Old Bridle Path to Greenleaf Hut

Old Bridle Path is a steep 5.8-mile out-and-back from the Lafayette Place trailhead to Greenleaf Hut below Mount Lafayette. It climbs from forest to open ledges and ends at the hut. Allow about six hours for the return. It is a good choice if you want a hard climb with a clear destination; the hut is the turnaround here. Going on toward Lafayette and the Franconia Ridge makes a different, much longer hike.

The trail starts east of I-93. At about 0.2 mile, Falling Waters Trail branches right; stay straight on Old Bridle Path. The lower climb is wooded. Around 1.9 miles in, you reach two open ledges about 100 feet apart, with views across Franconia Notch. They make a worthwhile shorter turnaround at about 3.8 miles round trip, before the steep upper climb.

Past the ledges, the path stays steep and rocky to Greenleaf Hut at 4,220 feet, below Mount Lafayette. The hut gives you a natural place to stop before retracing the trail, and it connects to longer ridge hikes; don't continue onto those if the hut is your destination. Day visitors can refill water and buy hot drinks, snacks and limited gear when hut services are operating. Those services are seasonal, and the hut is closed for much of fall, winter and spring. It is not an emergency shelter in winter.

Use the Old Bridle Path Trailhead parking area on the northbound side of I-93. If it fills, the Lafayette State Park lot on the southbound side connects by pedestrian tunnel. Peak-season overflow near Exit 34C uses a Forest Service shuttle, so check the current parking arrangement before setting out. Parking along I-93 is illegal.

Expect a strenuous climb with about 2,500 feet of gain, steep rocky footing and exposed rock at the ledges. Dogs are allowed on the forest trail. Keep them leashed at the developed trailhead and other developed areas; away from developed areas, they may be off leash only under strict voice control.