Easy/Mellow Hikes in the North Conway Area

[Kevin]

Hi all, been a while since I have posted.

Quick question, heading out Sunday for 3 days in North Conway, I was wondering about some easy/mellow 1/2 day or day hikes in the area. My girlfriend and I are heading up and she is up for some short hikes, no long milage slogs... She says I can do them another time! LOL

So... suggestions?

Thanks and if you are ever in Poughkeepsie, stop by the Eastern Mountain Sports there and Hi to me!
Kevin

 

[DougPaul]

Diana's Baths are easy enough for this gimp to hike to them...
(The .7mi into the baths (cascades) is wheel chair accessible.)

We actually hiked beyond to the first stream crossing. 2.4mi rt, 200 vert ft.

Kearsarge North is a great hike with a very nice view from a fire tower.

Doug

 

[arghman]

Quick question, heading out Sunday for 3 days in North Conway, I was wondering about some easy/mellow 1/2 day or day hikes in the area. My girlfriend and I are heading up and she is up for some short hikes, no long milage slogs... She says I can do them another time!

define easy/short/long & how far you want to drive.

If you really want easy, go hike Black Cap off Hurricane Mtn Road, it's very short but has good views. Or do something in the Pinkham Notch area. Lowe's Bald Spot is a short hike with little elevation gain & has nice views of Mt Washington (you can't see the junk at the top!).

For moderate hikes, South/Middle Moat is a good one. if you don't mind driving a little, try Mt Hedgehog on the Kancamagus Highway (UNH trail), or Mt Crawford on Rt 302 in Crawford notch.

If you want to do the minimum amount of work to experience above treeline hiking, consider the following:
* Mt Eisenhower via Edmands Path (north end of Crawford Notch, 6.6mi roundtrip, 2700ft el gain which is probably a bit much, but the Edmands Path probably has the best/easiest footing of any trail in the Whites, and the views are spectacular for the effort)
* Glen Boulder Trail to Glen Boulder in Pinkham Notch, not sure of the stats but it's probably around 4 miles roundtrip and 1800ft elevation gain. This is one of the lowest above-treeline (as defined by the presence of alpine flora) places in the Presis.
* Drive up the Mt Washington Auto Rd, and hike on the Alpine Garden trail (park at the Cow Pasture, it's the flat area w/ a small parking area around the 7 mile post)
* Drive to the top of the Auto Rd, and hike over to either Lakes of the Clouds, or Mt Clay. Not very far but the footing is a little challenging due to all the boulders.

 

[peakbagger]

Kearsage North is a good hike about 4 hours round trip, great views and Moat Mountain is just down the road!

 

[trailbiscuit]

Imp Loop
South Moat
Black Cap (off Hurricane Mtn. Road)
Arethusa Falls

(Looks like arghman already had a couple of mine. Does that make them twice as good?)

 

[bobandgeri]

Mt Crawford is a nice hike with views that are as good as most 4000 footers - you can go a little further and hit Stairs as well. Some pics of the views are on our trip report:

http://rbhayes.net/davispath.html

North and South Doublehead in Jackson is fun hike with nice views.

http://rbhayes.net/doublehead.html

 

[1HappyHiker]

Don’t know if this suggestion is quite what you had in mind, but you might take a look at the trail descriptions for Peaked and/or Middle Mountain.

Depending on your definition, either of these hikes could meet your criteria of “easy/mellow 1/2 day” hikes. And best of all, the trailhead for these two peaks is right there in North Conway on Thompson Road.

Happy trekking, wherever you end up!

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Another vote for Kearsearge North. The views begin fairly early, and there's an enclosed fire tower that's easy to access on the top.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Thanks and if you are ever in Poughkeepsie, stop by the Eastern Mountain Sports there and Hi to me!

Hmmm, have we met? I'm in there quite frequently!

 

[rocket21]

Another vote for Kearsearge North. The views begin fairly early, and there's an enclosed fire tower that's easy to access on the top.

Agreed - Kearsage North is 6.2 miles round trip and a solid 2,500+ vertical (more challenging in my opinion than some of the easiest NH4Ks, but the views are awesome).

Black Cap is probably the easiest peak with a view to hike to (Great Hill in Tamworth, about 20 minutes south, is easier and has a fire tower) in the area (about 700 vertical, 2.6 miles RT from Hurricane Mt. Road). It can also be combined with Cranmore.

Also, White Horse Ledge and Cathedral Ledge are both nice hikes (and can easily be combined if you hike up the Bryce Path) just northwest of town (about 900 vertical for White Horse, probably another 300-400 if you add Cathedral).

Middle and Peaked Mountain can be done together - nice shorter hikes with decent summit ledge views (about 1,300 vertical for Middle alone, add another 500 for Peaked with it).

South Moat is another nice hike (there's a new trailhead/parking lot a bit further down the road then described in a lot of guides/sites). Alone, its about 5.4 miles RT, circa 2,200' vertical one way. Middle Moat can be added for another 200' vertical one way - mostly above treeline walking on the top of that ridge.

Iron Mountain is just about north of North Conway (closer to Jackson) and is a fairly tame hike - about 800 vertical. There's nothing to see on the summit (except for rocks and ruins of an old fire tower), but there are a few nice lookouts just below it. Unless the birds/bears/hikers have beat you to the punch, there should be a bunch of ripe wild low bush blueberries along the way.

