New Hampshire · Hiking

Greenleaf

GreenleafPhoto: Wesman83, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
2.2 mi
round trip
1,214 ft
climb
5,234 ft
high point
Out and back
route

Greenleaf is an easy out-and-back hike in the Pemigewasset Roadless Area of northern New Hampshire, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is about 2.2 miles long, with a total elevation gain of about 1,214 feet, and it starts at roughly 4,150 feet, reaching a high point of about 5,234 feet. The route is rolling, and the steepest stretch comes at about 0.76 miles in, where the grade reaches 34%. Bikes are allowed on the natural-surface trail. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Mt Washington weather station show July highs around 55°F and lows near 44°F, with no snow days. That station sits about 1,000 feet higher than the trail, so temperatures on the hike run a little warmer. Climbers will find WM: Franconia Notch about 0.6 miles away and Eagle Cliff about 0.7 miles away. The Pemi Trail is about 0.8 miles off, and Liberty Springs campground is about 3 miles away.

  • Best time to go

    Best time to visit Greenleaf

    No month here meets our mild-weather rule. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      15° / -3°

      20 wet · 20 snow

    2. Feb

      15° / -3°

      18 wet · 18 snow

    3. Mar

      21° / 5°

      20 wet · 18 snow

    4. Apr

      31° / 17°

      18 wet · 13 snow

    5. May

      42° / 30°

      18 wet · 7 snow

    6. Jun

      51° / 40°

      17 wet · 2 snow

    7. Jul

      55° / 44°

      17 wet

    8. Aug

      54° / 43°

      15 wet

    9. Sep

      49° / 37°

      14 wet · 2 snow

    10. Oct

      38° / 25°

      18 wet · 9 snow

    11. Nov

      28° / 13°

      19 wet · 15 snow

    12. Dec

      20° / 3°

      21 wet · 19 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Mt Washington, NH, 19.3 mi away at 6,267 ft. The station sits about 1,000 ft higher than this place, so expect it a little warmer here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Pemi TrailPhoto: Jeff Egnaczyk from Brookline, MA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Pemi Trail

~1 min drive

1.23-mile out-and-back trail in New Hampshire with 121 ft gain.

Hi-Cannon TrailPhoto: matt.a, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Hi-Cannon Trail

~4 min drive

1.41-mile out-and-back trail in New Hampshire with 1,292 ft gain.

Twin BrookPhoto: Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Twin Brook

~6 min drive

5.20-mile out-and-back trail in New Hampshire with 2,197 ft of elevation gain.

Kinsman Ridge TrailPhoto: matt.a, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Kinsman Ridge Trail

~7 min drive

4.38-mile out-and-back trail in New Hampshire with 1,608 ft gain.

Notch-Way TrailPhoto: Ktr101, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Notch-Way Trail

~3 min drive

2.96-mile out-and-back trail in New Hampshire with 497 ft elevation gain

Owls Head PathPhoto: matt.a, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Owls Head Path

~5 min drive

0.89-mile out-and-back trail with 1,465 ft elevation gain in New Hampshire.

Flume SlidePhoto: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Flume Slide

~7 min drive

4.27-mile out-and-back trail in New Hampshire with 2,271 ft elevation gain.

Loop TrailPhoto: Ktr101, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Loop Trail

~4 min drive

0.76-mile out-and-back out-and-back in New Hampshire with 390 ft gain.

Franconia Ridge TrailPhoto: matt.a, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Franconia Ridge Trail

~7 min drive

2.64-mile out-and-back trail in New Hampshire with 1,120 ft gain and 4,382 ft max elevation.

Garfield Ridge TrailPhoto: timsackton, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Garfield Ridge Trail

~8 min drive

5.04-mile out-and-back trail in New Hampshire with 2,341 ft elevation gain

Route details

Distance
2.2 mi round trip
Climbing
About 1,214 ft
Summit
5,239 ft
Difficulty
Moderate
Time
About 1.5 hours

Season

Season: Year-round.

Questions about this route

How long is the Greenleaf on Mount Lafayette?

About 2.2 mi round trip.

How much elevation gain is on the Greenleaf?

About 1,214 ft of climbing round trip.

How hard is the Greenleaf?

It is rated moderate.

How long does the Greenleaf take?

About 1.5 hours round trip.

When is the best time for the Greenleaf?

Year-round.

Conditions and forecast on Mount Lafayette

Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.