Mount Lafayette

Mount Lafayette
Mount Lafayette as viewed from Franconia Ridge. Hikers are visible hiking through the krummholz in the col.
Highest point
Elevation	5,249 ft (1,600 m)  NAVD 88
Prominence	3,320 ft (1,010 m)
Parent peak	Mount Monroe
Listing	White Mountain 4000-footers; #4 New England Fifty Finest
Coordinates	44°09′39″N 71°38′40″W / 44.160704542°N 71.644360922°W / 44.160704542; -71.644360922Coordinates: 44°09′39″N 71°38′40″W / 44.160704542°N 71.644360922°W / 44.160704542; -71.644360922
Geography
Mount Lafayette Franconia, New Hampshire, U.S.
Parent range	Franconia Range
Topo map	USGS Franconia
Climbing
Easiest route	Hike from trailheads directly off Route 93

Mount Lafayette is a 5,249-foot (1,600 m) mountain at the northern end of the Franconia Range in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, United States. It lies in the town of Franconia in Grafton County, and appears on the New England Fifty Finest list of the most topographically prominent peaks in New England. The mountain's upper reaches are located in the alpine zone, an area where only dwarf vegetation exists due to the harsh climate.

Mount Lafayette is the highest point in the Franconia Range, a line of peaks along the east side of Franconia Notch. It is the sixth highest peak in New Hampshire and the highest outside of the Presidential Range. It is the second most prominent peak in the state.

On the western side, its lower slopes lie inside Franconia Notch State Park. The remainder of the mountain lies within the White Mountain National Forest. The summit marks the western border of the Pemigewasset Wilderness Area within the WMNF.

A variety of trails lead up over 3,000 vertical feet (900 m) to its exposed summit. The Greenleaf Trail begins at the parking lot for the Cannon Mountain tramway and ascends to the Appalachian Mountain Club's Greenleaf Hut, then continues to the summit. The Bridle Path trail follows a western spur ridge of Lafayette from Lafayette Place Campground on Interstate 93 past Greenleaf Hut and joins the Greenleaf Trail, reaching the summit 1.1 miles (1.8 km) after the hut. The peak is at the junction of the Garfield Ridge Trail, which follows the ridge northeast to Mount Garfield, and the Franconia Ridge Trail, which leads south to Mounts Lincoln, Liberty, and Flume. Both the Garfield Ridge Trail and the Franconia Ridge Trail form part of the Appalachian Trail.