Franconia Notch State Park
Park
3,722 acres17.4 mi of trail
Pemi TrailKinsman Ridge TrailGreenleaf TrailOld Bridle Path+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Franconia
More than half of Franconia’s land is conserved: 74%
74% of Franconia’s land is conserved, about 31,049 acres. 3,695 acres are parks and preserves, 3,486 per 1,000 residents. 121 miles of mapped trail cross Franconia, 1.8 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
74%
31,049 acres · of 65.5 sq mi of land
Trails
121 mi
1.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,695 ac
3,486 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
45%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
5.1 mi
5.1 mi paths
Highest peak
5,249 ft
Mount Lafayette
Lakes & rivers
8
1 beach · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Franconia?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild74% of the land is conserved; a typical New Hampshire town, 19%.Room to roam3,486 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.A trail town1.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 92% of U.S. towns.History along the way4 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Franconia have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Franconia is ahead of 95% of U.S. towns. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Franconia’s overall grade.
Conserved land74% of the land · typical NH town 19% · U.S. 4%A+Trails1.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (121 mi) · NH 1.2 · U.S. 0.4APark land3,486 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,695 acres) · NH 44 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home45% of residents within a half mile of a park · NH 40% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 95%
LessMore
New Hampshire towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so Franconia’s 74% is ahead of 100% of New Hampshire towns, while its trails per square mile lead 86% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Franconia Notch State Park, with 17.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Fox Hill Park
Managed by Town of Franconia
93 acres1.8 mi of trail
Fox Hill LoopGale River TrailBoundary TrailVernal Pool+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Lafayette Brook Scenic Area
Nature preserve
974 acres1.6 mi of trail
Greenleaf TrailGarfield Ridge TrailSkookumchuck Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Governor Gallen Memorial Parking
Lawrence Family Forest
Managed by Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust
107 acres1.5 mi of trail
Meadow BrookTucker's TrailRonnie's RamblePebble Beach 2.0
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Wells Road Property
Managed by Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust
10 acres0.5 mi of trail
Ham Branch Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 9 parks & preserves
Franconia Notch State Park3,722 acres · 17.4 mi of trail
DirectionsFox Hill Park93 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · Town of Franconia
DirectionsLafayette Brook Scenic Area974 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsLawrence Family Forest107 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust
Wells Road Property10 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust
Grote Wildlife Sanctuary17 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust
Franconia Town Forest40 acres · Town of Franconia
Dow Park8 acres
DirectionsThe Frost Place7 acres · Town of Franconia
Who protects it
31,049 conserved acres
74% of Franconia’s land. Who manages Franconia’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service26,854 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits573 ac
County187 ac
Regional agency186 ac
Town or city99 ac
Other state land7 ac
Not recorded3,612 ac
National Forest · 26,854 acState Park · 3,563 acConservation Easement · 871 acUnknown Easement · 178 acLocal Resource Management Area · 40 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 629 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 23 of 30 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Mountain National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 26,332 | Open |
| Franconia Notch State Park State Park | Not recorded | 3,563 | Unknown |
| White Mountain Purchase Unit National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 522 | Open |
| Franconia Town Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 40 | Unknown |
| Franconia Village Water Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 9 | Unknown |
| River Bend Trail Private Conservation | Town or city | 3 | Unknown |
Things to do
46 places to go in Franconia
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Franconia
Echo Lake BeachHours: Fri–Sun 10 am – 5 pm · Fee · In Franconia Notch State Park
DirectionsSwimming spots in Franconia
1 swimming spot without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Franconia
1 playground without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Franconia
Echo Lake Boat LaunchIn Franconia Notch State Park
DirectionsFishing spots in Franconia
1 fishing spot without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Franconia
Scenic views in Franconia
Profiler PlazaIn Franconia Notch State Park
DirectionsPlus 10 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Franconia
Mount Lafayette5,249 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Lincoln5,089 ft elevation
DirectionsNorth Lincoln5,000 ft elevation
DirectionsNorth Lafayette4,984 ft elevation · In Lafayette Brook Scenic Area
DirectionsSouth Twin Mountain4,892 ft elevation
DirectionsLittle Haystack Mountain4,724 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Garfield4,413 ft elevation
DirectionsSouthwest Twin4,357 ft elevation
Directions15 more peaks
Cannon Mountain4,081 ft elevation · In Franconia Notch State Park
DirectionsGalehead Mountain4,026 ft elevation
DirectionsOwls Head4,026 ft elevation
DirectionsCannon Mountain - East Peak3,840 ft elevation · In Franconia Notch State Park
DirectionsGarfield Ridge West Peak3,668 ft elevation
DirectionsMittersill Peak3,600 ft elevation · In Franconia Notch State Park
DirectionsGarfield Ridge East Peak3,589 ft elevation
DirectionsBig Bickford Mountain3,255 ft elevation
DirectionsFlat Top Mountain3,238 ft elevation
DirectionsScarface Mountain2,789 ft elevation
DirectionsBickford Mountain2,402 ft elevation
DirectionsBald Mountain2,238 ft elevation · In Franconia Notch State Park
DirectionsPriest Hill1,939 ft elevation
DirectionsScrag Hill1,804 ft elevation
DirectionsOwls Head
DirectionsPicnic areas in Franconia
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Franconia
Fransted campground
DirectionsThirteen FallsFee · Appalachian Mountain Club
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 8 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 27.9 miHorses · 6.8 miUnpaved · 34.0 mi
Lincoln Brook Trail6.1 mi
Garfield Ridge Trail5.6 mi
Franconia Brook Trail5.5 mi
Skookumchuck Trail4.0 mi
Mount Garfield Trail3.9 mi
Snowmobile Trail NHSA 113.2 mi
Greenleaf Trail3.1 mi
Gale River Trail2.7 mi
Tucker Brook Trail2.6 mi
Twin Brook Trail2.4 mi
15 more trails
Kinsman Ridge Trail
2.2 miOld Bridle Path
2.2 miFranconia Ridge Trail
2.1 miCoppermine Trail
2.0 miPemi Trail
1.8 miFalling Waters Trail
1.6 miTuckers Connector
1.5 miTwinway
1.5 miNotch-Way Trail
1.5 miFR 92A
1.2 miScarface XC ski trail
1.1 miNorth Twin Spur
1.1 miHam Branch Trail
1.1 miHigh Plains Drifter
1.0 miRed Flyer
1.0 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
5.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.1 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
5Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Franconia: August and September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 22 | 25 | 32 | 44 | 57 | 66 | 70 | 68 | 62 | 49 | 37 | 28 |
| Rain (in) | 4.4 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 5.2 | 6.1 | 5.8 | 5.2 | 4.8 | 6.1 | 4.7 | 5.3 |
February is the driest month (3.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 70 °F). 6.1 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Franconia →
Next door
Franconia and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franconia | 74% | 1.8 | 3,486 | 45% | A |
| Sugar Hill | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lincoln | 95% | 1.1 | 2,334 | 39% | A |
| Bethlehem | 59% | 1.6 | 178 | 34% | A |
| Easton | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Franconia
Where can I hike in Franconia?
The longest trail networks: Franconia Notch State Park, 17.4 miles; Fox Hill Park, 1.8 miles; Lafayette Brook Scenic Area, 1.6 miles; Lawrence Family Forest, 1.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Franconia is conserved land?
74% of its land, against a typical 19% for a New Hampshire town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Franconia’s trails?
Franconia Notch State Park and Fox Hill Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Franconia?
5.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.1 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Franconia?
115,749 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Franconia or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 10,122 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Franconia have?
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Franconia neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →