BACKPACKING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
Welcome to the Newenglandwaterfalls.com guide to backpacking in New Hampshire! New Hampshire offers some of the finest backpacking in the United States. Some of the most exhilarating sections of the Appalachian Trail are found here, and so is world-famous Mt. Washington and the Presidential Range. The majority of the 800,000-acre White Mountain National Forest is located within this state, offering over 1,000 miles of well-signed, easy-to-follow trails, many of which are excellent for backpacking. The state features 8 full-service backcountry huts, over 40 remote lean-tos/shelters, plus over 100 established tenting areas where you can legally camp in the backcountry. The premier backpacking destinations of New Hampshire include:
AMC: White Mountain Guide (31st edition) Moon: New England Hiking (1st edition) See below for a list of the fantastic backpacking opportunities in New Hampshire. If you think I've missed any of the best backpacking trips in this state, or if you believe any of this information needs updating, please email me @ gparsons66@hotmail.com or make a comment at the bottom of this page using the Facebook social plugin. Follow New England Waterfalls on Facebook! 
Lowe's Path, Mount Adams  Davis Path heading south towards Mt. Isolation  U.S. Forest Service's Black Mountain Cabin (reservations required)  Star Lake & Mount Madison (only 0.2 mile from AMC Madison Spring Hut) trail sign on Mt. Adams  sunset near the summit of Bondcliff  giant cairn on the summit of Mt. Eisenhower Jim Liberty Cabin on Mt. Chocorua TIPS FOR BACKPACKING IN NEW HAMPSHIREHere are some general tips to help you make the most of your backpacking trips in New Hampshire: AVOID BUG SEASON - Unless you are a masochist, avoid backpacking in New Hampshire from late-May through early July. This is black fly season and they can be absolutely intolerable (think Alaskan mosquito-bad). You can try to use bug spray or DEET-based products, but they don't always work well for all people all th etime. If you absolutely must go backpacking during this time-frame, do yourself a favor and bring a wide-brimmed hat and a mesh bug net. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRAIL CONDITIONS - Review Trailsnh.com, Newenglandtrailconditions.com, Vftt.org or other websites to obtain the latest in trail conditions, especially in winter and early spring, when snow & ice conditions can be highly variable. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- USE GUIDEBOOKS - Buy hiking or backpacking guidebooks and actually read each relevant chapter before you take your backpacking trip. You'll understand potential dangers and also make sure you don't miss anything important or scenic along the way. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BRING FRIENDS - I encourage you to bring friends with you on your backpacking adventures, so long as you sincerely believe they will be capable of hiking the trails and mountains that you have selected for them. If you want to get someone hooked on backpacking, make their first trip both easy and rewarding. I wouldn't do more than 5 or 6 miles per day if you are taking a newbie with you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHECK THE WEATHER - Check the Mount Washington Observatory Higher Summits Forecast the morning before hiking any of the major peaks of New Hampshire. This forecast typically gets updated between 4:00am-6:00am each morning and is far more trust-worthy than the generic weather websites. You can also do a "spot" forecast using www.noaa.gov, but pointing to a peak and getting its forecast. Some hikers will check both. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STAY IN A HUT - Stay in an AMC or RMC hut or cabin at least once (tip: some of the AMC huts have a "self-service" season that is much more affordable than the prime "full service" season). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GET THE RIGHT BOOTS OR SHOES - Invest in high-quality hiking shoes or hiking boots. If the boots or shores cost less than $100, they probably aren't that high of quality. I love the Oboz, Asolo, REI, Vasque and Merrill brands, but there are many others. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- USE TREKKING POLES - Save your knees so that you can still hike when you are in your 70's. Bring and use trekking poles most or all of the time. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LEAVE A NOTE - Always leave a note or tell someone which trails and mountains you will be backpacking (too many people get lost and/or injured in the mountains of New Hampshire). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BEWARE OF BREAK-INS - Don't leave anything valuable in your car. Unfortunately, too many break-ins have occurred in this region. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GET CREATIVE - Learn the value of hitch-hiking, using a car-spot, and/or mountain biking between trailheads (note: a traverse is always more interesting than an out-and-back hike). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WINTER BACKPACKING - Most people avoid backpacking trips in New Hampshire from November through May since this is the snow/ice season. You need specific winter backpacking skills to be able to backpack during the cold weather seasons in New Hampshire. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BEAT THE CROWDS - Start your hikes early (i.e. before 6:30-7:00am) to beat most of the crowds and to have a better shot of grabbing a space within a shelter or at an established tent-site. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- REVIEW HIKING MAPS - Study hiking maps because they can help you become creative in the routes you take (you don't always have to take the easiest or most-straightforward trails). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HIKE IN SEPTEMBER - Mid-week September hiking is amazing. Hike at least once during this time-frame (call out sick from work if you have to). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CARRY THE RIGHT FOOD - Carry the appropriate food based on the season you are hiking in (some foods will melt in summer, and some foods become rock-solid in winter). