Hiking

White Mountains

The Hiker Responsibility Code was developed, and is endorsed by, the White Mountain National Forest and New Hampshire Fish & Game . Hike Safe Cards are available for $25 per person and $35 per family . The card is valuable for anyone hiking or engaging in other outdoor recreation . Learn more and purchase a NH Hike Safe Card at wildnh.com/safe

The White Mountains region offers a variety of short hikes to waterfalls and spectacular views, as well as longer hikes to scenic outlooks, lakes, and mountain summits . And if you really want to stretch your legs, we’ve got 170 miles of the Appalachian Trail! Below are 13 of the best hikes (all distances are round trip) . *Note: parking lots may fill early in the day.

Arethusa Falls Off Rte. 302 in Crawford Notch. Gorgeous falls. Moderate. 1.5 miles; 2-3 hrs. Artist’s Bluff Off Rte. 18, Franconia Notch State Park. Great view. Short but steep. 1.5 miles; 1.25 hrs. Thompson Falls Off Rte. 16 in Pinkham Notch via Wildcat Mountain Ski Area. Remote cascades with easy access. Easy. 1.2 miles; approximately 1 hr. Discovery Trail Living classroom on forest ecology. On the Kancamagus, 6.2 miles east of Lincoln. 1.5 miles. Boulder Loop Trail On the eastern side of the Kancamagus Highway. Beautiful forest, boulder field, and excellent summit views. Moderate. 2.8-mile loop trail.

Black Mountain Trail (Benton) Off Rte. 116 toward Lime Kiln Road, via the Chippewa Trail. Huge summit with open views. Moderate. 4 miles. Approximately 4 hrs. Peaked Mountain Trail Off Rte. 16 about a half mile south of North Conway village. Excellent views featuring a lake. Moderate. 4 miles. 4 hrs. *Mt. Pemigewasset Trail Franconia Notch; park at Flume Gorge. Moderate 2.8 mile hike; 1.5-2 hrs. Potash Mountain Off the Kancamagus Highway in Albany. Moderately trafficked and moderately rated. Open ledge at summit. 4.4 miles; 4 hours.

Osceola Trailhead on Tripoli Road in Waterville Valley. One of seven mountains in the Sandwich Range; the easiest and shortest of the 48 4,000 footers. Moderate. 6.1 miles. Mount Starr King Parking for Mount Waumbek off Starr King Road in Jefferson. Great views of nearby mountains. Moderate. 5.2 miles; approximately 4 hrs. Mount Tremont Trail Off Rte. 302, east of Crawford Notch. Views of nearby peaks and Sawyer Pond. Moderate/Difficult. 5.6 miles. 4.5 hrs. Zealand Falls Off Rte. 302 via Zealand Road. Scenic marshlands and Zealand Pond. Easy. 5.4 miles. 2.5 hrs.

Planning a hike in the White Mountains?

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HERE ARE A FEW THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW!

New Hampshire Fish and Game and the White Mountain National Forest would like to help you “hikeSafe.” Having the following 10 essentials with you on your hike ensures that you’ll be prepared to deal with many unforeseen surprises. Map Compass

Warm clothing: Sweater or Pile Jacket, Long Pants (wool or synthetic) and a Hat (wool) Extra food & water Flashlight or headlamp Matches/firestarters First Aid kit/Repair kit Whistle and Pocket knife Rain/Wind jacket & pants

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You’ve come to the right place! You can’t get more bang for your foliage buck than to hike up a mountain and see the autumn world spread out below. October is the perfect time to hike in the White Mountains, as the air is cooler, there isn’t as much foot traffic as in the summer, and the payoff at the top is incomparable! So lace up those hiking boots, grab your camera, and head for the hills!

@loriasimpson

BLACK CAP Intervale The trailhead for this 2.3-mile trail is 3.5 miles off Rte. 16 on Hurricane Mountain Road in Intervale. The easy trail leads through the Green Hills Preserve before bringing you to the summit with amazing foliage views of Mount Washington Valley.

pvarneyphotography3

PINE MOUNTAIN Gorham While this 3.4 mile out and back hike is on the moderate side, the foliage reward is worth the climb. Chapel Rock is located at the summit, and while it is on the private property of a summer camp, it is accessible and open to hikers in the fall.

@timber_james_adventure_wolf

MOUNT TECUMSEH Waterville Valley Waterville Valley Ski Resort is located on Tecumseh, but that won’t get in the way of beautiful viewpoints which showcase the incredible foliage. This trail is on the easier side of moderate and is 5.2 miles out and back. Access the trailhead on Tripoli Road.

New Hampshire’s White Mountains

four thousand footers [elevations in brackets]

6,000+ ft. elevation

Washington [6,288]

5,000+ ft. elevation

Adams [5,774] • Jefferson [5,712] • Monroe [5,384]

Madison [5,367] • Lafayette [5,260] • Lincoln [5,089]

4,000+ ft. elevation

South Twin [4,902] • Carter Dome [4,832] • Moosilauke [4,802]

Eisenhower [4,780] • North Twin [4,761] • Carrigain [4,700]

Bond [4,698] • Middle Carter [4,610] • West Bond [4,540] Garfield [4,500] • Liberty [4,459] • South Carter [4,430] Wildcat [4,422] • Hancock [4,420] • South Kinsman [4,358] Field [4,340] • Osceola [4,340] • Flume [4,328] South Hancock [4,319] • Pierce [4,310] North Kinsman [4,293] • Willey [4,285] Bondcliff [4,265] • Zealand [4,260] North Tripyramid [4,180] • Cabot [4,170] East Osceola [4,156] • Middle Tripyramid [4,140] Cannon [4,100] • Hale [4,054] • Jackson [4,052] Tom [4,051] • Wildcat / D Peak [4,050] Moriah [4,049] • Passaconaway [4,043] Owl’s Head [4,025] • Galehead [4,024] Whiteface [4,020] • Waumbek [4,006] Isolation [4,004] Tecumseh [4,003]