side of Lincoln drains into the main stem of the Pemigewasset River... |
5089 feet (1,551.1 m) * | |
| • Little Haystack Mountain | 4780 feet (1,456.9 m) | |
| • Mount Liberty Mount Liberty (New Hampshire) Mount Liberty is a high mountain in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It is part of Franconia Ridge, a minor mountain range overlooking Franconia Notch, whose highest summit is Mount Lafayette.... |
4459 feet (1,359.1 m) * | |
| • Mount Flume Mount Flume Mount Flume is a peak in the White Mountains overlooking Franconia Notch. It is tall and is accessible from the north by the Franconia Ridge Trail, from the southeast by the Osseo Trail, and from the west by the Flume Slide Trail to the Franconia Ridge Trail.... |
4328 feet (1,319.2 m) * |
The summits marked with an asterisk (*) are included on the Appalachian Mountain Club
Appalachian Mountain Club
The Appalachian Mountain Club is one of the United States' oldest outdoor groups. Created in 1876 to explore and preserve the White Mountains in New Hampshire, it has expanded throughout the northeastern U.S., with 12 chapters stretching from Maine to Washington, D.C...
's peak-bagging list of "Four-thousand footers
Four-thousand footers
The term Four-Thousand Footers refers to a group of forty-eight mountains in New Hampshire at least 4,000 feet above sea level...
" in New Hampshire.
Features
The Franconia Range hosts the third largest connected area of alpine tundraAlpine tundra
Alpine tundra is a natural region that does not contain trees because it is at high altitude. Alpine tundra is distinguished from arctic tundra, because alpine soils are generally better drained than arctic soils...
in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
, only surpassed by the Presidential Range
Presidential Range
The Presidential Range is a mountain range located in the White Mountains of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Containing the highest peaks of the Whites, its most notable summits are named for American Presidents, followed by prominent public figures of the 18th and 19th centuries.Mt...
and the Katahdin
Mount Katahdin
Mount Katahdin is the highest mountain in Maine at . Named Katahdin by the Penobscot Indians, the term means "The Greatest Mountain". Katahdin is the centerpiece of Baxter State Park: a steep, tall mountain formed from underground magma. The flora and fauna on the mountain are typical of those...
massif
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
.
Approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) along the crest of the ridge is in the alpine zone. This area runs from the treeline just below the summit of Little Haystack all the way to the treeline north of Mount Lafayette, and affords constant 360-degree views of the White Mountains. To the east of the ridge lies the immense beauty of the Pemigewasset Wilderness
Pemigewasset Wilderness
The Pemigewasset Wilderness is a federally-designated Wilderness Area in the heart of New Hampshire's White Mountains. It is a part of the White Mountain National Forest....
.
While Mount Liberty and Mount Flume are almost entirely forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
ed, their summits rise just above the treeline, and provide spectacular views.
Hiking
The Franconia Ridge Trail, which coincides with the Appalachian TrailAppalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
from Mount Lafayette to Mount Liberty, traverses the ridge over all the aforementioned mountains.
An extremely popular hike dubbed the Franconia Ridge Loop is an 8.9 miles (14.3 km) loop which includes the majority of the above-treeline portion of the ridge. This loop is very strenuous, with a cumulative gain
Cumulative elevation gain
In running, cycling, and mountaineering, cumulative elevation gain refers to the sum of every gain in elevation throughout an entire trip. It is sometimes also known as cumulative gain or elevation gain, or often in the context of mountain travel, simply gain. Elevation losses are not counted in...
of over 3900 feet (1,188.7 m), but extremely rewarding in good weather as it traverses the rocky cones of Little Haystack Mountain, Mount Lincoln, and Mount Lafayette. This loop involves the Falling Waters Trail, the Franconia Ridge Trail, the Greenleaf Trail, and the Old Bridle Path.