Crosby Mountain, Groton, NH

[TDawg]

Does anybody know the most common access (if any) to Mount Crosby and the state "park" encompassing the summit?? Crosby is the 2200ish foot peak west of Tenney Mtn. Looking at the satellite image and the topo map, I'd guess it has a top notch view of Newfound Lake.

Map <--- Crosby is point A, Plymouth is upper right, Newfound Lake at the bottom.

I would just go bushwhack it but I'm unsure as to private land issues in the area. Please PM if you don't feel it necessary to post your reply for all to see. Thank you.

There's gotta be some access, right? I mean, why call it "State Park," if you can't even get to it. "State forest," may be more appropriate??

 

[Barkingcat]

There are at least two access points, and neither requires a bushwhack to get to.

One shows up on the map link you posted -- to the south of Crosby, along Wise Brook. This one was maintained by the folks at Camp Mowglis for a while and you can still see the little Mowglis wolf silhouette signs along it. While you can park on the public road near the trailhead, I think that you can actually park further in -- I can check with a friend of mine who goes up this frequently and get back to you, if that will help.

The second route is to the west of Crosby, on a fire road (your map shows it as 4WD) just north on the road (North Groton Road) that runs past Spectacle Pond. I was up there a few months ago and the state had just put in a new concrete bridge on that fire road -- there was parking for three or four cars, at least, past the bridge. The trail started just after that.

Steve Smith wrote about this second route on his blog last year. NOTE that in the blog he mentions a "decrepit wooden bridge over a brook" -- this is the one that was replaced recently, and is no longer "decrepit".

Again, I can get more information on these if you're interested, but at least using the route from the west should get you started.

Crosby is a great little peak, as is Bald Knob, just south of it.

Enjoy!

 

[Becca M]

I'm pretty sure I did it from the south around a year ago. I had to hunt around for the correct TH. The first one I tried also had a bridge a short walk in, but it wasn't it. On the main road past the primary trailhead I recall seeing a large sign. Not sure what was on the sign, maybe something about a forest protection area, so I knew that was it and I parked there; there is room for a few cars. I crossed the decrepit bridge on foot and followed the obvious trail. Once you get to the Bald Knob area (AWESOME VIEWS!!!), you need to follow the cairns carefully, drop to a sag, then you head on up to the main summit. That part of the trail isn't shown on the map, but it's there (I was concerned it would be a bushwhack). I think there was a memorial plaque near the summit of Crosby. Good luck!

 

[Barkingcat]

Once you get to the Bald Knob area (AWESOME VIEWS!!!), you need to follow the cairns carefully, drop to a sag, then you head on up to the main summit. That part of the trail isn't shown on the map, but it's there (I was concerned it would be a bushwhack). I think there was a memorial plaque near the summit of Crosby. Good luck!

Correct -- the section between Bald Knob and and Crosby is not shown on the Acme Mapper topo map, although it's pretty clearly marked with cairns and blazes on the ground. You won't have a problem with it, TDawg.

And yes, there is a memorial plaque on Crosby, from 1971, on the eastern edge of the summit.

(Becca, you did this trip in July 2009.)