Black Mountain, a ski destination in Jackson, NH, rests fondly in the hearts of many New Englanders. It’s quaint size and beautiful location speaks to the adventurer in all of us, nostalgic for a time most of us can’t remember. It’s also one of the first mountains—perhaps the first mountain—where I learned to ski, as well as the only place where I fell from a chairlift. Actually, I was thrown, but that’s a story for another day. Right now, I want to tell you about a different Black Mountain in New Hampshire, because as it turns out, there’s a lot of them. According to Peakbagger.com, there’s actually seven, and that doesn’t include the subpeaks and other name variations.
First look at Black Mountain on the Chippewa Trail
The Black Mountain I’m referring to is on the 52 With A View list, which is quickly climbing to the top of my favorite peak lists. It features fifty-two mountains in New Hampshire that fall short of 4,000 feet but often deliver astonishing views—panoramas with depth and distinction. I’ve been using the list more as a guide to explore New Hampshire than a checklist to conquer, and I’ve been loving the discoveries it’s led me to.
The Chippewa Trail
Originally, I was planning to climb Blueberry Mountain, located in the northwestern part of the state. But when I reached the trailhead, I didn’t feel comfortable leaving the truck on the icy slope. It looked like one wrong move could send it sliding down a side hill, so I kept driving and tried to find nearby Black Mountain instead. I lost cell service during the drive but had a hunch where the trail might be, and after three or four bumpy miles on a dirt road, I found the Chippewa Trailhead—I had guessed right. I was so glad I did.
The Trees, the Trees!
The Chippewa is a great trail. The sod underfoot holds dry and firm, even where the spring melt has already occurred, and there is a host of good things to look at. One of those things is the most remarkable forest of red pine trees near the summit. A thickly populated forest is an easy thing to overlook, but I found myself frozen when I caught my first glimpse of these guys. Never before had I seen such a healthy, expansive stand of trees—outside of a tree farm—growing in such a straight line, each spaced perfectly apart.
“All my life I’d been searching for trees such as these!” – from The Lorax
I honestly didn’t identify these as red pines right away. Later that night, one of my Instagram friends pointed it out, after I posted a picture from the area. Fricking Instagram. Just when you think you’ve had enough of social media, something always comes about to give you some appreciation for it.
On the Summit of Black Mountain
At the top of Black Mountain is a trek over several open rock perches that run on a gradual incline until you reach the true summit. As you approach, views of Mount Moosilauke and some other formidable White Mountains come into view. I kept thinking when I surfaced above the treeline, how come I never heard of this mountain before? It’s a great one.
Recently, a friend recommended an app called PeakVisor that pulls in gps data of the surrounding mountains, so you can see what you are actually looking at when you’re in the mountains. I couldn’t get it to work the first time I tried it on a previous hike, but this time it worked like a charm.
I knew the big one was probably Mount Moosilauke before, but it was nice to confirm it with PeakVisor.
Thoughts Descending Black Mountain
It’s remote and not easy to get to, but I loved this hike. It’s hard to say if this is one of my favorite mountains or if I simply had an awesome hiking day, but Black Mountain is definitely on my “worth-returning-to” list. In fact, with the exception of Smarts Mountain, so far every climb I’ve done that’s on the “52 With a View” list has been great. And that’s only because my trip up Smarts was sabotaged by weather and the need to cut the trip short. Next time, I bet it will be beautiful.
There was a lot of ice to contend with near the upper sections of the trail, but for the most part, the Chippewa flowed smoothly throughout. It’s not too long, a little challenging at times, and has just the right amount of balance between effort and reward.
The Lime Kilns
Before returning to the truck, I noticed some small signs pointing to “Kilns” and figured I had to check them out. They turned out to be a pretty cool find. Back in the day, this area was considered to be one of the best spots for limestone collection, and a few kilns were set here to create powdered lime. Who knew? Nature and history all in one hike! Huzzah!
New Discoveries
Actually, the whole day was one of new discoveries. When the day began, I noticed signs for a covered bridge along the way, as well as a wood-carved motorcycle and… a rocket? Before I even climbed Black Mountain, I knew that I would need to make a pitstop on the way home to check that out. I mean, a rocket? Come on! I also needed a closer look at that motorcycle.
The Redstone Missile
Few sights in New Hampshire can make you stop dead in your tracks like the Redstone Missile. There you are, driving along a remote rural road in northern New Hampshire, when a casual look to the left for oncoming traffic makes you do a double take. Was that a rocket?
The Redstone Missile (or rocket), as it’s known, was brought to the area by Warren native Ted Asselin, who was stationed at Redstone in Huntsville, AL, back in the early 70s. When he saw the missile not getting utilized and likely destined for the scrapheap, he made arrangements for it to come to Warren. If you’re in the area, it’s worth a look. Actually, it’ll be impossible for you to drive through and NOT notice it.
One of my favorite things about hiking is that it leads you to check out areas you don’t normally pass through. Mountain hiking isn’t only an exploration of nature, but it often takes you on an adventure through towns and villages otherwise unseen.
🧭 Ascent Details: Black Mountain via Chippewa Trail
Route: Chippewa Trail out-and-back from Lime Kiln Road trailhead → summit of Black Mountain (2,830 ft) → return same way
Distance: ~3.6 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: ~1,550 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: ~2.5 to 3 hours
A ROCKET? ONLY IN NH!
Two rockets! Don’t forget the one in Concord. Although that one is apparently a true replica, whereas this one was the real deal—just decommisioned.