Lonesome Lake Trail is a 3.1 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Lincoln, New Hampshire that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, camping, and snowshoeing and is best used from May until October. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
dogs on leash
kid friendly
camping
hiking
snowshoeing
walking
beach
forest
lake
river
views
wild flowers
wildlife
Directions from Lincoln or Franconia, NH: This trail is located in the southern most parking area of Lafayette Campground which is located on I-93 about midway between the towns of Lincoln and Franconia.
Easily found the trailhead. Parking was difficult, but not impossible. There were so many people hiking that it made it difficult to keep a good pace. The climb to the lake was fairly steep and wet. We did the lake loop and up to Cannon. Nice trails. Well-maintained.
the view tho
We went up cascade brook trail to the lake and then down lonesome lake trail then took the pemi trail back to the basin lot to make a loop. pemi trail was a bit overgrown. loved lonesome lake!
Let me start out by saying I am not an experienced hiker so for those that are, this review may not seem all that accurate. This was a decent hike with a couple of steep spots. Many hikers we passed had poles to help with the climb which in certain areas could have been helpful as there were a few inclines on the dirt that made it a little "slippery". However my hiking sneakers seemed to work just fine. Leave the little ones at home! Definitely a great workout in a very peaceful setting.
This trail is back open after a period of maintenance. If you are looking for a hike that is reasonably challenging without taking up your entire day, this is a fantastic option. The trail starts off fairly level, but then quickly ramps up in steepness, only to reward you by evening out just before the lake. I have done this hike twice (so far!), and found myself struck by the overwhelming feeling of peace and tranquility upon reaching the lake. Even the few people that were swimming by the dock this morning couldn't compete with the sound of the breeze and the birds. From there, it is an easy stroll along the lake's shore, allowing you beautiful views of the Kinsmans, Cannon Mountain, and Franconia Ridge. If you want to put in a longer day, there are several trails allowing you the option to summit Cannon and/or the Kinsmans. Otherwise, it's amazing how roughly an hour's ascent is enough to take you a world away. Killer refreshments at the hut, too. Took us short of two and a half hours altogether, including several breaks along the way and a brief stop at the hut.
We actually started up only to find the trail was closed so we took the Detour which was hard but only about 1 1/2 miles We then took the cascade trail back down. Was a beautiful trail down