Owl's Head

Trip Summary: Owl's Head Elevation: 4,025 ft
Views: none at the summit; some along the trail
Total Distance: 18.2 miles
Difficulty: Easy through the woods, but Difficult up the mountain
Estimated Time: 8-10hrs

Directions: From I-93, take exit 32 toward Lincoln, then turn left onto Rt-112E (the Kancamagus Hwy). Go for about 5 miles, through Lincoln and on past Loon Mountain Ski Resort on your right. The Lincoln Woods parking lot is on your left. It is a large lot with outhouse facilities available and a ranger station. However, it is a popular trailhead for many hikes and tourists, so it fills up quickly. There is a $5 fee for a day pass payable by card or cash, and then display the receipt on your car dashboard. (Or, out on Rt-112, before you cross the East Pemi bridge, you can park alongside the road for free, and there is a path that links up to the trail.)

Large parking lot at Lincoln Woods	Pay for parking terminal

From the ranger station, head down the stairs, then left toward the river. Cross over the East Branch Pemigewasset River via the 160ft suspension bridge. On the other side, go right onto the Lincoln Woods Trail.

Ranger Station at Lincoln Woods	Take the stairs down toward the river

Cross over the suspension bridge	Turn right onto Lincoln Woods Trail

The Lincoln Woods Trail is an easy stroll through the woods along the west bank of the river. It is a fairly wide, straight and flat path, which was the former track for a logging railroad. There are still places where the old railroad ties poke through.

Wide easy trail with old railroad ties	Hiking alongside the East Branch Pemi River

After 1.4 miles, the Osseo Trail will split off to the left, heading up to Mt. Flume and the Franconia Ridge. After another 1.2 miles, you will have the option to take the Black Pond Bushwhack which will shorten your trip by about half a mile each way, but it's not an official or well-marked trail. So if you'd rather not risk getting lost in the woods, you can continue until the Franconia Brook Trail turnoff. I will describe both options here.

Via Black Pond Bushwhack

Turn left onto the Black Pond Trail, well marked with yellow rectangles. This is an easy trail winding through the woods, with only slight ups and downs. After about 0.8 miles, you will come upon Black Pond and an opening by the shore with a lovely view over the water.

Turn left onto Black Pond Trail	View over Black Pond

From this point, you will continue straight into the woods in the direction where the trail ends. There is an initial wet marshy section, but then a path forms heading a bit to the right. This is a totally unmarked path, but enough hikers have used it by now that you can probably make it out. I did it after the leaves had fallen, so I was able to follow the trodden down leaves easily enough.

From the lookout, head straight on into the woods	Navigate this initial soggy section

This path is not difficult, but quite a bit more up and down, winding through the woods. If you manage to follow it all the way, it will connect up with the Lincoln Brook Trail right after the first river crossing.

Via Franconia Brook Trail

Continue on Lincoln Woods Trail for another 0.3 miles. Here you will find a side trail heading left up to Franconia Falls and a long bridge crossing the Franconia Brook.

Across the bridge is the official beginning of the Pemigewasset Wilderness. A few steps further and you will come to a main intersection. The Boncliff Trail heads off to the right, but you will head up the hill to the left on the Franconia Brook Trail.

Now entering Pemi Wilderness	End of the Lincoln Woods Trail

Head left onto the Franconia Brook Trail	Two trails diverge in the wood

This is another fairly easy trail, not as wide, but still just an old straight logging trail. You will go over three small brook crossings. There is one place where it loops around a marshy area on a smaller, unmarked trail through the woods, but then rejoins the straight logging trail again. After 1.7 miles, turn left onto the Lincoln Brook Trail.

A few shallow brook crossings	Turn left onto the Lincoln Brook Trail

This is a small, winding, gradual trail. After a little ways you will begin to hear and see the wide Franconia Brook, which you will then need to climb down the bank to cross. This might be a bit harder when the water is high. The trail continues to the right of the massive boulder.

A little ways further you will cross over the smaller Lincoln Brook. On the far bank is where the Black Ponds Bushwhack will join in from the left (thus avoiding these two stream crossings). 

From here, it is a lovely little trail following along the left bank of the Lincoln Brook, still fairly easy, just watch out for slippery wet rocks. This is a long stretch that goes on for miles. Finally you will cross back over the much smaller Lincoln Brook leaving it on your left.

to Owl's Head summit

A little further up the trail you will find a flattened out area on the left that people have used as a campsite. Just past that, you will find the Owl's Head Path turn uphill to the right. It's not an official trail, so there's no sign, but hikers have built up a cairn around a long stick to mark the turnoff.

The unmarked right turn onto Owl's Head Path

The next mile or so is the hardest part of the trail. It is a steep climb up loose rocks that may regularly shift under your feet. Use great care.

Along the way up is a break in the trees that offer your only views of this hike over to the Franconia Ridge. The best lighting will be in the a.m. hours while the sun is still behind you.

Westward views to the Franconia Ridge (click to enlarge)

You still have a ways to go up the loose rocks. Eventually the trees will become more spaced out and the incline will become less steep. When you come to a small clearing that feels like the top, you've reached the 'false peak'. The path continues to your left, winding along the ridge for another few tenths of a mile. Along the way you can peek through the trees for an easterly view of the Bond ridge.

Looking out through the trees to the East

Finally the path dead ends into the real summit, which is nothing more than a little grove of trees without underbrush, where hikers have built a cairn against one trunk.

Owl's Head summit	summit cairn

Now you get to look forward to the nine mile hike back the way you came.

Official Trail Map: (click to enlarge)