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EAT UP - Attack some great local restaurants after at least some of your hikes (or all of them). You've earned it. In the White Mountains of New Hampshire, many of the best restaurants are found in the towns of North Conway, Jackson, Lincoln and Woodstock. You can use yelp.com or tripadvisor.com to find restaurants in all regions of New Hampshire. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VISIT THE MOUNTAIN WANDERER BOOKSTORE - Introduce yourself to Steve Smith at the Mountain Wanderer in Lincoln at some point. There aren't many people as passionate about New Hampshire's trails as he is. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- REI MEMBERSHIP - Get that $20 REI membership to save 8-10% on all full-price REI purchases for the rest of your life (you have no idea how much time you'll probably spend at their stores and on rei.com). Also, strongly consider applying for the REI credit card (you can earn hundreds of dollars in dividends each year if you use this credit card as your primary card for your non-REI purchases). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PICK YOUR MOUNTAINS WISELY - Hike the great mountains and route on the bluebird days, and the less interesting mountains and routes on the overcast or lousy-weather days. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FALL FOLIAGE - Don't miss backpacking in New Hampshire during peak fall foliage in early October. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GET YOUR ELECTROLYTES - Bring some Gatorade (or something similar) to get some electrolytes into your system. I like bringing these drinks in powder form and making them when I need them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VITAMIN I - Ibuprofen can be extremely helpful in controlling pain and/or reducing swelling. Some hikers swear by using this drug, but don't consume them on an empty stomach. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SNOW & ICE - Be safe out there - New Hampshire's mountains can be nasty (even deadly) in adverse weather conditions. Snow and ice can also be very problematic, sometimes accumulating as early as early October and often extending well into May. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MEETUP.COM - If you are short on hiking friends, consider joining a Meetup hiking group (there are several groups and they always have good hikes planned) or ask for partners on one of several local Facebook hiking 'groups'. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GEAR STORES - Spend time perusing at least a few gear stores that focus on hiking & backpacking equipment. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LEARN FIRST AID - Take a wilderness first aid course to prepare you in case something goes wrong. If you hike for long enough in your life, you are likely to encounter a situation where first aid training can come in handy. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WATCH THE WEATHER - Try to read the weather frequently while hiking, and react quickly to changes in clouds or temperature. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TURN BACK IF YOU HAVE TO - Don't be afraid to turn back if your energy levels are low or the weather is deteriorating (most hikers will be turned back at some point). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CATCH A SUNSET OR SUNRISE - Catch a sunset or sunrise from a mountain top or above treeline (bring at least one headlamp to help you get down). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TREAT WATER - Always treat water before drinking it (use iodine, boil, or use a filter). I recommend using a pump filter or a gravity-based filtering system. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LIMIT YOUR MILEAGE - Try to limit your first backpacking trip to no more than 6-8 miles a day. Some will want to do even fewer miles than this. Once you get some experience under your belt, you'll likely find yourself doing trips in the 8-12 miles per day range. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BRING A REAL CAMERA - Don't forget your camera, and remember to label the pictures after you are done with each hike (you'll want to capture these moments). I recommend that you bring a good point-and-shoot or DSLR camera instead of taking pictures with your smart-phone. The reason is because the camera's resolution on your smart-phone will not look good on tablet and computer monitors 10 or 20 years from now. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UNDERSTAND WHAT CAN GO WRONG - Read Not Without Peril and/or Desperate Steps: Life, Death, and Choices Made in the Mountains of the Northeast to learn about what can go wrong in the rugged mountains of New Hampshire if you aren't properly prepared. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GET THE HIKER'S BIBLE - The AMC White Mountain Guide (31st edition; 2022) literally describes every single trail in the White Mountains. There are no photographs in this book, but it's the finest and most accurate hiking guidebook on the planet. I'm serious about this. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SECTIONHIKER.COM - The Sectionhiker.com website has fanastic information on backpacking the 4000-footers. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BEAT THE CROWDS - If you want to beat the crowds, avoid backpacking anywhere along the Appalachian Trail from May through October, especially on the weekends. If you want an even higher chance of solitude, avoid trails that climb on or near the 4000-footers. The Cohos Trail is an excellent way to generally beat the crowds (although its popularity is quickly increasing).  en route to the Pemigewasset Wilderness from the Lincoln Woods trailhead on NH 112/the Kancamagus Highway BACKPACKING THE 4000-FOOTERSHere are the official opportunities for backpacking on the 4000-footers of New Hampshire. Please take note there are many other unofficial backpacking opportunities on most of these peaks, and I have not listed them here as I feel that people need to work a bit to find them on their own (so that these pristine sites are not overrun).
