The 8.9-mile Franconia Ridge Loop is a true mountain hike. With a full 2.7 miles above the trees, it is a walk in the sky. Its popularity has grown exponentially since National Geographic designated it one the world’s 10 best hikes in 2017.
Today, with direct access to the Franconia Range up Route 93 and also down from Canada, on a sunny weekend day 500 to 1,000 people can walk across the ridge.
kAm%96 C6DA@?D6 3J 4@?D6CG2E:@?:DED E@ >2:?E2:? E96 :?E68C:EJ @7 E96 EC2:= 2?5 E96 7C28:=6 2=A:?6 6?G:C@?>6?E :E A2DD6D E9C@F89 92D 2=D@ AC@8C6DD:G6=J 8C@H?]k^Am
kAmx? E96 `hg_D[ vFJ 2?5 {2FC2 (2E6C>2?[ 4@2FE9@CD @7 q24<H@@5D tE9:4D[ 3682? >2:?E2:?:?8 E96 2=A:?6 uC2?4@?:2 #:586 %C2:=] %96 p|r %C2:= rC6H 925 3F:=E D4C66 H2==D @? 3@E9 D:56D @7 E96 EC2:= E@ <66A 9:<6CD @? :E[ 2?5 AF==@FED 7@C A2DD:?8]k^Am
kAm%96 (2E6C>2?D >2:?E2:?65 2?5 C6A2:C65 E96D6] %96J H6C6 A@AF=2C 8FCFD :? H:=56C?6DD 6E9:4D[ 2?5 @E96CD H@F=5 @7E6? ;@:? E96> :? E96:C 677@CED] %96J 6G6?EF2==J ?2>65 E96:C G@=F?E66C 8C@FA E96 (6DE t?5 %C2:= %6?56CD]%96J 4@?E:?F65 H@C<:?8 FA @? E96:C 72G@C:E6 C:586 F?E:= {2FC2 (2E6C>2? DE@AA65 :? `hh` 5F6 E@ <?66 :DDF6D] vFJ 4@?E:?F65 F?E:= `hhd]k^Am
kAm%96 p|r p5@AE\p\%C2:= AC@8C2> 92D 366? CF??:?8 D:?46 `hg_] x? a__d[ {2FC2 (2E6C>2? 2D<65 }2E92?:6= $4C:>D92H @7 %9@C?E@? :7 96 H@F=5 96=A E96 uC2?4@?:2 #:586 %C2:= 25@AE6C $F6 s6>:?8 >2:?E2:? E96 EC2:=]k^Am
kAm%9:D DF>>6C :D $4C:>D92H’D `gE9 D62D@? H@C<:?8 @? E96 uC2?4@?:2 #:586 %C2:=] %96 ?F>36C @7 (t%% G@=F?E66CD 92D 8C@H? 2?5 4@?E:?F6D E96 H@C< @? E96 C:586 :? E96 DA:C:E @7 E96 (2E6C>2?D]k^Am
kAm%96 5C2>2E:4 :?4C62D6 :? 9:<6C G@=F>6 @? E96 uC2?4@?:2 #:586 {@@A 92D AC6D6?E65 >F=E:A=6 492==6?86D] p ?F>36C @7 J62CD 28@[ E96 EC2:=9625 A2C<:?8 =@E 3682? 7:==:?8 62C=J :? E96 >@C?:?8[ 2?5 A6@A=6 3682? E@ A2C< @FE @? E96 uC2?4@?:2 }@E49 A2C<H2J[ 4C62E:?8 2 >:=6 @7 A2C<65 42CD]k^Am
kAm%H@ J62CD 28@ E92E H2D DE@AA65 3J E96 DE2E6[ 2?5 2 D9FEE=6 D6CG:46 H2D :?:E:2E65 7C@> E96 r2??@? |@F?E2:? A2C<:?8 =@E E@ E96 EC2:=9625] sFC:?8 E96 A2?56>:4[ E96 D9FEE=6 H2D DE@AA65[ 2?5 A6@A=6 A2C<65 :? =@ED 7FCE96C FA E96 A2C<H2J 2?5 H2=<65 324<] %9:D J62C E96 DE2E6 C6:?DE2E65 E96 D9FEE=6]k^Am
