Little Haystack Mountain

Little Haystack Mountain is a rocky, open summit on Franconia Ridge in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. The Falling Waters Trail climbs to the summit and meets the Appalachian Trail there. It’s a worthwhile goal in its own right, and a natural turnaround if you want the waterfalls and a high viewpoint without taking on the longer ridge traverse. The climb is steep and rocky, especially toward the top.

Stairs, Swiftwater, and Cloudland Falls break up the approach. Cloudland is a fan-shaped cascade; above the falls, the trail gets steeper and rockier. The waterfalls make this climb more varied than a straight ascent, but wet rock can be slippery and the rough upper section takes concentration.

At the summit, the path joins the exposed ridge trail. Turn back here, or head north toward Mount Lincoln and Mount Lafayette. Continuing gives you more time above treeline and broader ridge views, but also means more exposed hiking. Wind and bad mountain weather matter on this open route, and the rocky footing can be slick when wet.

The open summit looks across Franconia Notch and toward the high peaks around it. For a photo, include some of the broken summit rocks in front of the ridge; the foreground shows that you’re standing on an exposed crest, not just photographing a distant peak.