Trails / New Hampshire / Franconia and Kinsman

Franconia Ridge via Liberty Spring Tentsite

Franconia Notch and Franconia Ridge, White Mountain National Forest (Lincoln/Franconia)

Check before you go. Check before you go: the Franconia Ridge restoration project has been rebuilding the Old Bridle Path and upper Greenleaf Trail, with relocated sections; its page describes work from 2022 through 2025, with crews working Monday through Thursday, and posted no 2026 schedule as of Oct. 17, 2026. The page says to follow crew instructions and stay on the trail near work areas, and that storms heavily damaged river crossings on the Falling Waters Trail. Greenleaf Hut's 2026 full-service season ended Oct. 17; AMC says the hut is closed in fall, winter, and much of spring, so don't count on hut water. AMC lists a May 7 to 30, 2027, self-service period and full service from June 3 to Oct. 16, 2027; check AMC before you go. Confirm overnight parking with Franconia Notch State Park.

Franconia Ridge is a narrow, open crest from Little Haystack over Mount Lincoln to Mount Lafayette. Treeline Review calls it often the busiest section of the Pemi Loop. Because camping is banned above treeline, backpackers who want to sleep up high use the AMC’s Liberty Springs Tentsite, just below the south end of the ridge.

This page covers a loop that climbs to Liberty Springs on the Appalachian Trail, crosses the ridge the next morning, and descends past Greenleaf Hut.

The hike

The Liberty Spring Trail leaves Franconia Notch near the bike path and climbs east as part of the Appalachian Trail. A 2010 trip log puts the tentsite 2.6 miles from the notch. A Reddit commenter describes the trail as steep with few views but no scrambling. The Forest Service places the tentsite 0.3 mile below the Franconia Ridge Trail junction, with seven single and three double platforms, a composting toilet, and a spring.

From the junction, a short side trip south reaches Mount Liberty, with views over the Pemigewasset Wilderness. North on the ridge, SectionHiker’s 2009 trip report counts about 1.9 miles to Little Haystack, where the trail leaves the trees, and then Mount Lincoln, which it calls the nicest peak on the ridge. Mount Lafayette is about 0.7 mile beyond Lincoln. The Forest Service lists the alpine zone as anywhere trees are under 8 feet tall; stay on the treadway and between the scree walls to protect the plants.

From Lafayette, the Greenleaf Trail drops about 1.1 miles to Greenleaf Hut, where SectionHiker refilled water. The Old Bridle Path continues down to Lafayette Place. The Cannon Mountain restoration project page says crews have been building stone steps and relocating sections of the Old Bridle Path and upper Greenleaf Trail, so expect new tread and possible work areas. SectionHiker then walked about 90 minutes back along the Franconia Notch bike path to the car.

Longer option: the Appalachian Trail continues north from Lafayette over Mount Garfield. The 2010 trip log counts 7.7 miles from Liberty Springs to the Garfield Ridge Shelter, which turns the ridge into a traverse; the Thirteen Falls Loop describes the Garfield Trail exit. The whole ridge is also the western leg of the Pemi Loop. Across the notch, the Kinsman Ridge trip continues the Appalachian Trail south.

Tips

Arrive early. Reddit commenters say Liberty Springs fills quickly on summer weekends, and Trail Finder says the hiker lots at Liberty Springs, Lafayette Place, and the Basin fill quickly in summer and on weekends.
Carry water for the ridge. Fill up at Liberty Springs; Greenleaf Hut is the next reliable source.
Start the ridge early to beat afternoon thunderstorms, and turn back if the weather turns.
Walk around work crews only as directed, and stay on the trail.

Camping

Camping in this area is limited to designated sites. The Forest Service bans camping in the alpine zone unless there are two feet of snow, and its Forest Protection Areas ban camping within 200 feet of the Liberty Springs Trail, Old Bridle Path, and Falling Waters Trail, and within a quarter mile of huts, shelters, and developed tentsites, except at designated sites.

Liberty Springs Tentsite is built and maintained by the AMC, which lists it as first come, first served and not reservable, with metal food boxes and a fee. A 2021 AMC article says the caretaker is on site from Memorial Day through Columbus Day and that Liberty Springs was the pilot site for the caretaker program in 1970. Greenleaf Hut is reservation-only lodging; AMC lists its 2026 full-service season as June 4 to Oct. 17, and the hut is now closed for the season.

Inside Intel: Reddit commenters planning a Franconia Ridge overnight say the only camping options near the ridge are the Liberty Springs platforms and the Garfield shelter and tentsite, and that Liberty Springs fills fast on summer weekends, so arrive early. SectionHiker topped off water and talked with the caretaker there on his 2009 trip.

Trail facts

Distance: About 14 miles as a loop (estimate; see needs review)
Route type: Loop using the bike path
Difficulty: Strenuous
Campsites: Liberty Springs Tentsite (about 2.6 miles in); Greenleaf Hut by reservation
Water: Liberty Springs spring; Greenleaf Hut in season; none on the ridge
Permits: None
Food storage: Metal food boxes at Liberty Springs
Dogs: Allowed at AMC platforms leashed or under voice command, not in shelters (AMC)
Trailhead: Liberty Spring Trail, Franconia Notch
Last verified: October 17, 2026

The Lowdown

Climbing the Liberty Spring Trail:

From Franconia Notch, the steep Liberty Spring Trail climbs 2.6 miles to the tentsite, and the loop ends with a drop off Lafayette to Greenleaf Hut and the Old Bridle Path. Here's how to use poles on both.

See the pole tips →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.