Flume Slide Trail - Mount Flume
Trail Statistics
Trail Distance: 3.3 miles
Trail Elevation Gain: 2,500 feet
Trail Hiking Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
Trail Difficulty: Difficult
Total HIKE STATISTICS
Total Hike Distance: 10.1 miles (with Mount Flume and Mount Liberty)
Hike Elevation Gain: 3,500 feet
Hiking Time: 7 hours
Hike date: 07/08/2018
Description: This trail will take you to the Franconia Ridge Trail right below the summit of Mount Flume. The upper section of this trail is extremely rough and steep. There are numerous smooth rock slabs that are usually wet and slippery.
Trails Used: The parking for this hike is at Flume Visitor Center. Ascend via Whitehouse Trail to Bike Path to Liberty Spring Trail. Take Liberty Spring Trail until you come to a junction with the Flume Slide Trail, which you will then take to Franconia Ridge Trail. Descend via Liberty Spring Trail.
Trail Summary: This is a fun loop hike that gets two 4,000 footers using a steep slide trail. This hike starts at the parking lot found right near the Flume Visitor Center. You’ll begin by taking the Whitehouse Trail for 0.7 miles until it connects with a bike path. Following the bike path, you’ll come to a bridge that you will cross and you will end up at the Liberty Springs Trail. After 0.6 miles on the Liberty Springs Trail you will come to the junction with the Flume Slide Trail, which is the trail you’ll take to ascend doing this loop. In 3.3 miles, you’ll be at the summit of Mount Flume. However, the upper section of this trail is absolutely brutal. It is extremely steep and the terrain is very rough. For these reasons, you should not attempt this trail if it has rained recently and you should definitely not descend it! The lower portion of the trail (the first 2.5 miles or so) climb moderately through the woods, crossing some water at places and running along a brook for a bit. When you start feeling gravel becoming more and more common as you hike along, this is where the real climbing begins as the trail climbs 1,400 feet in the remaining 0.7 miles! The slide consists of very loose rock, ledges, and lots of rock slab. Note that you should be careful to not accidentally knock down small stones that could hit hikers below you; similarly, make sure no one above you does the same! We didn’t have any issues with this, but it can happen. The trail is often wet due to all of the small springs on the slopes so use extra caution on slick rocks! The trail continues climbing steeply over rocks and roots until it reaches the Franconia Ridge Trail. Do note that there are several side paths that run through the woods along the slide that bypass some of the most challenging portions! These are a good option if you’re feeling nervous. After walking on the Franconia Ridge Trail for 0.1 miles, you’ll be at the beautiful open summit of Mount Flume! After enjoying the panoramic views off Mount Flume, it’s time to continue onto Mount Liberty which is 1.2 miles away. Mount Liberty is also an open summit offering fine views in all directions. After enjoying the summit and some lunch/snacks, it’s time to head down. Follow the Franconia Ridge Trail for 0.3 miles until you come to the junction with the Liberty Springs Trail. Once on the Liberty Springs Trail, you have 3.2 miles until the next junction. After making your way down the Liberty Springs Trail, you’ll be back at the Whitehouse Trail again where you follow that back out to the car. This is a very scenic hike that should be saved for nice weather, especially if when planning to ascend the Flume Slide Trail! It’s a fun loop if you enjoy rock scrambling and you’ll be rewarded with amazing views.
STAY TUNED FOR MORE PHOTOS! WE WILL DO THIS HIKE AGAIN AND GET MORE PHOTOS OF THE TRAIL ITSELF THIS TIME!
The gravel portion on the lower part of the Flume Slide Trail
The Flume Slide Trail getting steep!
Enjoying the awesome views from the summit of Mount Flume!
Questions? Comments? Want to share your take on this hike? Get in touch with us using the contact page!
As experienced hikers, we always make sure that we are hiking with The Ten Essentials which include navigation, a headlamp, sun protection, first aid, a knife, shelter, extra food, water and clothes. Overtime, we have discovered some items that we always bring on our hikes and consider them to be our personal, expanded ten essentials.