My favorite destination in the White Mountains is not a summit. It’s not a mountain in itself, it’s not one of the stunning waterfalls, nor one of the many access points to the Saco river. My favorite place in the White Mountain National Forest is Lonesome Lake.
Lonesome Lake is a round body of water at the junction of several trails that can take you to Cannon or the Kinsman’s and beyond. Standing at any point along its circumference you can see the whole of it along with any one of the many mountains which frame it from Cannon to the summits of Franconia Ridge. At its southern most point is situated the Lonesome Lake Hut. It is a collection of buildings which are nestled into the trees, connected by boardwalks and staircases. It has a little dock at its feet where hikers can take in the view and take advantage of the level ground to start up their camp stoves.
I first discovered this gem on my quest to bag North and South Kinsman. I’d never experienced such an exciting pit stop during a hike. It’s hard to peel yourself away. In the years that followed that first meeting, I made a destination of Lonesome Lake in itself, to ease into hiking after and injury, in search of a short hike with big payoff on a bitterly cold day, and to take in the sights of New Hampshire’s finest Fall foliage.
Taking Lonesome Lake trail from Lafayette Campground and completing a loop of the lake will take you 3 miles, the first 0.9 of which can get fairly steep. When the trail flattens out you’ll know you’re close to seeing it appear through the trees. Going left towards the hut at that point is much quicker than going right although from your vantage point it appears equidistant. Take it all in, sit on the dock, dip your toes, say hi to the folks who run the huts, and stay and revel as long as you can.
The Wild East 