Easy Hikes near Mt Washington in the White Mountains

Thompson Falls has a nice swimming hole

If you're visiting the Mt Washington area in the White Mountains and looking for easier hikes or you're recovering from climbing Washington on the previous day, here are four easy hikes that are near to the Pinkham Notch Visitors Center and feature great views or excellent waterfalls and swimming holes to help you chill. All of these hikes are good for kids as well as adults. For directions and more information, see The White Mountain Guide.

Thompson Falls – Waterfalls and Swimming Hole

Thompson Falls is located at the Wildcat Ski Area, just beyond the Pinkham Notch Visitors Center at the base of Mt Washington on Rt 16. Park in the big lot out front, cross the bridge over the Ellis River, and follow "The Way of the Wildcat" sign, a nature trail that leads to the Thompson Falls Trail. Just 0.7 miles long, the Thompson Trail leads to a nice waterfall and swimming hole where brook trout can be seen darting between the rocks. More waterfalls can be viewed by hiking higher up the trail a short distance although the footing becomes a bit tricky with slippery rocks and tree roots.

Distance: 0.7 miles, with 200 feet of elevation gain

Winniweta Falls

Winneweta Falls

The Winneweta Falls Trail runs besides many swimming holes and cascades. It's located off Rt 16, 3 miles north of Jackson, NH. Look for the sign (above) and gravel pull-off at the trailhead. While the trail is 0.9 miles in length, the first waterfalls and swimming holes appear at about 0.5 miles and continue as you hike up the trail. Pick one you like and jump in!

There are lots of shallow pools along the Winneweta Trail where you can dip your toes or jump in

There is a shallow stream crossing required near the parking area, so be sure to bring sandals or shoes that you don't mind getting soaked. It's wide enough that you won't be able to hop from rock to rock from one bank to the other. The river is reasonably shallow and refreshing to walk though, with a riverbed made up of small stones that is easy to cross.

Distance: 0.9 miles with 350 ft of elevation gain

You can see into the Tuckerman and Huntington Ravines on the eastern flank of Mt Washington from the Square Ledge Trail.

Square Ledge Trail

Located directly across Rt 16 from the Pinkham Notch Visitors Center at the base of Mt Washington, Square Ledge has excellent views of Mt Washington and Huntington Ravine.  Cross Rt 16 and the wooden bridge leading to Lost Pond.  A sign for the trail will be on your right heading uphill.

The trail climbs uphill through an easy to navigate maze of rocks, before climbing steeply on rock stairs to an open ledge overlooking Mt Washington and its adjacent glacial ravines. This short trail provides a big bang for the buck with a very modest level of effort, especially good for small tikes who'd never made it up the big mountain across the street.

Distance: 0.5 miles with 400 feet of elevation gain.

The Ledge Trail on Pine Mountain provides huge views with relatively little effort.

Ledge Trail

The Ledge Trail is near the Dolly Copp Campground just north of the Pinkham Notch Visitors Center on Rt 16. Turn onto the campground road from Rt 16 and continue past the campground entrance. When you come to a fork in the road, bear left and follow Dolly Cop Road (also called Pinkham B) up to the Pine Mountain parking area and trailhead.

The views of Mt Madison from the Ledge Trail are some of the finest in the White Mountains.

Follow the tree covered gravel road (foot traffic only) 0.9 miles to the sign for the Ledge Trail. Turn right and hike 0.6 miles to the wide open ledges that provide vast views of Mt Washington, the Northern Presidentials, and Carter Notch. Hike up the trail behind the ledges to visit the old fire tower foundations on top of Pine Mountain and other fine views to the north.

Distance: 0.6 miles with 600 feet of elevation gain (1.5 miles including easy road walk)

See Also:

• The Pleasure Paths of Randolph
• Hiking to Province Pond Lean-to
• Hike to Mt Ingalls and Ray's Pond

           

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Easy Hikes near Mt Washington in the White Mountains

Hiking Mt Washington Gear List

The Rockpile (Mt Washington) seen from the Nelson Crag Tableland

Mt Washington is a serious mountain with unpredictable weather despite that fact that there's a weather forecasting station on top. You can set out to hike it on a day which is supposed to be clear and sunny, but experience unexpected fog, high winds, rain showers, and even thunderstorms as you climb higher.

