Lafayette Place Campground

Tent sites at the Franconia Ridge trailhead.

Ninety-seven wooded tent sites in the middle of Franconia Notch State Park, steps from the Falling Waters and Old Bridle Path trails up Franconia Ridge. The Flume, the Basin and Echo Lake are a few minutes away, and the paved recreation path runs past the campground. It suits hikers and tent campers; there are no hookups and no pets.

At a glance

Sites

97 wooded tent sites, including 4 platforms

Hookups

None; generators off during quiet hours

Showers

Coin-operated, open 24 hours

Pets

Not allowed in the campground

Reservations

Opens 11 months ahead at 8 am (9 am weekends); $7 fee

What’s here

• Tent sites
• Showers
• Open in winter

Gear, rentals and guides

• Echo Lake boat rentals

  NH State Parks rents kayaks, canoes and paddleboards at Echo Lake beach, by the hour or day.

• AMC Greenleaf Hut

  Appalachian Mountain Club hut below Mount Lafayette, reached from the campground by the Old Bridle Path.

• Lahout’s Summit Shop

  Outdoor gear shop on Main Street in Lincoln for rain shells, boots and last-minute camping supplies.

• The Mountain Wanderer

  Lincoln map and guidebook store, run by a White Mountains guidebook author.

Where to stay

• hotelRiverWalk Resort at Loon Mountain

  Modern resort hotel in Lincoln with suites and pools, near the Loon Mountain base.

  15 min drive
• innWoodstock Inn Brewery

  Rooms in North Woodstock above one of New Hampshire’s busiest brewpubs.

  15 min drive
• innFranconia Inn

  Classic country inn in the Easton Valley with a pool, tennis and Cannon views.

  25 min drive

Nearby

• Franconia Ridge loop · From the campground

  The classic hike from the campground: up Falling Waters, along the open ridge over Little Haystack and Lincoln to Lafayette, and down the Old Bridle Path. A long, steep day.

• Flume Gorge · 10 min drive

  Boardwalks through a narrow granite gorge with waterfalls and covered bridges; timed tickets.

• The Basin · 5 min drive

  A glacier-carved granite pothole on the Pemigewasset, a short walk from the parkway.

• Old Man of the Mountain Profile Plaza · 15 min drive

  Memorial on Profile Lake where steel profilers recreate the famous ledge face that fell in 2003.

• Woodstock Inn Brewery · 15 min drive

  Big, busy brewpub with a porch and post-hike burgers.

Getting there

• Manchester–Boston Regional (MHT) · about 2 hr drive
• Boston · about 2.75 hr
• Montreal · about 4 hr

Directions in Google Maps