MULTI-DAY BACKPACKING TRIPS IN NEW HAMPSHIREHere are some recommended multi-day backpacking trips in New Hampshire:
If you study trail maps of the White Mountain National Forest, you can easily customize a backpacking trip of 2 or 3 or even more days. Just beware of potentially dangerous major river crossings, especially those in the Pemigewasset Wilderness and those in the Wild River Wilderness.  Panorama Shelter, Cohos Trail (between NH 26 and Coleman State Park) AMC HIGH MOUNTAIN HUTSThe non-profit organization Appalachian Mountain Club (the 'AMC') operates eight (8) backcountry huts in the White Mountain National Forest. All eight of these huts sit directly along the path of the Appalachian Trail. They are between 8-10 miles apart, which helps make for some excellent multi-day hut-to-hut trekking opportunities. All huts have a 'full-service' season and most, if not all, have a 'self-service' season:
All huts require advance reservations, unless you are an Appalachian Trail "thru-hiker". These huts are wildly popular these days, so make your reservations early in the year or chance are good you'll be out of luck. The following is a list of all eight of the AMC huts, listed in order as they lie on the Appalachian Trail as you travel from south to north. I have also included my opinion of the quality of the scenic views that are seen directly from the hut or within a few hundred feet of the hut.
The AMC Lakes of the Clouds Hut is the largest and most popular hut, and it can be difficult to score a reservation. This hut lies above treeline and is the closest hut to Mt. Washington. From the hut, you can hike to all sorts of beautiful destinations in the southern Presidential Range, including Mt. Washington, Mt. Monroe and Mt. Eisenhower. This hut has the best views of all the AMC huts, but take note that it closes in early September. The AMC Lonesome Lake Hut is the most popular with families, since it's only a 1.6 mile hike to the hut. Lonesome Lake sits just below the hut and is popular with kids for swimming (but beware there are some leeches). Views of the Franconia Ridge from the pond are spectacular when clouds/fog are not present. The AMC also rents a hut high on the slopes of Mt. Cardigan in Central New Hampshire. This is the AMC High Cabin and it sleeps up to twelve hikers on four sets of bunkbeds that are 3-beds tall each. This cabin is rented exclusively to one party at a time, but you don't need to be an AMC member to reserve it. The hut is open-year round and you may use its wood stove during the colder seasons. Bring a lot of water if you visit because there isn't reliable water anywhere near the cabin.  AMC Lakes of the Clouds Hut  AMC Madison Spring Hut RMC HUTS & SHELTERSThe Randolph Mountain Club ('RMC') offers a few wonderful and cheaper alternatives to the Appalachian Mountain Club huts.
All of these shelters and cabins/huts can be reached by parking at the well-marked Appalachia trailhead on US 2 in the town of Randolph. You'll want to bring a solid guidebook and trail map with you on your hike since there are literally dozens of trails that stem from that one trailhead. Most hikers will use the RMC facilities as a base camp to hike Mt. Madison and/or Mt. Adams. You can also reach Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Washington from the RMC sites, but this will be a longer and more challenging hike than Mt. Madison or Mt. Adams. The RMC Crag Camp is often considered the premier or best RMC facility. It is as nicely constructed as any of the AMC huts, but is far less expensive.  RMC Crag Camp below Mt. Adams WMNF CABINS, SHELTERS & LEAN-TOSThe White Mountain National Forest has dozens of shelters and lean-tos available for use. All of these are available on a first-come, first-served system. Many are free to stay in, but some require a fee. All tend to be quite popular, especially on weekends. Hikers should always carry a tent in case they arrive at a shelter or lean-to and find it already full. Nearly all shelters are full on weekend nights during the busier months, especially those found along the Appalachian Trail. The AMC White Mountain Guide (31st edition; 2022) comes with paper trail maps that show the locations of all of the lean-to shelters in the White Mountains. Some of these lean-to shelters are located along the shores of beautiful backcountry ponds. Here is a list of such shelters:
If you want to say in a shelter near a beautiful waterfall, you can't beat Coppermine Shelter. This shelter sits 0.2 miles from impressive Bridal Veil Falls. There are two unofficial tent sites nearby if you arrive and the shelter is full.
The only downsides to the shelters and lean-tos in the White Mountains is that they tend to be very crowded on weekends and occasionally one will have a frequent mouse problem. Make sure to hang all your food, or better yet, use a bear bag, box or canister.  the beautiful but extremely popular AMC Garfield Ridge Shelter BACKPACKING IN NEW ENGLANDNewenglandwaterfalls.com has also created backpacking guides to most of the other New England states. Those pages can be found here:
 view from Zeacliff, New Hampshire BACKPACKING CHECKLISTHere is a quick packing list for your next backpacking trip. You likely will not want or need to bring all or even most of these items, but I have listed them all here anyway for your consideration.
Connecticut / Maine / Massachusetts / New Hampshire / Rhode Island / Vermont Home Page / About the Book / Book Updates / Top 40 Waterfalls / Swimming Holes / How To Use This Guide / Contact Us Waterfall Photography / Top 25 New England Hikes / 4000 Footers of NH / Bigroads.com © newenglandwaterfalls.com photographs/images may not be used without permission |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hiking and backpacking can be extremely dangerous. Many people have been injured and killed while hiking and backpacking in New England over the years. Use of this website and all of its information is at your own risk! Newenglandwaterfalls.com will not be held liable for your actions. Be safe out there - and always use common sense! As an Amazon Associates affiliate, this website contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase any products after clicking any links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. I only endorse products that I have personally used or come highly recommended by trusted peers. |