Hypothermia, getting caught out after dark, losing the trail, running out of water, falling and injuring yourself on sharp rocks – these are surprisingly frequent occurrences when hiking Mt Washington, especially during the summer months (July and August) when the risk of seasonal thunderstorm activity is at its highest and the largest number of hikers attempt to climb the peak.

It's not uncommon to encounter dense, wet fog when climbing Mt Washington, even on days when brilliant sunshine is forecast

There are no trees on Mt Washington, so there is no cover when things get nasty. You best bet is bring sufficient clothing, gear, food, and water when hiking Mt Washington so you can weather an unexpected storm without getting chilled and hypothermic. Avoid wearing any cotton clothing because it doesn't dry quickly, doesn't keep you warm when it gets wet, and can lead to painful chafing especially if it's underwear.

Here's my recommended gear list for hiking Mt Washington in July and August. In June and September, I add more insulated clothing. Winter conditions prevail on Mt Washington the remainder of the year. I've climbed Mt Washington many times and led numerous hikes up it for the Appalachian Mountain Club. In my experience, it pays to be cautious when hiking Mt Washington and to come prepared.

Recommended Mt Washington Gear List

1. Waterproof map of the Mt Washington Area; 1 per person
2. Compass, GPS unit or Phone GPS App with extra batteries
3. Rain jacket and rain pants
4. Lightweight fleece sweater
5. Two to three liters of water; assumes resupply at summit or huts
6. Lots of food – several snacks or candy bars, a sandwich, salty nuts or chips
7. First-aid kit
8. Emergency whistle, so you can find people when the fog drops
9. Bright headlamp w/ extra batteries
10. Warm hat, sun hat, and sun tan lotion
11. Fire-making kit, so you can start a warming fire if wet (and you make it to treeline)
12. Watch, so you know what time it is
13. Backpack large enough to carry everything

It's no accident that this gear list looks a lot like the day hikers 10 essentials gear list I advocate that people carry. It includes all of the gear that I carry when I hike in the White Mountains.

Martin at the Washington Summit Sign in the Mist

While you can carry less and probably get by in good weather, you'll be grateful to have these extras when the shit hits the fan and the weather turns nasty on you, your group loses the path, or gets stuck out after dark. This happens surprisingly often, even among pros, so err on the side of being prepared.

           

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Hiking Mt Washington Gear List

Great Hikes: Mt Washington, the Huntington Ravine Trail, and a Boot Spur Loop

Mt Washington in early morning light

While I enjoy hiking solo in the White Mountains in summer, there are a few trails that I won't hike alone, in any season for that matter. The Huntington Ravine Trail is one of them. This trail, which climbs a cliff face on the east side of Mt Washington, is considered the hardest and most dangerous trail in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, which is quite a feat, since there are dozens of ass-puckering trails here that have similar billing.

Beth scrambles across the fan, the lower boulder field at the base of the ravine

My partner on this hike was Beth, trail-name Damselfly, who's a tough-as-nails hiker, bushwhacker, and backpacker that I'd met on a winter bushwhack years before on Mt Kancamagus and who'd provided me with valuable route beta when I bushwhacked Scar Ridge. Like me, she's on a mission to hike all of the trails in The White Mountain Guide, a crazy hobby known as "redlining" by local hikers. It's a variant of section hiking, but local to the White Mountains, which has 608 trails that total 1440 miles in length.

We've both tried to climb the Huntington Ravine Trail in the past, but had multiple trips cancelled due to bad weather when the wet rocks that form the trail are best avoided. Covered with ice and snow over half the year, when full-on technical ice climbing or rock climbing gear is required, there are only a few months of the year when the trail is passable by hikers, making it an elusive and difficult trail to ascend. Descent is not recommended during any part of the year, without climbing gear. See The White Mountain Guide for details.

Philip crosses a brook on the lower part of the Huntington Ravine Trail

However beautiful clear weather was forecast for the day of our hike. We got an early start, hiking up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail to the lower section of the Huntington Ravine Trail that leads to the base of the cliff face. We soon passed the avalanche rescue cache for ice climbers and took a food and water break in the shade at the bottom of The Fan, the rocky boulder field that forms the base of the cliff.

