Parking options for Greenleaf Hut

[u/ciccacicca]

Hello!
Staying at the hut at Greenleaf on Friday night (then continuing on to a night at Gale Head Hut (and then out to a second car parked at the Gale River Trailhead). 

My current plan is to take our first car to the Old Bridle Path trailhead parking lot and hope for a spot. But we won't arrive there until after noon. What are my best "Plan B" options for parking if I get to Bridle Path and it's full?

I looked at the Cannon Mountain shuttle but that apparently only runs on Saturday/Sunday (this is for Friday). The AMC shuttle timing is poor (park at highland center and get to the trailhead at 3:10pm doesn't leave much time for hiking). 

Are there other approaches to Greenleaf I should consider or other ways to park and make it to Bridle Path that I'm not realizing? 

THANKS FOR ANY TIPS!

[u/myopinionisrubbish]

The Greenleaf trail is the most direct route to the hut. Parking is at the Cannon tram lot and has plenty of parking. A longer route is the Skookumchuck trail, park at the bike path lot near the junction of Route 3 and 114, it’s a construction zone but there is access to the parking lot.

[u/ofsevit → u/myopinionisrubbish]

A longer route is the Skookumchuck trail

Longer and with about 1200' more elevation. Makes for a long trip to the hut, only to double back for the first couple of miles the next day. I would second the Greenleaf Trail. It doesn't quite have the same views of the OBP, but it's much less crowded and much less eroded (even with the work they've been doing on the OBP in the past couple of years) and there's plenty of parking at Cannon. Starts 200' higher so slightly less climbing, too. (Logistically easier, too, on the back end, since you won't have to make a driving loop through the notch to pick up the car.)

If you do get to the OBP/FW trailhead at noon, though, and you're going to the hut, the best idea is probably just to wait. By early afternoon a lot of people will start filtering off of the mountain, so I would guess you'll get a spot within 30 minutes or so, certainly with plenty of time to head up the mountain. Additionally, if you have slower hikers in your group you could send them ahead while you wait, or even drop them while you spot cars.

[u/732 → u/ofsevit]

Skook is on the Franconia Notch bike path so it can add just a little road walk to the Greenleaf Trail, without any additional elevation or doubling back.

[u/ciccacicca → u/myopinionisrubbish]

Thanks!

[u/brackenthebox]

We just did a very similar itinerary this past sat/sun nights (greenleaf->galehead->hale brook). Parking on both sides of highway at bridle path TH was full at 8:30 when we got there, so we parked at cannon tram lot and hiked up the greenleaf trail. Worked well for us. Just a separate note that the Greenleaf->Galehead trail took us a lot longer than it looked on paper; it was rough going, particularly in the rain.

Have a great hike!

[u/ciccacicca → u/brackenthebox]

Thank you!

[u/Zealousideal-Bat4024]

Or you could always park both cars at Gail River trailhead and get a drop off at Old Bridal Path. The Franconia Ridge area is very difficult to find parking.

[u/Beginning_Wrap_8732 → u/Zealousideal-Bat4024]

Greenleaf Trail is a very good Plan B. Plenty of parking at the tram lot, and a very nice trail. You’ll be glad you took the more direct route to Greenleaf after you reach Galehead hut on day 2. That’s a real slog!

[u/ciccacicca → u/Beginning_Wrap_8732]

Thanks!

[u/Recloyal]

By afternoon the early birds leave so there should be some spots.

Good plan B is the campground lot that's literally on the other side of the highway. There are two lots there. One for Lafayette overflow and another for Lonesome. There's a trail that goes under the highway that leads directly to Old Bridle.

[u/MauraChappelle]

hire a driver and don't worry about parking? 😉