Owl's Head Mountain (4,025)

Owl's Head from "Cliffs of Bond"

Owl's Head is located in the heart of the Pemigewasset Wilderness laying below the Franconia and Garfield Ridges, the Twinway and Bond's range.  Owl's head has the longest approach of any 4,000 foot mountain and has absolutely no views and is usually not a favorite at all among peak-baggers.  However what Owl's Head lacks in views it makes up for in rich logging history as early in the twentieth century camps and logging roads surrounded the mountain on all sides.  Still today after all these years there are still remnants of camps, logging, and skidder roads that hikers run into on bushwhacks when doing a little exploring.

The two main approaches to Owl's Head are by the Lincoln Woods, Franconia Brook, Lincoln Brook, and Owl's Head Path trails.  Round Trip is 18.0 miles (elevation gain of 2,850) over easy to moderate grades until one ascends the very steep slide on the bottom half of Owl's Head Path.  Footing on Franconia and Lincoln Brook Trail are often wet and muddy.  Water crossings on the Lincoln Brook Trail may be difficult to extremely dangerous after heavy rain or snow melt.  To avoid these crossing many people hike the Black Pond Tail and bushwhack to avoid the first two major crossings.  In the winter to avoid the Owl's Head Path's slide hikers will bushwhack to and old skidder road, this is called the "Brutus Bushwhack."

Trip Reports:

December 4th, 2016:  Out and back via Lincoln Woods Trail, Black Pond Trail, Black Pond Bushwhack, Lincoln Brook Trail, Brutus Bushwhack, Owl's Head Path (No Report)

September 4th, 2016: Lincoln Woods Trail, Franconia Brook Trail, Lincoln Brook Trail, Owl's Head Path, Brutus Bushwhack, Lincoln Brook Trail, Franconia Brook Trail, Pemi East Side Trail, Wildenress Trail, Shoal Pond Trail, Ethan Pond Trail, Thoreau Falls Trail, Wilderness Trail, Carrigain Notch Trail, Desolation Trail, Signal Ridge Trail

July 21st, 2016: Grid Finish & NH 4K 1000

June 25th, 2016:  Up old Bridle Path and Greenleaf Trail, down Franconia Ridge Trail and Lincoln Slided, up and down Owl;s Head Path, up Lincoln Brook Trail, up Twin Brook, Frost, and Twinway trails, across North Twin Spur, down North Twin Trail

May 28th, 2016:  Up Lincoln Woods Trail, Franconia Falls Trail, Fisherman's Path, Lincoln Brook Trail, Owl's Head Path, down Brutus Bushwhack, Lincoln Brook Trail, Camp 9 Clearing, Franconia Brook Trail, Lincoln Woods Trail

December 6th, 2015:  Lincoln Woods Trail, Franconia Falls Trail, Fisherman's Path, Lincoln Brook Trail, Owl's Head Path, Lincoln Brook Trail, Camp 9 RR Grade, Franconia Brook Trail, Lincoln Woods Trail

November 18th, 2015:  Up and down Lincoln Woods, Franconia Brook, Lincoln Brook, and Owl's Head Path

September 7th, 2015:  Across Lincoln Woods, Franconia Brook, and Lincoln Brook Trail, up and down Owl's Head Path, across Lincoln Brook Trail, up Franconia Brook Trail, across Garfield Ridge Trail, up and down Frost Trail, down Twin Brook Trail, out via Franconia Brook and Lincoln Woods Trails

June 6, 2015: Glen Boulder Trail, Davis Path, Notchland Inn Trail, Nancy Pond Trail, Carrigain Notch Trail, Wilderness Trail, Abandoned Wilderness Trail, Bondcliff Trail, Franconia Brook Trail, Lincoln Brook Trail, Owl's Head Path, Lincoln Brook Trail, Franconia Brook Trail, Lincoln Woods Trail

March 9th, 2015: Lincoln Woods Trail, Black Pond Trail, Black Pond Bushwhack, Lincoln Brook Trail, Brutus Bushwhack, Owl's Head Path

October 21st, 2013: Up Old Bridle Path and Greenleaf Trail, across Franconia Ridge Trail, down Lincoln Slide Bushwhack, across Lincoln Brook Trail, up and down Owl's Head Path, out via Lincoln Brook Trail, Franconia Brook Trail, and Lincoln Woods Trail

September 28th, 2013: Up Old Bridle Path and Greenleaf Trail, across Franconia Ridge Trail, down Lincoln Slide Bushwhack, across Lincoln Brook Trail, up and down Owl's Head Path, across Lincoln Brook Trail, up Franconia Brook Trail and Garfield Ridge Trail, across Franconia Ridge Trail, down Falling Waters Trail

January 27th, 2013: Lincoln Woods Trail, Black Pond Trail, Black Pond Bushwhack, Lincoln Brook Trail, Brutus Bushwhack, Owl's Head Path

April 7th, 2012: Basin Bushwhack, Liberty Springs Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Flume Slide Trail / Lincoln Woods Trail, Franconia Brook Trail, Lincoln Brook Trail, Owl's Head Path

February 19th, 2012: Lincoln Woods Trail, Black Pond Trail, Black Pond Bushwhack, Lincoln Brook Trail, Brutus Bushwhack, Owl's Head Path

January 7th, 2012: Lincoln Woods Trail, Black Pond Trail, Black Pond Bushwhack, Lincoln Brook Trail, Brutus Bushwhack, Owl's Head Path

January 22nd, 2011: Lincoln Woods Trail, Black Pond Trail, Black Pond Bushwhack, Lincoln Brook Trail, Brutus Bushwhack, Owl's Head Path

August 28th, 2009: Lincoln Woods, Franconia Brook, Lincoln Brook, Owl's Head Path. Part of a Mini Pemi Loop