kAm%9:D 92D 4C62E65 H2G6D @7 9:<6CD 4@>:?8 24C@DD E96 C:586] {F4<:=J[ >@DE 9:<6CD 2D46?5 E96 u2==:?8 (2E6CD %C2:= 7:CDE C2E96C E92? E96 qC:5=6 !2E9] %96J 4=:>3 {:EE=6 w2JDE24< |@F?E2:?[ E96? 9625 ?@CE9 @G6C |@F?ED {:?4@=? 2?5 {272J6EE6[ E96? 56D46?5 E96 vC66?=627 %C2:= 2?5 qC:5=6 !2E9] %9:D @?6\H2J EC277:4 96=AD <66A A6@A=6 @? E96 EC2:=] qFE H96? E96 ?F>36C C62496D E96 D2EFC2E:@? A@:?E[ ?@E9:?8 42? 36 5@?6 E@ <66A E96> @? E96 EC2:= 2?5 52>286 :D 5@?6]k^Am
kAmx? a_`e[ E96 uC2?4@?:2 #:586 (@C<:?8 vC@FA[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 7@C6DE D6CG:46 2?5 p|r H2D 7@C>65 E@ DEF5J E96 AC@3=6>] p >2?286>6?E A=2? H2D 368F?] u@FC EC2:= 4@F?E6CD H6C6 A=2465 @? E96 uC2?4@?:2 #:586 {@@A] xE H2D D66? E92E :7 E96 ?F>36C @7 9:<6CD 4@>:?8 @G6C E96 C:586 H2D :? E96 e__ E@ g__ A6C 52J C2?86[ H:E9 `b_ E@ `d_ A2DD:?8 2 4@F?E6C A6C 9@FC[ E96 D2EFC2E:@? A@:?E H2D C624965 2?5 52>286 :?6G:E23=6]k^Am
kAmx?G6DE>6?E :? C6>65:2E:?8 E9:D AC@3=6> 92D 4@?E:?F65] }2E $4C:>D92H[ E96 p|r %C2:= p5@AE6C @7 E96 uC2?4@?:2 #:586 %C2:= 92D A=2J65 2? :?E68C2= A2CE]k^Am
kAms:C64E=J C6=2E65 E@ 9:D H@C< @? E96 uC2?4@?:2 #:586[ 96 :D 492:C @7 E96 (@C=5 %C2:=D }6EH@C< — wF3 7@C E96 p>6C:42D] %9:D :D 2 C68:@?2= 277:=:2E6 @7 E96 (@C=5 %C2:= }6EH@C< x?E6C?2E:@?2=[ 2 H@C=5H:56 ?6EH@C< @7 EC2:=D 2?5 EC2:= @C82?:K2E:@?D]k^Am
kAm(@C=5 %C2:=D }6EH@C< — wF3 7@C E96 p>6C:42D 92D EH@ 7:6=5 D49@@=D — @?6 :? r@DE2 #:42 2?5 @?6 :? }6H w2>AD9:C6] x? E96 H:?E6C[ $4C:>D92H :D :? r@DE2 #:42] x? E96 DF>>6C 96 :D 96C6[ 2?5 E96 uC2?4@?:2 #:586 :D E96 7@4FD]k^Am
kAm“%9:D DF>>6C H6 92G6 E9C66 A2:5 $F>>:E $E6H2C5D H@C<:?8 FA @? E96 C:586 C63F:=5:?8 D4C66 H2==D 2?5 AF==@FED[” 96 D2:5] “%96J 2C6 4@==686 286 2?5 H@C< 7@FC 52JD 2 H66<] #2E96C E92? 4=:>3:?8 FA E@ E96 C:586 6G6CJ 52J[ E96J DE2J 2E {:36CEJ $AC:?8 r2>AD:E6]”k^Am
kAm“%96C6 2C6 2=D@ EH@ p=A:?6 $E6H2C5D 7C@> E96 pAA2=249:2? |@F?E2:? r=F3] %96:C AC:>2CJ ;@3 :D 65F42E:@?[ E2=<:?8 E@ 9:<6CD 2=@?8 E96 H2J[ 2D<:?8 E96> E@ DE2J @? E96 EC2:=[ E6249 =62G6 ?@ EC246 AC:?4:A=6D[ 2?5 :>A2CE:?8 25G:46]”k^Am
kAm$4C:>D92H D2:5 E92E E96 D:EF2E:@? 92D :>AC@G65 H:E9 E96D6 A6@A=6 @? E96 C:586] w6 4@>>6?E65 E92E H@C< @7 <66A:?8 D4C66 H2==D FA :D =:<6 DH66A:?8 E96 9@FD6] xE ?665D E@ 5@?6 H66<=J]k^Am
kAmp=D@ 6G6CJ uC:52J[ $4C:>D92H 2?5 E96 G@=F?E66C (6DE t?5 %C2:= %6?56CD 8@ FA @? E96 C:586 E@ H@C< @? E96 EC2:= 2?5 36 :? E96:C 72G@C:E6 >@F?E2:? A=246 E@86E96C] “x 4=:>3 E96 6BF:G2=6?E @7 |@F?E tG6C6DE 6G6CJ J62C[” 96 D2:5]k^Am

(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.