Campground · Franconia Notch State Park
A useful backpacking stop just below the Franconia Ridge junction.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Franconia Notch Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Franconia Notch State Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Franconia Notch audio tourRecorded for this place
Mount Liberty via Liberty Spring Trail“Whitehouse Trailhead is coming up, the starting point for Mount Liberty via Liberty Spring Trail. This is a six-to-seven-hour day, about seven and a half miles round trip, with a very steep, rocky upper climb.”
Plays as you drive up to Liberty Springs Tentsite in the Parkwolf Franconia Notch Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Liberty Springs Tentsite is a hike-in camp on Mount Liberty, about 0.3 mile below the Franconia Ridge Trail junction on the Liberty Spring Trail, part of the Appalachian Trail. Keep it in mind for an overnight on the ridge route or a Pemi Loop; it isn't a drive-up campground or a day stop on its own. There are tent platforms rather than a shelter.
The site has a composting privy, a dishwashing area and metal food boxes. Water comes from a spring, but potable water isn't provided, so bring a way to treat what you collect. There's no food service, so carry your meals in.
The platforms are first-come, first-served, with no reservations. Groups are asked to notify AMC at least two weeks ahead. Published descriptions disagree about how many tents the platforms hold, so check the setup with AMC if your group needs a specific arrangement.
Wildlife
66 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
38 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
19 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
19 sightingsGreat Blue HeronMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
13 sightingsTurkey VultureMost seen around noonSighting map
23 sightingsRavenMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Franconia Notch. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateBasin Cascade Trail2 mi · 2 hr · 1.8 mi awayCascade Brook's granite ledges and small falls earn the extra walk.
ChallengingMount Liberty and Mount Flume via Liberty Spring Trail10.2 mi · 8 hr · 2.1 mi awayTwo rugged summits, a rocky ridge traverse, and broad mountain views.
ChallengingMount Liberty via Liberty Spring Trail7.5 mi · 6.5 hr · 2.1 mi awaySteep climb, big summit views, and Mount Flume’s slides.
ModerateCascade Brook Trail6.7 mi · 4.5 hr · 2.1 mi awayA brookside climb ends at Lonesome Lake beside an AMC hut.
ModerateMount Pemigewasset Trail3.3 mi · 2.8 hr · 2.2 mi awayA steady forest climb to an open granite summit above the Notch.
ModerateFlume Gorge Trail2 mi · 1.8 hr · 2.2 mi awayA two-mile loop through a granite gorge, waterfalls, and a glacial pool.
ChallengingFranconia Ridge Traverse16.7 mi · 12 hr · 2.2 mi awayFour 4,000-footers, a long day, and miles of exposed ridge.
ChallengingFranconia Ridge Trail Loop8.1 mi · 8.5 hr · 2.2 mi awayA full-day loop over three exposed summits above Franconia Notch.Sight · 0.3 mi awayMount LibertyA long climb earns a rocky summit and wide Franconia Ridge views.
Sight · 1.1 mi awayMount FlumeA hard climb opens onto Franconia Ridge and the Kinsmans.
Sight · 1.6 mi awayLittle Haystack MountainThe waterfall climb ends at an open summit on the Franconia Ridge.
Sight · 1.7 mi awayFlume GorgeFollow a brook through an 800-foot granite gorge and two bridges.
Sight · 1.7 mi awayCloudland FallsAn 80-foot fan of water is the payoff on an uphill hike.
Sight · 1.8 mi awayThe BasinA river-carved granite bowl and waterfall, reached by a short paved walk.
Sight · 2.1 mi awayKinsman FallsA narrow cleft sends Cascade Brook into a dark plunge pool.Sight · 2.2 mi awayMount LincolnA high Franconia Ridge summit reached only by a strenuous alpine hike.Parkwolf’s Franconia Notch ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
