- Profile Lake
Profile Lake via the Pemi Trail is a 1.3 mile out and back trail that takes you to a little beach area along Profile Lake in Franconia Notch. I didn’t love this trail, as I had two leashed dogs with me and the trail was very narrow. I found that the three of us were tripping over each other, as there was only space for single file and it was quite overgrown. When I got to the “beach” I realized most people just parked in the parking lot and walked down to the shoreline, which I do wish I did. I think it would have been manageable with one dog, but with two there just wasn’t enough space on the trail. We did see another dog at the lake and the owner was nice enough to share her dog’s ball. We stayed at the lake for a long time and the dogs had so much fun swimming. It’s a great spot to cool off in the summer and you can’t beat the view!
2. Saco Lake
Located in Crawford Notch, this is less of a hike and more of a scenic nature trail. The lake is located right next to the highway, so you can’t miss it. The trail follows the edge of the lake and is 0.2 miles from point to point, but we walked around the entire lake by walking across the parking lot and back to our car. Max enjoyed the views of the lake and walking across the little bridges. There is plenty of parking alongside the lake.
3. Mirror Lake
Mirror Lake is a 1.3 mile out and back trail in White Mountain National Forest. The trail is flat and easy. This is a popular lake for fishing and swimming. The trail follows alongside the lakeshore through the woods and there are some big rocks along the lake that are perfect for having a picnic. The trail is dog-friendly and we encountered other leashed dogs on our walk. Max enjoyed swimming off the rocks.
4. Lonesome Lake
Lonesome Lake is a 3.1 mile loop in Franconia Notch. The trailhead begins at the Lafayette campground. It is a tough incline the whole way up to the lake. You can count on about 1 mile hike up to the lake, 1 mile around the lake, then 1 mile back down. The trail around the lakeshore is comprised mostly of wooden boardwalks. There are some stream crossing the beginning of the trail that Max enjoyed drinking from. Max had a lot of fun on this trail and really enjoyed the payoff of swimming in the lake once we reached the top, but by the time we descended back down the trail he was exhausted and needed frequent breaks. I was nervous I was going to have to carry him, but he rallied! Another great reward is just before arriving back at the parking lot, there is a deep, cold stream where Max was able to swim and cool off upon finishing this hike.
5. Upper Greely Pond
This 2.9 mile out and back trail is located on the Kancamagus Highway. The parking lot is small and fills up fast. There are a lot of tree roots along the trail and some stream crossings. The trail ends when you arrive at the pond, but there is really no shoreline to the pond without wading through water and getting your feet wet which I did do. The trail is an incline all the way to the pond, but not too bad. The trail going back is a nice easy downhill stroll. The trail was not crowded and we did run into two friendly, off-leash dogs. I really loved this trail for the serene streams and river, the magical little forest, and the pond destination where Max was able to swim and play in the water.
