"Lincoln Woods Trail" from White Mountain Guide, 30th Ed. (2017)
Lincoln Wood Trail runs for 2.9mi along the west side of the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River, from the Kancamagus Highway (NH 112) to a footbridge over Franconia Brook, forming a central artery from which several trails diverge and lead to various destinations near and in the western part of the Pemigewasset Wilderness. Lincoln Woods Trail follows the wide bed of a logging railroad that last operated in 1948. The trail begins at a large parking area with USFS information center on the north side of the road (sign: Lincoln Woods), just east of the highway bridge over the East Branch, 5.6mi from the information center at I-93, Exit 32 in Lincoln and 0.3mi beyond the Hancock Campground. This trail receives extremely heavy use, and camping is strictly regulated (See p. 151 for camping regulations). The area along the East Branch was heavily damaged by the 2011 storm, and in many places, the high, steep riverbanks have been severely undercut, creating a serious hazard for hikers who approach too close to the edge.
Note: The suspension footbridge that crossed the East Branch 5.4mi from the Lincoln Woods trailhead was removed in 2009. Advanced route planning is essential. If you are starting your hike at Lincoln Woods, be sure to start on the correct side of the East Branch, depending on your destination. [...]. Do not rely on crossing the river at either the Franconia Brook Tentsite or the site of the former suspension bridge. A former 0.7mi section of the Wilderness Trail on the north side of the river and west of the bridge site has been closed. (This bridge removal does not affect the suspension bridge location at the Lincoln Woods Trailhead).
Leaving the parking lot, Lincoln Woods runs across the deck of the information center and descends a wooden stairway to the left, swings left past a kiosk and crosses the East Branch on a suspension bridge, then turns right and follows the railroad bed along the river, climbing almost imperceptibly. At 0.7mi the trail skis to the left of a major washout from the 2011 storm, with a view over the river to Mt. Hitchcock. Soon the trail crosses Osseo Brook over a culvert and follows it upstream, and at 1.4mi Osseo Trail diverges left to follow Osseo Brook up its valley. Lincoln Woods Trail soon passes the old logging camp 8 clearing on the left, and at 1.8mi, by a piece of old rail, the trail comes close to the river’s edge, where a fine view upstream to Bondcliff can be obtained from the rocks just off the trail.
Soon the trail crosses Birch Island Brook on a bridge, and a long straightaway leads to the jct with Black Pond Trail on the left at 2.6mi. At 2.9mi, just before the bridge across Franconia Brook, Franconia Falls Trail diverges left. From this jct, Lincoln Woods Trail descends ahead to cross Franconia Brook on a footbridge. About 50yd beyond the Franconia Brook footbridge, Lincoln Woods Trail ends at the Pemigewasset Wilderness boundary. Here, Franconia Brook Trail climbs the bank on the left (north) and Bondcliff Trail (formerly a section of Wilderness Trail) diverges right (east). (Note: Use of a former route leading from the north end of the footbridge to a crossing of the East Branch is discouraged because the step stones have mostly been swept away, and the river crossing is often dangerous).
"Franconia Brook Trail" from White Mountain Guide, 30th Ed. (2017)
This trail runs from a jct. With Lincoln Woods Trail and Bondcliff Trail, 2.9 mi. from the Kancamagus Highway, to Garfield Ridge Trail, 0.9 mi. east of the summit of Mt. Garfield, thus connecting the Pemigewasset East Branch valley with the Franconia-Garfield ridge crest. Practically the entire Franconia Brook Trail is in the Pemigewasset Wilderness. The many significant brook crossings may be difficult in high water.
The trail diverges north from the jct. about 50 yd. beyond the footbridge across Franconia Brook, at the boundary of the Pemigewasset Wilderness, and climbs up a steep bank to an old railroad grade, which the trail follows north. The trail crosses Camp 9 Brook at 0.5 mi. and 0.7 mi., and swings right at 1.0 mi. off the railroad grade onto a muddy bypass around a section flooded by an enthusiastic beaver colony, with glimpses of Owl’s Head Mtn. across the swamp. The trail crosses Camp 9 Brook again, turns sharply left back along the brook (avoid the beaten path leading ahead into another swamp), climbs its bank, and soon rejoins the railroad grade, turning sharply right onto the grade at 1.3 mi. In the reverse direction, take care to make the left turn off the railroad grade and the right turn at the brook crossing. The trail continues to the jct. with Lincoln Brook Trail, which diverges left (west) at 1.7 mi.
[...].
"Lincoln Brook Trail" from White Mountain Guide, 30th Ed. (2017)
The trail begins and ends on Franconia Brook Trail, and together these two tails make a complete circuit around the base of Owl’s Head Mtn. The south jct. is 1.7 mi. north of the bridge over Franconia Brook, and the north jct. is near 13 Falls Campsite, 5.2 mi. from the bridge. (Caution: crossing of Franconis Brook and the first crossing of Lincoln Brook - may be very difficult and potentially dangerous at high water. North of the jct. with Owl’s Head Path, sections of this trail may be difficult to follow.) The entire trail is in the Pemigewasset Wilderness.
Turning left (west) off Franconia Brook Trail at the south jct., Lincoln Brook Trail leads southwest through the woods above an area flooded by beavers then descends gradually and bears right onto an old railroad bed just before the crossing of Franconia Brook at 0.5 mi. In another 0.4 mi., after crossing a minor brook, the trail crosses Lincoln Brook from the north to the south side. These two major crossings are not easy even at moderate water levels and are very difficult and potentially dangerous in high water, at which time other hiking options should be considered. If water levels are high, it may be safer for hikers who are traveling south on Lincoln Brook Trail from the Owl’s Head area to bushwhack south along the west side of Lincoln Brook and Franconia Brook, at times following obscure paths, eventually reaching either Franconia Falls Trail or Black Pond Trail.
