Mt. Garfield Hike

Garfield Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, 10 miles roundtrip.

Mike & Jon, Dave, Rick, John, Junior & John, Bob, Fred and Mo did a hike up Mt. Garfield [4,500’]. We arrived at the trailhead for 9AM -- and the parking lot was completely full! We were a group of ten, one of the largest Jon and I have led this year!

It started as a mostly cloudy day but it turned into sunny skies in the early afternoon. We started amid lovely foliage and encountered winter like conditions further up. We took the Mt. Garfield Trail up to the ridge and then west on the Garfield Ridge Trail. What a gorgeous fall hike!

The Garfield Trail is long but practically flat. We walked along, chatting pleasantly and enjoying the colors. We encountered a few recent fallen trees from this week’s nor’easter. We came across a group of ten and for the remainder of the day we leap frogged each other. Sometimes we were intermingled with each other. Other times, it was difficult to keep a head count, counting members of the other group by mistake. All in good fun!

There were a few stream crossings. We all made it through just fine, except for Rick, who decided to just put his boots in the water and cross. Soon we started climbing up the seven switchbacks and as we climbed further up, the trees became coated with hoar frost. Magical!

We reached the Garfield Ridge Trail and decided to put on our MicroSpikes. From here, it was a short .2 mile climb to the top. Now we were beginning to feel the cold.

The upper summit forecast for the day was a high of 42 with winds of 15 mph. We had felt warm with few layers on our ascent thus far, due to the fact that we had been sheltered in the trees for the entire hike. However, now that we were coming out of the trees and making the final push toward the summit, the cold was making itself known, so we put on another layer.

This was our first real uphill climbing all day. We made it to the top -- and there were not many people up there.  Our group picture on the summit is a reminder why winter hiking is so nice!

Mt. Garfield has a reputation for being a mountain with spectacular views. However, it was cloudy when we arrived but the sun was trying to make an appearance. We didn't stay at the summit for long since it was chilly and breezy. We wanted to get back down those .2 miles, into the trees and out of the wind. So down we went.

Soon afterward, the cloud lifted a bit, long enough for Jon to snap pictures of the valley through the trees (and curse at our luck for not being on the peak during this moment…LOL.

We got back to the trail junction, sat and had lunch. Throughout the day, we encountered lots of dogs having a good time!

We started our descent talking and having a good time. When we came to the stream crossings, we were experienced with this by now, and crossed with more confidence than what we had earlier this morning.

After the hike, most of us returned back to our house, the Mad River Lodge, enjoying appetizers and beverages before dinner. Jon cooked up another delicious gourmet dinner that we all raved about!

It was a lovely hike. Thanks for the great company, everyone!

Mike and Jon

This ledge top four thousand footer has one of the premier viewing perches in the Whites for peak foliage!

The round trip is a moderate 10 miles with 3,000' of elevation with unforgettable views! Mt. Garfield, located northeast of Mt. Lafayette and Franconia Ridge in New Hampshire's White Mountains in the 14th highest among the 4,000 foot peaks. What makes this mountain stand out from many of the other White Mountains in the relative ease of the hike to top via the Garfield Trail from the Gale River Loop Road [off Route 3] and the grand view from the top looking at the Pemigewasset Wilderness towards the south! The last .2 mile on Garfield Ridge Trail is the only steep section to the magnificent 360 degree views from the 4500' summit.

We’ll be using the Mt. Garfield Trail, an old tractor road, hence the grades are easy and the footing is good. While there are no views along the trail, the views from the summit are excellent. If this is the first time on this peak, you climb in the forest, emerge over a ridge and then you'll get WOWED with the view of the Pemigewasset Wilderness!

We may encounter winter like conditions this time of year so be prepared! Please have the appropriate gear/clothing to hike this time of year and the appropriate amount of layers to keep your core body warm. We recommend hiking boots, wool hat, gloves, hand warmers, NO COTTON. Carry at least 2 liters of water, lunch and snacks.

After The Hike: Everyone is welcome to join us back our house for dinner. You may want to bring a change of clothing to be more comfortable and can use our showers. We ask $10 to pay for our food costs and it’s BYOB.

Lodging Option: We have 8 bunks available at our house near Waterville Valley, NH for Friday night at $25 per night and for Saturday night at $35 [includes dinner]. Coffee/bagels each morning and linen/blankets/towels are provided. We have limited space in the fridge to store your beverages/food so it's best to bring a small cooler. Space is limited so email us ASAP to reserve a bunk!