Winter hiking the 48 4000 footers

Winter hiking the 48 4,000 footers of New Hampshire can be an incredibly rewarding experience. No bugs, less people, and a multitude of opportunities to not overheat play well in this winter wonder land. This list of which mountains to climb in winter is meant for somebody who is just beginning their winter trekking (and even potentially general hiking) journey. Before you hit the mountains, make sure to take a winter hiking course. Heading to the White Mountains during winter without preparation is not only dangerous for you but for the search and rescue teams tasked with assisting you.

In addition to staying safe, solo hiking during winter can be incredibly dangerous, so it's important to hike with others for those longer journeys in the mountains. Many of the winter hikes listed in this page pair well with great conversation and extra feet to plow down snow.

How was the list put together for winter hiking? Several considerations were thrown into the equation for choosing:

  1. Beginning fitness/experience building
  2. 'Wow' factor in views
  3. Road closures during winter
  4. Mileage + elevation gain
  5. Potential for technical climbing
  6. Ability to peak-bag later in the summer when roads open and technical ice melts

You will notice in this list that there are a couple dozen mountains that have been left out. Read which ones didn't make the cut below.

Next to certain mountains a blue snowflake icon appears to mark that this mountain is more easily accessible and shorter in mileage when roads are not closed. If you are reading this list while roads are open, the mileage and Google Maps parking addresses will be different.

The NH 48 4000 Footer Winter Hiking List

1

Tecumseh - (Mt. Tecumseh trail).

Mt Tecumseh Trailhead, Ski Area Rd, Waterville Valley.

NH 03223: 5.2 miles.

2

Jackson - (Webster-Jackson).

Highland Center at Crawford Notch, White Mountain National Forest, U.S., US-302, Bretton Woods.

NH 03575: 5.6 miles.

3

Waumbek - (Starr King trail).

Pool Rd, Jefferson.

NH 03575: 5.6 miles.

4

Cannon - (Kinsman Ridge trail).

Kinsman Ridge Trailhead, Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway, 260 Tramway Dr, Franconia.

NH 03580: 4 miles.

5&6

Pierce & Eisenhower - (Crawford Connector to Crawford Path and back).

AMC Highland Center at Crawford Notch, White Mountain National Forest, U.S, US-302, Bretton Woods.

NH 03575: 8.7 miles.

This hike is usually 7.7 but requires a 0.5 mile road walk for a total of 8.7 miles. You can also cut through Highland Ct. to shorten the road walk.

7

Moosilauke - (Beaver Brook).

Beaver Brook Trailhead, Lost River Rd, Lisbon.

NH 03585: 7.6 miles.

8

Hale - (Hale Brook trail).

Ammonoosuc Lower Falls Trailhead, Lower Falls Rd, Jefferson.

NH 03583: 9.8 miles.

Usually a 4.6 mile-jaunt, this hike adds 5 miles when parking at the Zealand Campground. This mostly flat road walk is very doable and non-technical.

9

Moriah - (Carter Moriah trail).

Bangor St, Gorham.

NH 03581: 9 miles.

10

Cabot - (Bunnel Notch, Kilkenny Ridge).

Unknown Pond South Trailhead, Milan.

NH: 9.4 miles.

11&12

Tom & Field - (Avalon Tail to A-Z Trail, A-Z Trail to Mt. Tom Spur (touch the mountain).

Mt. Tom Spur to Willey Range Trail, hit Mt. Field and head to Avalon Trail all the way down); AMC Highland Center at Crawford Notch, White Mountain National Forest, U.S, US-302, Bretton Woods.

NH 03575: 8.3 miles.

You can go to Mt. Willey by adding on an extra 2.8 miles and several hundred feet of elevation gain, but this would not be a moderate winter hike.

13

Garfield - (Garfield trail).

Gale River Loop Rd, Bethlehem.

NH 03574: 12.2 miles.

Normally this trail is 10 miles, but you will have to add 2.2 extra miles for the short road walk that is mostly flat and non-technical.

14

Liberty + Flume - (Liberty Springs Trail to Franconia Ridge Trail and back).

Flume Visitor Center, 750 US-3, Lincoln, NH 03251: 8.2 miles - just Liberty. 10.6 miles if deciding to hit Flume and back. Do not go down flume side - very steep in Summer and worse in winter.

15

Carrigan - (Signal Ridge trail).

Sawyer River Rd parking lot, Unnamed Road, Hart's Location.

NH 03812: 14 miles.

This hike is usually 10 miles but the Sawyer River Road closure adds an extra non-technical 2 miles each way for a grand total of 14 miles.

16&17

Middle & North Tripyramids - (Sabbaday Falls to Pine Bend Brook).

Start at Sabbaday Falls Observation Site, Kancamagus Hwy, Campton, NH 03223 and walk along the road to Pine Bend Brook Trailhead, Kancamagus Hwy, Albany, NH 03818 along the road to jump on the trail. 11 miles.

18&19

South Hancock & Mount Hancock - (Hancock Notch to Hancock Loop - head up South Hancock first before Mount Hancock).

Hancock Overlook, Kancamagus Hwy, Lincoln.

NH 03251: 10 miles.

20&21

Carter Middle, & Carter South -

(19 Mile Brook to Carter Dome Trail, Carter Dome to Carter-Moriah Trail, hit South & Middle Carter Mountains, take left on North Carter Trail, veer left to Imp Trail and cut through to Camp Dodge Logging Road, then short road walk back to Nineteen Mile Brook): Nineteen Mile Brook Trailhead, White Mountain Rd, Gorham, NH 03581 - 11 miles.

22&23

North & South Kinsman - (Lonesome Lake, Fishin' Jimmy, Kinsman Ridge and back).

Lafayette Place Campground, 2 Franconia Notch State Park, Franconia.

NH 03580: 10.2 miles.

Mountains we didn't include:

The following mountains were not included in the winter hiking list due to either the distance or more technical gear needed. Some of these hikes are difficult during summer, and the added energy burning of snowshoeing makes them even more challenging. In addition, the combination of dangerous conditions that require an ice axe and full-on crampons versus microspikes were other considerations when making this list. If you have an incredible amount of experience, gear, and fitness, you could most likely do many of these below.

  • Mt. Zealand
  • Owl's Head
  • Bondcliff, Mount Bond & West Bond
  • Willey
  • Mount Osceola & East Osceola
  • Jefferson
  • Wildcats A & D
  • Monroe
  • Washington
  • Adams & Madison
  • Isolation
  • Lafayette & Lincoln
  • Whiteface & Passaconway
  • North Twin & South Twin
  • Galehead

If you would like someone to join you on your adventures for winter hiking in the White Mountains (and elsewhere), you can post your adventure so that you can enjoy the mountains safely.