Garfield Ridge Trail
To Mount Lafayette, Mount Garfield · New Hampshire
Garfield Ridge Trail is a trail on and around Franconia Ridge, climbing about 3,250 ft from the Frost Trail and Twinway junction to Mount Lafayette. Part of it is above treeline.
Map length
5.6 mi
Climb from the low end
3,268 ft
Book time up / down (from map miles)
4 h 27 min / 3 h 43 min
High point
5,222 ft
Above treeline
1.0 mi
Steepest ¼ mile
2,179 ft/mi
Stream crossings
0
Low point
3,366 ft
Measured on the map. The AMC guide and Forest Service figures usually run 5 to 15% longer. The mapped trail stops just short of the summit of Mount Lafayette; these figures end there.
HikerNerd routes on this trail
- Pemi LoopMount Lafayette, Mount Lincoln, South Twin Mountain, Mount Bond, West Bond, Mount Garfield, Mount Liberty, Mount Flume, Bondcliff, Galehead Mountain
- Twins and GaleheadGalehead Mountain, North Twin Mountain, South Twin Mountain
- Galehead via Gale RiverGalehead Mountain
- Mount Garfield via Garfield TrailMount Garfield
- South Twin via Gale RiverSouth Twin Mountain
Garfield Ridge Trail Above treeline
Mile by mile (map miles)
From Frost Trail and Twinway junction (the lower end) to Mount Lafayette.
- 0.0Frost Trail and Twinway junction
- 0.0Galehead Hut
- 0.5Junction with Gale River Trail
- 0.8Garfield Ridge East Peak
- 1.7Garfield Ridge West Peak
- 1.9Junction with Franconia Brook Trail
- 2.3Spring
- 2.5Junction with Mount Garfield Trail
- 2.6Leaves the trees: exposed above treeline
- 2.6Mount Garfield
- 2.7Back below treeline
- 3.0Garfield Pond
- 4.8Leaves the trees: exposed above treeline
- 5.0Junction with Skookumchuck Trail
- 5.2North Lafayette
- 5.6Mount Lafayette
- 5.6Junction with Franconia Ridge Trail and Greenleaf Trail
Distances and book times (map miles)
To Gale River Trail junction
0.53 mi (total 0.53) · ↑4 ↓379 ft · 16 min / 27 min
To Garfield Ridge East Peak
0.32 mi (total 0.85) · ↑210 ↓65 ft · 16 min / 11 min
To Garfield Ridge West Peak
0.87 mi (total 1.72) · ↑237 ↓222 ft · 33 min / 33 min
To Franconia Brook Trail junction
0.18 mi (total 1.90) · ↑0 ↓117 ft · 5 min / 9 min
To Mount Garfield Trail junction
0.62 mi (total 2.52) · ↑829 ↓15 ft · 43 min / 19 min
To Mount Garfield
0.11 mi (total 2.63) · ↑197 ↓0 ft · 9 min / 4 min
To Skookumchuck Trail junction
2.34 mi (total 4.97) · ↑1,246 ↓988 ft · 1 h 47 min / 1 h 40 min
To North Lafayette
0.23 mi (total 5.20) · ↑314 ↓0 ft · 16 min / 7 min
To Mount Lafayette
0.43 mi (total 5.63) · ↑208 ↓21 ft · 19 min / 14 min
| From | To | Map miles | Total | Climb ↑ / ↓ | Time ↑ / ↓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost Trail and Twinway junction | Gale River Trail junction | 0.53 | 0.53 | 4 / 379 ft | 16 min / 27 min |
| Gale River Trail junction | Garfield Ridge East Peak | 0.32 | 0.85 | 210 / 65 ft | 16 min / 11 min |
| Garfield Ridge East Peak | Garfield Ridge West Peak | 0.87 | 1.72 | 237 / 222 ft | 33 min / 33 min |
| Garfield Ridge West Peak | Franconia Brook Trail junction | 0.18 | 1.90 | 0 / 117 ft | 5 min / 9 min |
| Franconia Brook Trail junction | Mount Garfield Trail junction | 0.62 | 2.52 | 829 / 15 ft | 43 min / 19 min |
| Mount Garfield Trail junction | Mount Garfield | 0.11 | 2.63 | 197 / 0 ft | 9 min / 4 min |
| Mount Garfield | Skookumchuck Trail junction | 2.34 | 4.97 | 1,246 / 988 ft | 1 h 47 min / 1 h 40 min |
| Skookumchuck Trail junction | North Lafayette | 0.23 | 5.20 | 314 / 0 ft | 16 min / 7 min |
| North Lafayette | Mount Lafayette | 0.43 | 5.63 | 208 / 21 ft | 19 min / 14 min |
↑ walking from Frost Trail and Twinway junction; ↓ the other way. Book time: 2 mph over the map miles plus 30 minutes per 1,000 ft of climbing.
Summit conditions
2 incidents recorded on this trail: Mount Lafayette safety record
Recent trip reports
4 reports on this trail in the last 30 days: snow or ice in 0, microspikes recommended in 0, mud in 3. From hikers on New England Trail Conditions.
- Sun, Sep 13MudWet
Water crossings: Some rockhopping, not hard
Full report on NETC - Sat, Sep 12MudWetDry
Water crossings: Easy, due to present drought. A few had plank bridges, one was broken.
Full report on NETC - Sat, Sep 12DryFull report on NETC
- Sat, Sep 12MudWetDry
Water crossings: Levels low no issues
Full report on NETC - Tue, Sep 8Wet
Water crossings: The continuing general dryness makes the crossings just a matter of choosing a path across the all the rocks carefully, as some are wet, maybe slippery, and perhaps loose.
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.