| Mount Lafayette | |
|---|---|
 Mount Lafayette as viewed fromFranconia Ridge. Hikers are visible hiking through thekrummholz in thecol. | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 5,249 ft (1,600 m) NAVD 88[1] |
| Prominence | 3,320 ft (1,010 m)[2] |
| Parent peak | Mount Monroe |
| Listing | White Mountain 4000-footers; #4New England Fifty Finest |
| Coordinates | 44°09′39″N71°38′40″W / 44.160704542°N 71.644360922°W /44.160704542; -71.644360922[1] |
| Geography | |
   | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Hampshire |
| District | Grafton County |
| Subdivision | Franconia |
| Parent range | Franconia Range |
| Topo map | USGS Franconia |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hike from trailheads directly offInterstate 93 |
Mount Lafayette is a 5,249-foot (1,600 m)[1] mountain at the northern end of theFranconia Range in theWhite Mountains ofNew Hampshire, United States. It lies in the town ofFranconia inGrafton County, and appears on theNew England Fifty Finest list of the most topographicallyprominent peaks inNew England. The mountain's upper reaches are located in thealpine 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 ofFranconia Notch. It is the sixth highest peak inNew Hampshire and the highest outside of thePresidential Range.[3] It is the second most prominent peak in the state.[4]
On the western side, its lower slopes lie insideFranconia Notch State Park. The remainder of the mountain lies within theWhite Mountain National Forest. The summit marks the western border of thePemigewasset 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 theCannon Mountain tramway and ascends to theAppalachian Mountain Club'sGreenleaf Hut, then continues to the summit. The Bridle Path trail follows a western spur ridge of Lafayette from Lafayette Place Campground onInterstate 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 toMount Garfield, and the Franconia Ridge Trail, which leads south to MountsLincoln,Liberty, andFlume. Both the Garfield Ridge Trail and the Franconia Ridge Trail form part of theAppalachian Trail.
A very popular hike is to make a loop combining the three most notable summits of the Franconia Range. The loop starts with the Old Bridle Path to the AMC Greenleaf Hut. From there, one takes the Greenleaf Trail to the summit of Mt. Lafayette. Turning south along the Franconia Ridge Trail, one passes over Mount Lincoln andLittle Haystack, then descends via the Falling Waters Trail, which connects back with the beginning of the Old Bridle Path. This loop is 8.9 miles (14.3 km) long, with acumulative elevation gain of about 3,900 feet (1,200 m).
The mountain is named to honor GeneralGilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette, a French military hero who fought with and significantly aided theContinental Army during theAmerican Revolutionary War. Loved and adopted as an aide byGeorge Washington during the conflict,[5] Lafayette made a triumphal tour re-visiting New Hampshire and all the other then states in 1824-1825[6] celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill.[7]
| Climate data for Mount Lafayette 44.1578 N, 71.6427 W, Elevation: 4,793 ft (1,461 m) (1991–2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 16.8 (−8.4) | 18.5 (−7.5) | 25.0 (−3.9) | 41.0 (5.0) | 54.3 (12.4) | 62.9 (17.2) | 67.8 (19.9) | 65.7 (18.7) | 58.5 (14.7) | 46.7 (8.2) | 30.9 (−0.6) | 22.3 (−5.4) | 42.5 (5.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 9.1 (−12.7) | 10.3 (−12.1) | 17.2 (−8.2) | 31.1 (−0.5) | 44.6 (7.0) | 53.8 (12.1) | 58.8 (14.9) | 57.1 (13.9) | 50.1 (10.1) | 38.1 (3.4) | 24.6 (−4.1) | 14.9 (−9.5) | 34.1 (1.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 1.4 (−17.0) | 2.2 (−16.6) | 9.3 (−12.6) | 21.1 (−6.1) | 34.8 (1.6) | 44.7 (7.1) | 49.9 (9.9) | 48.4 (9.1) | 41.7 (5.4) | 29.5 (−1.4) | 18.3 (−7.6) | 7.6 (−13.6) | 25.7 (−3.5) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 5.70 (145) | 4.33 (110) | 5.60 (142) | 5.23 (133) | 6.59 (167) | 8.96 (228) | 7.38 (187) | 6.64 (169) | 5.98 (152) | 7.02 (178) | 6.31 (160) | 6.87 (174) | 76.61 (1,945) |
| Source: PRISM Climate Group[8] | |||||||||||||
To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clickingCoordinates (underLocation); copyLatitude andLongitude figures from top of table; clickZoom to location; clickPrecipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp; click30-year normals, 1991-2020; click800m; clickRetrieve Time Series button.
| Principal author |  | |
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| American Revolution | ||
| French Revolution | ||
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