Greenleaf Trail

To Mount Lafayette · New Hampshire

USFS trail #32183

Greenleaf Trail is a trail on and around Franconia Ridge, climbing about 3,350 ft from Greenleaf Trail parking to Mount Lafayette. Part of it is above treeline.

Map length

3.1 mi

Climb from the low end

3,333 ft

Book time up / down (from map miles)

3 h 14 min / 1 h 36 min

High point

5,222 ft

Above treeline

0.7 mi

Steepest ¼ mile

1,985 ft/mi

Stream crossings

2 (1 ford)

Low point

1,956 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

Greenleaf Trail Above treeline

Elevation profile Above treeline Steep (25%+)
1,500'3,500'5,500'Greenleaf Hut, mile 2.11Mount Lafayette, mile 3.120 mi3.1 mi

Mile by mile (map miles)

From Greenleaf Trail parking (the lower end) to Mount Lafayette.

  1. 0.0Greenleaf Trail parking
  2. 0.0Fords a stream
  3. 2.0Eagle Lake
  4. 2.1Junction with Old Bridle Path
  5. 2.1Greenleaf Hut
  6. 2.2Bridge over a stream
  7. 2.2Eagle Lake
  8. 2.4Leaves the trees: exposed above treeline
  9. 3.1Mount Lafayette
  10. 3.1Junction with Franconia Ridge Trail and Garfield Ridge Trail

Distances and book times (map miles)

  1. To Greenleaf Hut

    2.11 mi (total 2.11) · ↑2,263 ↓26 ft · 2 h 11 min / 1 h 4 min

  2. To Mount Lafayette

    1.01 mi (total 3.12) · ↑1,071 ↓42 ft · 1 h 2 min / 32 min

↑ walking from Greenleaf Trail parking; ↓ the other way. Book time: 2 mph over the map miles plus 30 minutes per 1,000 ft of climbing.

Trailheads and parking

  • Greenleaf Trail parking

    Trailhead

Summit conditions

Mount LafayettedangerousOct 9, 8:20 PMMount LincolndangerousOct 9, 8:20 PM
Today's conditions report

4 incidents recorded on this trail: Mount Lafayette safety record

Recent trip reports

5 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

Old Bridle PathFranconia Ridge TrailGarfield Ridge Trail

What to bring

From the summit forecast, Sat to Mon

Paid 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.

    Kahtoola Microspikes at Backcountry.com ($89.95)

  • 11h 13m

    Daylight

    Headlamp

    Sunset around 6:08 PM, so a late start or a slow descent ends in the dark.

    Headlamps at Backcountry.com

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.