Beth led the climb after our break, scrambling between and over the boulders carefully, following the yellow blazed trail painted on the rocks. It was slow going, not your average hiking trail, but typical of the above treeline scrambles you find on Washington and the peaks in the Northern Presidential Range – Jefferson, Adams, and Madison.

Philip crouches low to traverse open ledge trusting the sticky soles of his train runners on the open rock.

So far so good. We were able to elude some lingering wet spots on the rock, but the trail became increasingly vertical as we climbed higher. We hugged the rock face closely keeping our center of gravity away from the open ledges, jamming our hands and feet into cracks and seams between the rocks for better purchase.

Beth goes vertical as we near the top of the cliff

The Pinnacle, a huge tower of rock, loomed to our left. We saw no other hikers ahead or behind us during our ascent, just a pairs of rock climbers climbing the Pinnacle.

I switched off with Beth when we reached a difficult chimney. I climbed up first and pulled her backpack up so she could climb it unencumbered. The top was in sight and we scrambled up an avalanche slide, coming to the huge cairn at the top of the cliff where the Huntington Ravine Trail meets the Alpine Garden Trail. We were on level ground again. We bumped fists and took a break, feeling great and energized for the next part of our journey.

Being redliners, we both had separate routes planned for the remainder of the day: I had trails to hike on Washington's flanks that she'd hiked already and she had trails to hike that I'd already completed.

Cairn at the top of the Huntington Ravine Trail

The weather started to deteriorate as soon as we'd topped out at the Alpine Trail, despite a sunny forecast, so typical of Mt Washington which has unpredictable weather. Cold fog soon enveloped us, turning to heavy cloud, with gusty 35 mph winds and dry lightning later in the afternoon.

Beth planned to hike down the Nelson Crag Trail and back to the Pinkham Notch Visitors Center, while I planned to hike up the Nelson Crag Trail to the Mt Washington summit, before looping around Washington on the Crawford Path, crossing the Bigelow Lawn, and hiking down Boot Spur and the Boot Spur Link to the floor of Tuckerman Ravine. We hiked the remaining, easy part of the Huntington Ravine Trail together (0,3 miles), and parted ways promising to meet up again soon. We'd made a good team.

Crossing the Cog RR Tracks – a Tourist Train that climbs Mt Washington

I summited Washington, climbing over a section of the Cog Railroad and refueled on potato chips and cokes in the summit cafeteria. There was a mob of people on the summit that day, so I soon fled to the solitude of the Bigelow Lawn, a huge expense of alpine grass on the wide plain between Washington, Mt Monroe, and Boot Spur, one of Washington's subsidiary peaks.

I really love the lawns on Washington and the Northern Presidentials. There's something about the lines of rock cairns that stretch out across them to the horizon, that appeals to me.

Rock Cairns on the Bigelow Lawn

I hiked across the lawn a few times, covering the trails I'd never hiked before including the Southside Trail which wraps around the south side of Washington's summit cone, the Lawn Cutoff which connects the Boot Spur Trail to Tuckerman Junction at the top of Tuckerman Ravine, the Tuckerman Crossover Trail which links the Lakes of the Clouds Hut to Tuckerman Junction, and the Camel Trail which links Lakes to the Davis Path.

By 4 pm, the ski had turned ominous looking and a strong breeze has started blowing cold fog across the lawn. I felt a few drops and hoped I'd get down below treeline before it started to rain.

I hiked over the summit of Boot Spur and started to climb down the northwest side towards Pinkham Notch, planning to hike down a steep side trail called the Boot Spur Link which leads to the base of Tuckerman Ravine at the Hermit Lake Shelters.

Hiking down Boot Spur as the storm descends

I'd been warned that the Boot Spur Link Trail was steep, but it provided a very fast escape route below treeline. Just as I reached its bottom, I saw a few flashes of lightning over nearby Tuckerman Ravine, a good time to be down on the ravine floor surrounded by tall trees. I was soon on the path back down to the Pinkham Notch Visitors Center and on my way in search of a pizza to refuel and savor the accomplishments of the day.

Total distance: 13 miles with 5000′ of elevation gain.

Mt Washington, Huntington Ravine Trail, and Boot Spur Loop (click for interactive map on Caltopo.com)

           

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