I’ve been tackling New Hampshire’s 52 With a View list as of late, and after having my least favorite hike on Mount Paugus, it got me thinking about which ones I like the best, and which ones I like the least. For the most part, every one of them has been a great hike so far, but I wanted to make this list to help me remember all of the hikes and prioritize which ones I’d like to return to with friends. (I wouldn’t want to take them back to someplace that stinks!)
This is a working list, as I haven’t completed the 52 yet. But someday I will! Hopefully within the next year. For the ones I haven’t completed, if you have a recommendation on which one I should tackle next, I’d love to hear it.
Note: Unlike the 4000-footer ranking list, I didn’t need to add a column indicating whether there are views at the summit, because the requirement for a mountain to make “The 52” is that it have a beautiful summit view!
| Rank | Mountain | Description | Difficulty (1-5), 5 Being the Hardest | Is it on the Return-to List? | Trip Reports, Stories, & Photos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount Webster | I love the views from Mount Webster. Even better than neighboring Mount Jackson. The trail up is steep, rooty, and rocky, but somehow all of that is perfectly spaced, and the trail runs smoothly on the ascent. It is a fantastic challening hike, with huge rewards. (Height 3910′) | 4 | Yes! | Webster-Jackson Loop |
| 2 | Dickey Mountain | The Welch-Dickey loop is a stunning hike, with a big open slab of granite to ascend near the top. If you are looking for a must-do in the White Mountains, I’d put this near the top of your list. (Height 2722′) | 2 | Yes! | Welch-Dickey Loop |
| 3 | Hedgehog Mountain | This is a fantastic mountain. The view of Passaconaway can’t be beat, and the depth of the surrounding valley makes for incredible picture taking. Love this mountain! (Height 2542′) | 3 | Yes | A Stunning View |
| 4 | Three Sisters – Middle Sister | Incredible mountain. You can opt to go past waterfalls, combine it with a tour of Chocorua, or just enjoy it on its own. At the summit is a remarkable view with Chocorua nearby, and the remains of an old fire tower in the foreground. This quickly became one of my favorites after climbing it. (Height 3338′) | 3 | Yes | Has a Little Bit of Everything |
| 5 | Mount Willard | Great views at the summit of Willard! And the hike is really straight with a nice, gradual grade. Easy on the feet and easy on the eyes. (Height 2850′) | 1 | Yes | A Smooth Summer Hike |
| 6 | Mount Morgan | If you’ve ever hiked West Rattlesnake, overlooking Squam Lake, you’ll enjoy Morgan when you are ready for it. It’s beautiful and with a ladder to reach its summit, it gives you a little something different to do. I could do this one a bunch because of its proximity to the Lakes Region. (Height 2200′) | 1 | Yes | |
| 7 | Mount Percival | This one is trickier than you’d expect. The “cliff way” near the summit can be very difficult for anyone, but especially those who have a bad knee or balance impairment. There is a reason why this peak is on the Terrifying 25 list. For a short mountain, it’s not to be taken lightly. (Height 2212′) | 3 | Yes | Led Astray on Percival |
| 8 | Mount Pemigewasset | It’s been a long time since I’ve been to this mountain, and that’s only because there have been so many other ones to climb! Maybe this fall… (Height 2552′) | 3 | Yes | |
| 9 | Mont Cube | Bullet the Wingdog joined me for this one, and it may have been just a little too much for him. But there were several outlooks along the way, and would make for a rewarding hike in any season. (Height 2915′) | 3 | Yes | Autumn Return |
| 10 | Potash Mountain | Beautiful winter hike with views of Passaconaway. This hike was the one that made me think I should start pursuing all of the 52 WAVs. (Height 2691′) | 3 | Yes | |
