Bucket List · Bucket list route
The Pemi Loop
Thirty-one miles around the rim of the Pemigewasset Wilderness, over Franconia Ridge and the Bonds and the Twins, on trail so rocky that thirty-one miles here feels like fifty anywhere else. Backpacker once called it one of the hardest hikes in America. They weren't wrong.
- Distance
- ~31 mi~34 with Owl's Head
- Climbing
- ~9,000 ft
- 4,000-footers
- 8 to 10
- Typical time
- 8 to 16 hours
- Start
- Lincoln Woods trailhead
- Permit
- None
The loop starts at Lincoln Woods, climbs to Franconia Ridge for the most famous above-treeline traverse in the East (Flume, Liberty, Little Haystack, Lincoln, Lafayette), drops to Garfield, crosses to Galehead and the Twins, then out along the Bond ridge with the best view in New England from Bondcliff, before descending back to the car.
What everyone underestimates is the footing. White Mountain trails are rock, root, and slab. There is no rhythm running. Runners who move 10-minute miles on smooth trail routinely take 25 minutes a mile here, and the loop humbles ultrarunners from flatter regions every summer.
How to get in
- Self-supportedShow up and go
No permit, no fee, no quota. Park at Lincoln Woods on the Kancamagus Highway, which fills early on summer weekends. Most people go clockwise, taking Franconia Ridge early while fresh, though counterclockwise puts Bondcliff at sunrise if you start at night.
Above treeline in the Whites
- Franconia Ridge and the Bonds are exposed for miles. The White Mountains have genuinely severe weather in any month, and hypothermia in July is a documented cause of death here.
- Carry layers even on a perfect forecast. A shell, gloves, and a hat, plus a headlamp regardless of your planned finish time.
- Water is at the huts and streams, and the AMC huts along the route sell baked goods and can refill bottles during the season. Galehead and Greenleaf are the usual stops.
- Budget 1.5 to 2x your normal trail pace. Everyone who doesn't gets caught out after dark.
Questions runners actually ask
How long does the Pemi Loop take?
Strong runners go under eight hours and the fastest known times are far quicker, but ten to sixteen hours is normal for fit trail runners doing it in a day. The rock underfoot slows everyone more than they expect.
Which direction is better?
Clockwise takes Franconia Ridge early while you're fresh. Counterclockwise, especially with a night start, puts you on Bondcliff for sunrise, which is the reason many people choose it.
Go to the source
Entry rules, dates, standards, fees, and odds change every single year, and the interesting races change them the most. Use this guide to build the plan; use the official site to confirm the details before you book anything.
If this is your kind of thing
Need the races in between? The hard part of a bucket list year is everything else on the calendar: the qualifier, the tune-up, the long run with a bib on.