Owl’s Head is probably the hardest to get to single 4,000 foot peak in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The quickest route to the summit is 9.1 miles right into the heart of the Pemigiwasset Wilderness. It features a lot of flat hiking from the Lincoln woods trail, but ends with a quick and steep ascent on the rockslides on Owl’s Head that face the east side of Franconia Ridge. Though this is a long hike, the views on the slide are fantastic, and the Lincoln Brook Trail is a beautiful path along the river with gorgeous rock formations. Camping is a fantastic option here.
Height:Â 4,025 feet
Distance:Â 18.2 miles
Difficulty:Â Difficult
Elevation Gain:Â 2,992 feet
Hike Time:Â 6-10 hours
Trail Map
Trails
Lincoln Woods Trail
This trail begins by crossing an incredible bridge over the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River and continues on very flat ground for 2.6 miles until you reach the bridge crossing Franconia Brook. The trail goes along an old logging railroad, so it is flat, wide, and features old railroad ties. You will take a left turn onto the Franconia Brook Trail.
Lincoln Brook Trail
After taking a left onto the Franconia Brook Trail towards the Lincoln Brook trail, you will continue on relatively flat ground for 1.7 miles before turning left onto the Lincoln Brook Trail. This trail goes along the beautiful Lincoln brook, and provides a lot of space for potential stealth campsites, and many stopping points for river watching or taking a dip.
Owl’s Head Path
The Owl’s Head path is a quick 1.1 miles up to the summit. A portion of this trail is a rock slide with very loose rocks that can be difficult to climb. Caution is recommended here. The views of Franconia Ridge are fantastic from this trail.
Bushwack (Avoiding the river crossings) via the Black Pond Trail
Hikers can choose to avoid the major river crossings, that may involve taking off boots with relatively high water on the Lincoln Brook Trail. Hikers can take the .8 mile black pond trail and bushwack towards the Lincoln Brook Trail. It meets up with Lincoln brook around 1.2 miles later just after the toughest river crossing. This route is less traveled and not maintained, so travel can be difficult. It does however save .5 miles or more. When bushwacking, it is always important to know what you are doing. Carry a map and compass.
The Summit Of Owl’s Head
If you are a peak bagger, or just want to make sure you touch the actual summit, you must continue along the summit on a not so well traveled trail. You will find a Cairn at the actual summit. It can be a little difficult to find, and is slightly longer than you expect from the real trail (Between .1 and .2 miles).
Directions
Directions to Lincoln Woods Trailhead:
Other Routes
You can access Owl’s Head from the north side of the Pemi Wilderness from various trails. This peak is often summited by hikers doing a “half pemi loop”. If you have any questions about going from the north directions, let us know and we can help out.
Weather Forecast
Lincoln, NH
Today
A slight chance of snow showers between noon and 4pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 8. Wind chill values as low as -13. West wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Tonight
Partly cloudy, with a low around -1. Wind chill values as low as -16. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Wednesday
A chance of snow showers after 5pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 17. Wind chill values as low as -14. Southwest wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Wednesday Night
A chance of snow showers before 7pm, then snow likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 13. Wind chill values as low as -2. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.
Thursday
A chance of snow. Partly sunny, with a high near 26. West wind 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.
Thursday Night
A chance of snow before 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 8. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Friday
A slight chance of snow between 9am and 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 13.
Max DesMarais is the founder of myoutdoorbasecamp.com. He has a passion for the outdoors and making outdoor education and adventure more accessible. Max is a published author for various outdoor adventure, travel, and marketing websites. He is an experienced hiker, backpacker, fly fisherman, backcountry skier, trail runner, and spends his free time in the outdoors. These adventures allow him to test gear, learn new skills, and experience new places so that he can educate others. Max grew up hiking all around New Hampshire and New England. He became obsessed with the New Hampshire mountains, and the NH 48, where he guided hikes and trail runs in the White Mountains. Since moving out west, Max has continued climbed all of the Colorado 14ers, completed multiple ultra marathons, including the 100 mile Run Rabbit Run, is always testing gear, learning skills, gaining experience, and building his endurance for outdoor sports. You can read more about his experience here: hikingandfishing/about
