Mt. Garfield

Length: 10.0 miles out-and-back

Difficulty (click for info): Very Hard

Elevation Gain: 3030 feet (+60 feet)

Rating (click for info): 10/10

Elevation: 4501'

Prominence: 855'

Driving Directions:
Trailhead and parking area are on Gale River Loop Road in Bethlehem, NH (summit is in Franconia). (Seasonal road - check status on TrailsNH to verify gate status). Gale River Loop Road, as its name suggests, makes a circle with two ends not far from each other on the south side of Rt. 3. To access the Garfield Trail, use the western entrance 4.4 miles northeast of I-93 at Exit 35 and 5.5 miles west of Rt. 302. This end of the road is just west of the bridge over the Gale River. Coming from I-93, you'll turn right before that bridge. Drive 1.1 miles down the road, across several narrow bridges, to the parking area. It's just after a sharp left turn in the road and a bridge over the river. The parking area is large, with many spaces to park head-in on the right and room to park parallel on the left. Still, this trailhead is frequently busy and fills up quickly on weekends. Click here for a Google map.

About the Hike:
Standing prominently midway between the massive Franconia and Twin Ranges is Mt. Garfield. This pyramidal peak, sometimes compared in shape to a sphinx, is considered by most to be a top competitor for the best viewpoint in the White Mountains. Mt. Garfield's incredible vista is praiseworthy for both its close-up perspective of the remote river valleys in the Pemigewasset Wilderness and its extensive views out into the Great North Woods and the Green Mountains. Its rocky cone, distinctive for the cement foundation from an old fire lookout building which crowns the peak, offers unhindered views in every direction. The easiest way to hike Mt. Garfield alone on a day-hike is to ascend from the north on the Garfield Trail. While the large elevation gain (over 3000 feet) may seem daunting, the trail is very gradual and spreads the climbing over the entire trip. The most difficult part of the ascent is a rocky 0.2-mile section at the very end of the hike. Otherwise, the only difficult part about this trek is the fairly long distance.

Starting from the parking area on Gale River Loop Road, the trail climbs up the roadside embankment into the forest and begins following a small ridge in a hemlock grove. There is very little incline toward the beginning. After about 0.7 miles, the trail descends to cross a small stream, then merges with an old road which was once used to access a fire lookout station on the summit. The trail will follow this road almost all the way to the top. After another 0.3 miles, it crosses Thompson Brook on medium-sized stones right where Spruce Brook joins it, and it continues between the two brooks before crossing back over Spruce Brook in 0.2 miles. Both brooks empty into the Gale River's south branch. The grade gradually increases on a long, flat section; then the trail makes a few long sweeping turns and ascends along the side of a ridge. After 1.4 miles from the brook, it crosses a small brook near a large boulder and then turns to the right and passes close to a beautiful birch forest. Now starting to become rockier, the trail crosses over a plateau called Burnt Knoll in 0.4 miles and makes a very slight descent. In 0.3 miles past this, the trail turns sharply left on the first of seven switchbacks, ascending into mixed evergreen and birch forest. The first three are long and gradual; the last four are steeper and much shorter. The three long switchbacks cover 0.7 miles. Near the top of the switchbacks, hanging mosses abound on several large trees. The last four shorter switchbacks cover 0.3 miles.

After the seventh and last switchback to the left, the trail resumes its straight, gradual climb along the side of Garfield's summit cone in breathtaking high alpine forest. In another half mile, the trail ends at a junction with Garfield Ridge Trail. Turn right and make a steep, rocky 0.2-mile climb, with a particularly large ledge step to surmount in the middle of the section. As the trail finally rounds out at the top, look for an opening on the left side of the trail, where you can follow the open ledges to the summit of Mt. Garfield. As you step out of the trees, the tall concrete foundation of the former fire lookout atop the rocky pinnacle comes into view to your left and gorgeous views open up all around as you approach it.

There are views in all directions from the summit, which can be seen by walking around the foundation. To the east, Garfield Ridge leads past Galehead Mountain and AMC's Galehead Hut to the huge South Twin Mountain; the Northern Presidentials peek over North Twin. Behind a spur of South Twin is the tannish-brown colored Mt. Guyot and the three Bonds: Mt. Bond, West Bond, and Bondcliff. Behind Bondcliff is Mt. Carrigain and to its right is Mt. Hancock. Off in the distance are the Sandwich Range and the mountains near Waterville Valley. Far below you is Owl's Head Mountain, rising out of the Franconia and Lincoln Brook Valleys. The pointy peaks of Mt. Flume and Mt. Liberty and the lofty Franconia Ridge make up the Franconia Range to your right. Cannon Mountain and North Kinsman can be seen over the side of Mt. Lafayette. To the north are the very distant mountains in Vermont and the Great North Woods. Most noticeable are the Pliny and Pilot Ranges and the closer Cherry Mountain.

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