Hiking in Franconia Notch

Franconia Notch has hikes for every level, from the 10-minute paved walk to the Basin to the 8.9-mile Franconia Ridge Loop over Mount Lafayette. The best short hikes are Artists Bluff (1.5-mile loop) and Kinsman Falls (0.5 mile from the Basin). The classic half-day is Lonesome Lake (1.5 miles one way). Dogs are allowed on the hiking trails on a short leash. Before any ridge hike, note that part of the Falling Waters Trail was moved on September 22, 2026.

Easy Walks

• The Basin: about 10 minutes on paved paths to a 20-foot granite pothole under a waterfall. NH State Parks rates it easy, and it is wheelchair accessible for viewing the Basin.
• The bike path: paved and car-free, good for a walk of any length. No dogs.

Short Hikes (Under Two Hours)

• Flume Gorge: 2-mile loop, about 1.5 hours, lots of stairs. Rated mildly challenging. Entry fee; no dogs.
• Artists Bluff and Bald Mountain: 1.5-mile loop from Route 18 with two open tops looking over Cannon and the Notch. Rated mildly challenging.
• Kinsman Falls: 0.5 mile, about 20 minutes one way, up the Basin-Cascades Trail from the Basin. No bridges over the brook.

Half-Day Hikes

• Lonesome Lake: 1.5 miles one way from Lafayette Place to a lake 1,000 feet above the Notch, with a loop around the shore and AMC's Lonesome Lake Hut. Rated moderately challenging.
• Mount Pemigewasset (Indian Head): 1.4 miles one way, blue blazes, from the Flume Visitor Center parking area to open ledges on the 2,557-foot summit. Rated moderately challenging. Steep ledges are slippery when wet. Come down the same way, or by the yellow-blazed Indian Head Trail, which ends on Route 3 a mile south of the Flume.

Full-Day Hikes

• Franconia Ridge Loop: 8.9 miles, 7–8 hours, around 4,000 feet of climbing, over the ridge and past Greenleaf Hut below Mount Lafayette. Rated extremely challenging. Part of the Falling Waters Trail was relocated on September 22, 2026.
• Cannon Mountain: with the tram closed, there is no ride down. NH State Parks warns that summiting Cannon is now a challenging and technical round-trip hike.

For longer routes into the White Mountain National Forest and on the Appalachian Trail, the state's hiking sheet points to the AMC White Mountain Guide and the visitor center cabin at Lafayette Place. Maps are on our trail map page.

Before You Go

• Wear sturdy shoes. NH State Parks' hiking sheet says so first.
• Watch the weather. The state warns that weather in the mountains changes suddenly and darkness falls quickly.
• Keep close tabs on children. The state notes hazards on mountain trails can appear suddenly.
• Plan parking. Trailhead lots fill early; overflow is at the tram lot, with a weekend shuttle in season.
• Dogs: allowed on hiking trails on a leash 6 feet or shorter, not in the Flume or the campground. See rules.