Falling Waters Trail
On the way up Mount Lafayette, Mount Lincoln · New Hampshire
Falling Waters Trail is a trail on and around Franconia Ridge, climbing about 3,000 ft from Lafayette Place to Little Haystack Mountain. Part of it is above treeline.
Map length
2.8 mi
Climb from the low end
2,981 ft
Book time up / down (from map miles)
2 h 53 min / 1 h 26 min
High point
4,722 ft
Above treeline
0.2 mi
Steepest ¼ mile
2,153 ft/mi
Stream crossings
6 (5 fords)
Low point
1,789 ft
Measured on the map. The AMC guide and Forest Service figures usually run 5 to 15% longer.
HikerNerd routes on this trail
Falling Waters Trail Above treeline
Mile by mile (map miles)
From Lafayette Place (the lower end) to Little Haystack Mountain.
- 0.0Lafayette Place
- 0.2Junction with Old Bridle Path
- 0.2Bridge over Walker Brook
- 0.6Fords Dry Brook
- 0.8Stairs Falls and Swiftwater Falls
- 0.8Fords Dry Brook
- 1.2Cloudland Falls
- 1.3Fords Dry Brook
- 1.3Fords Dry Brook
- 1.4Fords Dry Brook
- 2.6Leaves the trees: exposed above treeline
- 2.8Junction with Franconia Ridge Trail
- 2.8Little Haystack Mountain
Distances and book times (map miles)
To Old Bridle Path junction
0.17 mi (total 0.17) · ↑86 ↓0 ft · 8 min / 5 min
To Little Haystack Mountain
2.63 mi (total 2.80) · ↑2,892 ↓52 ft · 2 h 46 min / 1 h 20 min
| From | To | Map miles | Total | Climb ↑ / ↓ | Time ↑ / ↓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette Place | Old Bridle Path junction | 0.17 | 0.17 | 86 / 0 ft | 8 min / 5 min |
| Old Bridle Path junction | Little Haystack Mountain | 2.63 | 2.80 | 2,892 / 52 ft | 2 h 46 min / 1 h 20 min |
↑ walking from Lafayette Place; ↓ the other way. Book time: 2 mph over the map miles plus 30 minutes per 1,000 ft of climbing.
Trailheads and parking
Lafayette Place
Off Franconia Notch Parkway (I-93) · Parking fee · About 150 spaces
Weekends (all seasons): Full in 3 of 11 reports, as early as 6:30 am; others found space as late as 9:30 am.
Fall weekdays: Had space in all 5 reports, as late as 4:30 pm.
Latest report, Thu, Sep 24: Plenty of room at 6:30 am, then filling up.
Summit conditions
Today's conditions report17 incidents recorded on this trail, 1 fatal: Mount Lincoln safety record
Recent trip reports
6 reports on this trail in the last 30 days: snow or ice in 0, microspikes recommended in 0, mud in 5. From hikers on New England Trail Conditions.
- Thu, Sep 24MudDry
Water crossings: Only one on Falling Waters, no issues
Full report on NETC - Tue, Sep 22MudWetDry
Water crossings: Water flows still remain low, so we had no crossing issues. Waterproof footwear always simplifies this - hunting for dry rocks was a non-issue.
Full report on NETC - Tue, Sep 22MudWetDry
Water crossings: All easy rock hops today.
Full report on NETC - Tue, Sep 15MudWetDry
Water crossings: Easily rock hopped.
Full report on NETC - Sat, Sep 12MudDry
Water crossings: Very low water levels, easy water crossings
Full report on NETC
Connecting trails
What to bring
From the summit forecast, Sat to MonPaid links. Backcountry.com pays me if you buy. Prices are Backcountry's, checked twice a day.
67 mph
Summit gusts
Plan a below-treeline hike
Daytime gusts near 67 mph above treeline. Pick a sheltered route or another day.
28°F
Summit low
Microspikes
Summit lows near 28°F, so expect ice on rock and the upper trail.
11h 13m
Daylight
Headlamp
Sunset around 6:08 PM, so a late start or a slow descent ends in the dark.
The rest of the list: Winter gear guide · How I pick gear
Trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Elevation: USGS 3DEP. Above-treeline areas from canopy height by Meta and WRI (CC BY 4.0). Distances are measured from the map and can differ from signs and guidebooks. Conditions change: check before you go.