| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
13 Falls Campsite, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Lincoln Woods Trail, Black Pond Trail, bushwhack, Lincoln Brook Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, July 13, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Still a good number of parking spaces at Lincoln Woods at 8:30 Saturday morning. The parking area overflowed later Saturday morning, and plenty of cars were parked along the Kanc when I got back just after 1 PM on Sunday. Volunteer rangers (including a friend of mine!) were talking with hikers at the trailhead. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All crossings on Lincoln Brook Trail (past the Black Pond Bushwhack) are doable, but the rocks are wet and slippery so major care is required. You may need to step on rocks with 1-2 inches of water on them, but nothing more than that. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Several blowdowns on Lincoln Brook Trail. Extensive wet, muddy, and eroded sections on Lincoln Brook Trail, and some mud on the Black Pond Bushwhack as well. All signs (at least those that mark the actual trails) are there - no signs for the Black Pond Bushwhack or Owl's Head Path, but both are pretty obvious. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw plenty. These would be good trails for them. |
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 | Bugs: |
Not an issue while I was moving. There were plenty around whenever I stopped, but they generally weren't bothersome. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
A blue bandanna was lying on the ground near the northern junction of Franconia Brook Trail and Lincoln Brook Trail (very close to 13 Falls campsite). I left it on the signpost. |
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 | Comments: |
This is day 1 of a two-day backpacking trip, staying at 13 Falls. Lincoln Woods Trail is, as so succinctly put on the Redlining Spreadsheet, monotony. Black Pond Trail has a lot of twists and turns but is well blazed in yellow and is easy. The Black Pond bushwhack looks basically like the continuation of the trail (there's no sign or marking showing the end of the official trail). There are a few parallel paths close to the pond, but they eventually merge and the rest of the Black Pond bushwhack is basically just an unmarked trail. It's quite muddy in places, and gains a little bit of elevation but not too much. It comes out, 1.2 miles after Black Pond, just past the first crossing of Lincoln Brook on Lincoln Brook Trail. Lincoln Brook Trail alternates between nice smooth sections and sections that are rough and/or muddy. The 0.4-mile section between the second crossing of Lincoln Brook and the junction with Owl's Head Path is one of the roughest and muddiest - easy to accidentally dunk boots in the mud there. I took a break at the base of Owl's Head Path, filtered some water from Lincoln Brook, and talked with some of the hikers who were doing Owl's Head (which I was not).
The northern half of Lincoln Brook Trail feels as remote and unused as it is. There were a few areas in the half-mile past Owl's Head Path where the trail wasn't obvious, including one where the trail briefly climbs up a gully. Most of the trail here is rough and rocky, and the rocks were all wet and slippery. The next crossing of Lincoln Brook was somewhat more straightforward. The climb up to the height of land has mostly easy grades. In the area of the height of land, the trail crosses several brooks, mostly on logs or bog bridges. This section is very muddy in places, but I didn't find it too difficult to follow - thank you Teal Goat! As the trail begins its descent, it reaches the second spot mentioned in the WMG as being difficult to follow, which IMO was more difficult to follow than the first spot. Essentially just follow the brook gradually downhill for a bit, crossing it whenever it looks like there's better footing on the other side. The trail eventually bears away from the brook to the right and becomes more obvious. The next section descends moderately and is easier to follow, but is still very rocky and eroded and the rocks are very slippery. Soon before the trail makes its big left turn, it becomes clear that the trail is following an old logging road. The crossing of the west branch of Franconia Brook is pretty simple since ledges go out most of the way on both sides, and you just have to take a big step from ledge to ledge across the water channel. The final section of Lincoln Brook Trail is one of the easiest and has good footing. The crossing of Franconia Brook just before the end of Lincoln Brook Trail can mostly be done on ledges, but there are a few spots where steeping into 1-2 inches of flowing water is unavoidable. But that's the end of the trail, and 13 Falls Campsite is right there.
Spent the night at 13 Falls, and chatted with a bunch of friendly hikers, some of whom were doing variations on what I did while others had gone to Garfield and Galehead. Around 7 PM, we got a few minutes of light rain, but that was it for the precipitation. Good to finally complete Lincoln Brook Trail! It was a warm, pleasant night at 13 Falls. |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-07-14 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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