TRAIL MOUNTAIN CLASS NOTES & HIGHLIGHTS TRAIL INFO

Air Line Trail Mt. Adams II one of several exciting routes to the summit of Mt. Adams; many other less-scrambly trail options are available for the return trip back down trail info

Baldface Circle Trail South Baldface II several class II moves are required on the ledges of South Baldface; fantastic views are obtained on the ledges and also at the summit of South Baldface; I recommend that you continue on and make a 10-mile loop over both Baldface summits (the summit of North Baldface is one of the best summits in New England); don't miss swimming in cold but beautiful Emerald Pool on the way down; overnight accomodation available at the Baldface Shelter (below South Baldface) trail info

Beaver Brook Trail Mt. Moosilauke II this steep trail climbs alongside several series of picturesque waterfalls; some wooden blocks are bolted to rocks to assist you in the steepest sections; this trail will ultimately bring you to the awesome bare summit of Mt. Moosilauke (highly recommended); a shelter is available for those that want an overnight adventure trail info

Blueberry Ledge Trail Mt. Whiteface II only one or two short sections of this trail are steep and challenging; the rest of the trail is much less steep; beautiful views from the ledges below the actual ("true") summit of Mt. Whiteface; you can continue across the ridge and make a loop over the summit of Mt. Passaconaway (make sure to take the 0.3 mile spur trail downhill to the north for the best views on Passaconaway) trail info

Brook Trail Chocorua II several short and fun sections of scrambling are found on the south slopes of Chocorua (which is one of the most rewarding 3000-footers in New England); this is the steepst trail on Chocorua trail info

Caps Ridge Trail Mt. Jefferson II / II+ it's a 2.5 mile one-way hike to the top of Mt. Jefferson from Jefferson Notch Road, but it seems much harder than the mileage indicates; the lower "crag" is the steepest and is quite fun for those who like rock scrambling trail info

Carter Ledge Trail Chocorua II several semi-steep ledges en route to the summit of Middle Sister; only one portion really stands out as semi-challenging (but it's very short) trail info

Carter-Moriah Trail North Carter II a long series of short ledges trail info

Castle Ravine Trail Mt. Jefferson II involves scrambling and a significant amount of walking on loose talus; a quiet & scenic trail trail info

Castle Trail Mt. Jefferson II+ fantastic views with some challenging rock scrambles; do NOT attempt in foul weather trail info

Chemin des Dames Mt. Adams II+ connects King Ravine to Air Line; rough and very steep scrambling is involved trail info

Dilly Trail n/a II short but very steep and rough trail that is part of the Lost River Reservation off NH 112 trail info

Flume Slide Trail Mt. Flume II+/III long sections of (typically wet) slab scrambling; hiking up this trail allows you to do a day-hike loop over Mt. Flume and Mt. Liberty; most hikers will want to avoid descending this route trail info

Great Gulf Trail Mt. Washington II/II+ climbs a steep headwall; a wild, long, and difficult route up Mt. Washington; route-finding may be difficult in certain sections trail info

Great Gully Trail Mt. Adams II connects King Ravine Trail to Thunderstorm Junction on the shoulder of Mt. Adams trail info

Hi-Cannon Trail Cannon Mountain II includes one fun and challenging wooden ladder to climb, plus some moderate hand-scrambling ; return via Lonesome Lake for a nice day-hiking loop trail info

Holt Trail Mt. Cardigan III this trail is surprisingly steep considering this mountain isn't located in the White Mountains; do NOT attempt this trail in foul weather (in fact, I would only hike this trail if it has not rained the previous 2-3 days); there is one awkward class III move located about 200 feet below the summit; in addition to that crux move, there are 4 or 5 class II+ moves trail info

Huntington Ravine Trail Mt. Washington III undeniably the hardest "hiking" trail in New England; only those with previous scrambling experience should attempt this trail; do NOT try to descend this trail; this trail is typically ice free from mid July through late September, but snow, ice or hail can occur in any month; do NOT attempt in foul weather or if the temperature dropped below 32 degrees the night before as having ice present on this trail can be extremely dangerous trail info

Ice Gulch Path n/a II extended periods of scrambling over wet & slippery rocks; wild and remote trail info

King Ravine Trail Mt. Adams II+/III climbs a steep headwall; one of the most scenic scrambles in the White Mountains; an optional trip through "the Subway" is very challenging trail info

Madison Gulf Trail Mt. Madison II+ one of the steepest and most challenging hikes in New England; arguably the toughest route up Mt. Madison trail info

Mount Major Main Trail II the Main Trail is the fun route up Mt. Major; there is only a small amount of scrambling here, but it makes for an excellent first family scramble! views from the ledges and the summit of Mt. Major are first-rate (some of the best lake views in New England) trail info

Mount Morgan Trail Mt. Morgan II involves climbing over several ledges, passing through a boulder cave, and scrambling up three ladders and some ledges; Mt. Morgan is typically combined with Mt. Percival for a classic 5.4-mile loop; don't miss the boulder caves on Mt. Percival trail info

Mount Osceola Trail E. Osceola / Mt. Osceola II+ the "Chimney" between the two peaks is a short but exciting class II+ section, but it is optional (there is a bypass route that is class II) trail info

Mount Percival Trail Mt. Percival II optional boulder cave; typically combined with Mt. Morgan for classic 5.4 mile loop trail info

North Slide Mt. Tripyramid II+/III lengthy sections of extremely steep slab scrambling; this trail gains 1,200 feet in 0.5 mile, making it one of the steepest and most challenging hiking trails in New England; do not attempt when wet or icy, and do not use this trail for descent; most hikers will make their hike a loop by descending down the nearby South Slide. trail info

Owl's Head Path Owl's Head II/II+ involves a steep climb up a semi-loose slide; some loose rock, so take your time when ascending and descending; Owl's Head is typically done as an 18-mile day hike, but there is an optional bushwhack to make the trail a little bit easier trail info

Percy Peaks Trail North Percy Peak II fun scrambling on a remote peak; access via the remote Nash Stream Road in the northern region of the White Mountain National Forest trail info

Six Husbands Trail Mt. Jefferson II+/III this trail climbs several steep ladders and ascends towards Mt. Jefferson via some challenging scrambling; there is supposedly one section where handholds are a far reach away and the ledges are often wet and slippery trail info

Spellman Trail Mt. Monadnock II/II+ the steepest trail on Mt. Monadnock; if you've done Mt. Monadnock before (and I bet a lot of you have), the degree of scrambling on this trail may surprise you trail info

South Slide Mt. Tripyramid II this slide is full of loose rock scree; most hikers will find this sort of terrain unpleasant trail info

Star Lake Trail Mt. Adams II/II+ very steep hike from the AMC Madison Hut to the summit of Mt. Adams; don't miss the view of Mt. Madison from the shore of Star Lake (visible from the trail itself) trail info

Table Rock Trail Table Rock II+ views of Dixville Notch from the rocky perch at the top; only brave souls will walk across the narrow rock feature to its end; there are three trails up to the beginning of Table Rock, one of which is extremely steep trail info

Underhill Trail North Percy II/II+ supposedly a fun scramble, but the trail is semi-abandoned and sees little use; may be tough to follow in spots not available

White Dot Trail Mt. Monadnock II very fun & relatively easy scrambling; a classic "first scramble" for so many hikers; often combined with White Cross Trail for lollipop-style hike trail info