Beyond the Lincoln Brook crossing, Lincoln Brook Trail follows the brook upstream on a long northward curve, at 1.8 mi. passing the first of several small but attractive cascades. The trail traverses a rough section along the bank then crosses a brook at 2.2 mi. After a short climb it bears left onto an old railroad grade that is muddy in places and then crosses the larger Liberty Brook at 2.8 mi. Soon the trail swings left and right through the small Camp 12 clearing, climbs left to bypass a muddy stretch, rejoins the road, and crosses Lincoln Brook (sometimes difficult) to the east side at 3.0 mi. After a rougher stretch, at 3.4 mi. The trail passes the jct. On the right with Owl’s Head Path, marked only by a cairn, beyond which Lincoln Brook Trail receives much less use. It climbs the slope well above the brook, becoming rough at times, then descends to cross Lincoln Brook again at 4.3 mi.
"Owl’s Head Path" from White Mountain Guide, 30th Ed. (2017)
This unofficial, unmaintained path ascends the slide on the west side of this remote mountain, starting from Lincoln Brook Trail 3.4 mi. from its south jct. with Franconia Brook Trail and 0.4 mi. beyond the second crossing of Lincoln Brook. At the slide, Lincoln Brook is nearly on the west, and the steep mountainside rises immediately to the east. In 2016 this jct. was marked by a cairl, but USFS regulations prohibit the marking of unofficial paths in Wilderness Areas, so hikers should be prepared to find the beginning of the path - and the path itself - without signs or other markings. The path begins just beyond a mossy flat area to the right of the trail. Caution: The slide is very steep and rough, and though considerably overgrown, it is still potentially dangerous due to loose rock and smooth ledges, especially when wet. Great care should be taken both ascending and descending.
Leaving Lincoln Brook Trail, Owl’s Head Path climbs through dense evergreens, briefly to the right of the narrow slide track, then jonis it and soon emerges on a steep swath of gravel and loose rock. Owl’s Head Path quickly reaches the open part of the slide, which provides good views of the Lincoln Brook valley and Franconia Ridge. The slide has no well defined path; the most-used route, marked by occasional cairns, follows a winding course with a few ledge scrambles. Open ledges at about 2,950 ft. offer the best views and a convenient spot for a rest stop. Above here, one route enters the woods on the right and follows a steep and eroded beaten path, while another climbs the upper open part of the slide to the left. Above the top of the slide, 0.3 mi. and 700 ft. above Lincoln Brook Trail, is a small spring spurting from the rock like a fountain, which unfortunately is not completely reliable. The two routes rejoin, and the path continues up a very steep and rough pitch on an old section of the slide track that trees have reclaimed.
Higher up, the path exits to the left from the track (on the descent, avoid a beaten path continuing ahead at a point where the main path bears right and down) and climbs steeply northeast on a well-trodden but very rough footway usually littered with numerous blowdowns. The path continues climbing steadily up to the ridge, which is reached at 0.7 mi., then swings left and runs near the crest with minor ups and downs. At 0.8 mi., after climbing a short pitch, the path crosses a small clearing at the top of a 4,005-ft. Knob, which had been regarded as the true summit for many years. The well-beaten path continues meandering north along the ridge, descending slightly and rising easily to the true summit (4,025 ft.), marked by a cairn in 2016, at 1.0 mi. (This or other markings may not always be present in the future.)
The path continuing north from the “old” true summit to the “new” true summit is now easy to follow for experienced hikers, although there are occasional faint paths that diverge and merge; in particular, in the reverse direction there is a fork where a false path diverges left and the correct path leads to the right. Interesting though restricted views are sometimes obtained around the summit area from blowdown patches; if this summit was not densely wooded, it would afford one of the finest views in the mountains due to its strategic location in the center of the great horseshoe formed by the ridge running from the Franconias to the Bonds.
"Nary a road blemishes New Hampshire's largest Wilderness, a bastion of hardwoods further insulated by a series of raggedly beautiful peaks that extend beyond the tree line and drain in-to the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River. If you make it past these welcome obstacles, prepare to enjoy New England backpacking at its best. The "Pemi" is so secluded, in fact, that I've run across many a moose, deer, even a fox and a black bear. Loggers removed almost the entire forest cover between 1890 and 1940, but 55 years of regeneration have eliminated virtually all signs of that era. The sharp, narrow Franconia Range and Twin Range form a horseshoe around the western portion of the area, with the Franconia threatening to challenge the Presidential Range for the title of Premier Peak. Mount Bond's crags and ledges demarcate the central northern boundary, and the Bondcliffs, just southwest of Mount Bond, quietly flaunt a vista across mountains and forests that show no trace of human interference. This is one of the few places in New Hampshire that can confess to boasting such a flawless view. The Wilderness flattens in the eastern portion, an area sometimes referred to as the Desolation Region for having withstood devastating logging operations. But despite the bad rap, the Desolation Region contains lovely Thoreau Falls, Ethan Pond, and Shoal Pond. The Lincoln Woods Trail leaves a parking lot on the Kancamagus Highway, then crosses the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River on a 160-foot-long suspension bridge. At that point it turns east to enter the Wilderness and become the Wilderness Trail, which continues to travel upstream for a combined total of about nine miles along the East Branch. This trail, possibly the most trekked upon in the White Mountains, follows an old railway bed. Camping is forbidden within one-quarter mile of the Wilderness Trail. At least nine well-maintained trails leave the Wilderness Trail to provide foot access to the area. The Appalachian Trail follows the northern border."