| 11 | North Doublehead | It could be simply because of what we did there, but I loved my time on North Doublehead. My wife arranged for my first backcountry ski adventure there when I turned 40. It was awesome. (Height 3051′) | 2 | Yes | |
| 12 | Mount Cardigan | Also on New Hampshire’s Fire Tower list, this is a great mountain with great views in every direction. (Height 3149′) | 3 | Yes | |
| 13 | Mount Chocorua | It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. After visiting two interesting waterfalls (Champney and Pitcher), you have to ascend a very exposed summit outcropping. On a windy day, you have to watch your step, but it is a very cool summit. (Height 3490′) | 4 | Yes | Looking for Frank |
| 14 | Black Mountain | I loved this mountain! It is very remote and I wasn’t even planning on doing it the day I made it up there. But there is a beautiful ridge at the top that gives you terrific views of Moosilauke and the surrounding peaks. (Height 2829′) | 3 | Yes | A Sweet Surprise |
| 15 | Mount Israel | Things are always better when you share them with someone, and I did this one with my son. It was a tough little hike for a smaller mountain, but we had a beautiful day and a great summit view. (Height 2636′) | 3 | Yes | |
| 16 | Middle Sugarloaf | This is a relatively easier one, and I really liked the offshoots of the Zealand River you get to spot along the way. I’d go back if I was looking to take younger kids on an easier climb. Like ages 8 and up. Maybe 10. (Height 2537′) | 3 | Yes | Getting Back Out There |
| 17 | Mount Monadnock | The most climbed mountain in the world outside of Mt. Fuji (supposedly). I’ve climbed this several times, and multiple times with my daughter when she was young. Great for kids and the open summit makes for a rewarding place to enjoy your lunch and enjoy the views. (Height 3170′) | 3 | Yes | Father-Daughter Hike Kiasticuticus Peak |
| 18 | Imp Face | This is a challenging climb, especially in winter conditions. Using spikes, we climbed over icy creeks and found the ascent to be pretty steep. Fortunately, the Imp Trail is a loop hike, so you don’t have to go down the way you came up. (Height 3165′) | 4 | Yes | Bring Out the Imp |
| 19 | Mount Avalon | I really love the summit of this mountain. If you want to feed some gray jays, that is certainly an easy option, and the views are stunning. I ranked this lower than some, only because you don’t get as much to look at until you reach the summit. (Height 3440′) | 3 | Yes | Hiking With Bilbo |
| 20 | Mount Tremont | The trail flows really well and is soft underfoot. When we’re not in drought, Stony Brook is sure to be more of a draw. The summit has a small outcropping to take in the view, which is great. A beautiful vista encompassing Sawyer Pond, Mount Osceola, and North Tripyramid. (Height 3384′) | 4 | Maybe. Only because I feel like I really got to know it and want to explore other areas first. Could take a while! | Chasing Fall Foliage |
| 21 | Pine Mountain | This is a really easy one in terms of distance, but there is one harry section over an open granite slab that could end badly if you don’t watch your step. The coolest thing about Pine is its neighboring mountain called Chapel Rock. Someone constructed a wooden cross on it, which makes for a cool sighting. (Height 2404′) | 1 | Yes | Pine Mtn & Chapel Rock |
| 22 | Bald Peak | Maybe I was out of shape for this one, but even though it didn’t take too long, it was a solid effort to get up there. I was motoring, and it was hot, but I’ve had easier climbs. It’s a nice trail with some brook crossings, and at the summit is a lovely view of North Kinsman. (Height 2460′) | 3 | Yes | The Mount Kinsman Trail |
| 23 | Cherry Mountain – Owlshead | This one turned into a much more difficult hike than I expected, even though it was just under five miles. Heavy snows, cold temps, and a steep incline made for quite an adventure. On a clearer day, I know the views would have been more spectactular, but the snow-covered trees made for a beautiful climb. (Height 3257′) | 3 | Yes | Butt-Sliding |