Pleasant Mountain in Maine is less than half an hour from North Conway and has nice views via multiple trails to the summit (circa 1,500 vertical, 5 or so miles RT).

 

[Mike P.]

Is it slogs she wants to avoid or elevation gain?

Black Cap is really nice & pretty easy
Willard & Lowe's Bald Spot too.

Moat suggestion would be a nice walk too more climbing than the other three though. Clsoe to NC though

Crawford Dome is 2.5 each way but it's a decent climb. Only 3122 feet high & great views but it's 2100 feet of climbing. From the hiker lot for the Crawford Path you get to about 3900 on Pierce on a trail that is more gradual than C-Dome. (C-Dome has some flats, some moderate & some stuff more like stair climbing, IMO Pierce is easier & you could swing by the hut for a break & do it as a semi loop with only part being an out & back.)

Kearsarge North is close too, but elevation gain is comparable to some 4K peaks, same with Chocorua.

Imp Face would be nice too.

Driving up Auto Road & walking above treeline on a cool day is a treat too.

 

[rocket21]

I should add that if you're willing to drive another 30-40 minutes, there are a lot of short to moderate hikes near the lake (if you go on a Friday or Saturday, you'll be going against the flow of traffic, so no big deal).

Green Mountain - in Effingham, there are 3 marked trails up to the summit fire tower (the lookout cab has been closed each time I've hiked it, but there are two decks on the stairway up, good views to the Whites, Maine, and Ossipee Range). Each trail is a good 1,300' vertical, about 3-4 miles roundtrip each.

Bald Knob - in the Ossipee Mountains (part of the Castle area), a quick 1,000 (steep) vertical, great views out to the lake.

Red Hill - in Moultonboro, about 25 minutes west of 16 not too far from Route 25. About 1,300 - 1,400 vertical if I recall offhand. Summit fire tower, cab often open, very friendly watchperson who will welcome you in and show you the sights.

 

[Greg]

Easy hikes.

Peaked and Middle mtns
Mt. Willard/Avalon
Mt. Tom
Mt. Potash/Hedgehog Mtn
The Doubleheads
Mt. Crawford
Mt. Crescent

all of these have views, all are fun.

 

[jjo]

Black Cap very easy, short and yet, decent views at the top...1 Hr to the top...

 

[shamples]

Someone mentioned Glen Boulder Trail up to Glen Boulder... DO NOT, I REPEAT - DO NOT BRING YOUR GIRLFRIEND UP THAT. Yes it is short, but it is by no means easy/mellow for that short stretch up and down. She will not be happy with you and may kill you. LOL

Just a friendly warning.

 

[Grayjay]

Stop! Peaked Mountain is reached by taking Artist Falls Road in North Conway, then a right on Thompson Road and then park at the Puddin Pond trailhead on the right. Walk in to a kiosk and take a left on Middle Mountain trail. At .7 mi. take a left on Black Cap Connector. In 1.7 you reach another kiosk and take a right up Peaked Mountain.
While descending, take a left to the Middle Moutain Trail for a loop.
I say this because sometimes hikers (including me) have far vision when gems can be very close by. You might call Peaked or Middle Mountain "in-town" hikes.
Ironically and surprisingly, this doesn't lessen their wildness.

 

[Bob Kittredge]

Out along the Kanc not far from Conway you have the Boulder Loop (an easy 3 miles) and Mount Hedgehog (UNH Trail, 5 miles, 1450 feet of elevation gain) with nice ledges and good views.

The White Mountain Guide also suggests The Champney Falls Trail up as far as the falls as an easy hike( 3.2 miles, 600' elev.)

 

[Kevin]

Thanks all ! Just got back last night, and sadly due to the nasty rain on Monday, our only day to hike, things were a bit of a washout... BUT the good thing is she is already talking about our NEXT trip to the area and now I have a list to go off of.

I spent a fair amount of time on Sunday drooling at the slabs and crags that are viewable from the Kanc Highway... Anyone a wall climber that has beta for any of them, they looked like some sweet lines. I hope some of you all were up there on Sunday, it was BEE-U-TEE-FULL! I heard the visibility on Mount Washington was 140+miles... It was so clear and no haze or clouds.

BTW, we stayed at the Cabernet Inn B&B; she was not up for camping out on this trip... and we had a great time. We also ate at Moat in North Conway and had some tasty brews and ribs.

Thanks again and hope to see you out on the trails...

PS... Tom, I think we have met, ask for Kevin the next time you are in.

 

[Rols]

Most of my favorite short hikes have been mentioned (Crawford, Willard, Potash, Hedgehog). Square Ledge across 16 at Pinkham Notch is a fun hike. Another thought is to hike into a waterfall, pond. Sawyer Pond is a nice easy hike that ends at a beautiful destination. Hike the Great Gulf trail to the Bluff or go on a bit farther where there are some really great falls and pools. It is easy hiking and beautiful all the way.

 

[Grandaddy]

Agree on Boulder Loop, nice hike...You also may consider Middle or North Sugarloaf Nice views of Presi's or Frankenstein Cliff (which I have not hiked since I was about 8 years old...Scary from the top of the cliff!!!) all if your willing to head towards Twin Mountain/ Bretton Woods area.