| 24 | Mount Roberts | Had some good views along the way, but it was a soupy day. Need to see this one again to give it a fair assessment. When I got back to the car, I had 12 ticks hanging out on my socks. (Height 2583′) | 3 | Yes | |
| 25 | Mount Kearsarge | Done Kearsarge a couple of times. If you want to cheat, you can basically drive to the summit, but it’s a nice hike to the summit as well. This is a good one to bring little kids if you want them to get a summit experience without having a huge effort—and a mutiny. (Height 2934′) | 1 | Maybe (Only because I feel like I’ve satisfied my quota there.) | |
| 26 | The Horn | The Horn is an outcropping near the summit of Mount Cabot—one of New Hampshire’s 4000-footers. There are some good views, but for the drive and effort, certainly not as good as many of the other mtns on this list. (Height 3900′) | 3 | Not at the moment | Wasn’t Part of the Plan |
| 27 | Smarts Mountain | I actually failed to summit this one on my first attempt, because I got called back to work twenty minutes before I reached the summit. On the second try, I took the Daniel Doan Trail, which was a tad lonely. If I returned to Smarts, I’d try the Ranger way up and loop it back down over Lambert’s Ridge. (Height 3238′) | 3 | Yes | All Alone on Smarts Failed Ascent |
| 28 | Stinson Mountain | Stinson is the primary reason why I am making this list—I climbed it, but I have no recollection of it. I have pictures from its summit, showing a windmill farm of sorts across the valley, so not a terribly awesome view. As such, it gets a low ranking for now. I’ll have to go back to verify. (Height 2890′) | 3? | Yes | |
| 29 | Mount Shaw | I don’t recall much about Shaw except that the views weren’t all that spectacular for a lot of walking through the forest. (Height 2990′) | 3 | Maybe | |
| 30 | Mount Paugus – South Peak | This was my least favorite climb to date. The trail runs slow, steep, twisty, and rooty. Honestly, it was kind of annoying. (Height 3080′) | 4 | No | A Summer Audible |
| 31 | Sandwich Mountain | TBD (Height 3992′) | |||
| 32 | Shelburne Moriah Mountain | TBD (Height 3743′) | |||
| 33 | Sugarloaf | TBD (Height 3702′) | |||
| 34 | North Baldface | TBD (Height 3597′) | |||
| 35 | Mount Success | TBD (Height 3592′) | |||
| 36 | South Baldface | TBD (Height 3576′) | |||
| 37 | Jennings Peak | TBD (Height 3493′) | |||
| 38 | Stairs Mountain | TBD (Height 3469′) | |||
| 39 | Percy Peaks – North Peak | TBD (Height 3415′) | |||
| 40 | Mount Resolution – Southwest Summit | TBD (Height 3400′) | |||
| 41 | Magalloway Mountain | TBD (Height 3385′) | |||
| 42 | Kearsarge North | TBD (Height 3269′) | |||
| 42 | |||||
| 43 | North Moat Mountain | TBD (Height 3202′) | |||
| 44 | Mont Crawford | TBD (Height 3128′) | |||
| 45 | Eagle Crag | TBD (Height 3020′) | |||
| 46 | Mount Parker | TBD (Height 3013′) | |||
| 47 | Rogers Ledge | TBD (Height 2952) | |||
| 48 | Eastman Mountain | TBD (Height 2938) | |||
| 49 | South Moat Mountain | (Height 2760′) | |||
| 50 | Iron Mountain | (Height 2723′) | |||
| 51 | Table Mountain | (Height 2669′) | |||
| 52 | Mount Hayes | (Height 2573′) |
Stories From the 52 With a View
-
Butt-Sliding on Cherry Mountain (aka Owlshead) -
Discovering Surprises on Middle Sister -
Bring Out the Imp (and Middle Carter) -
A Blustery Day on Mount Monadnock -
All Alone on Smarts Mountain -
Chasing Fall Foliage on Mount Tremont -
Hedgehog Mountain: A Mountain for All Weather -
The Wonderful Welch-Dickey Loop -
The Webster-Jackson Loop -
A Paugus Among Us -
A Window for Bald Peak -
Pine Mountain and Chapel Rock -
An Easy Go on Mount Willard -
Middle Sugarloaf: Dusting off the Hiking Boots -
No, the Other Black Mountain -
Not Smarts Mountain -
Misdirection on Mount Percival -
Looking for Frank on Mount Chocorua -
Getting Back Out There – Mount Cube