How to start your White Mountains 4,000-foot hiking journey

Looking to start hiking the 4,000-footers in the White Mountains? Here's your guide. (Getty Images)

There are plenty of reasons to get up to northern New England during the summer while waiting for snow to return and the ski lifts to start spinning once again. Those mountains provide relief from the hustle and bustle of the 9-to-5 grind.

While going for a walk in the woods is always pleasant, there is something about reaching a summit. It’s even better when those summits provide amazing views from the top. While not every peak is going to give 360-degree views, the trails will provide glimpses along the way.

We shouldn’t need goals to get us outside and enjoy nature, but they certainly can provide motivation. The list of 4,000-foot peaks around northern New England does just that. There are 48 recognized peaks in New Hampshire – to qualify, each peak needs to have at least 200 feet of prominence from its neighboring peaks. But when one adds in the 14 4,000-footers in Maine and five in Vermont, you get the 67 peaks in the New England 4,000-footers.

The New Hampshire list has undergone changes since the Appalachian Mountain Club’s initial list of 46 peaks was released in 1957, with 4,024-foot Galehead Mountain and 4,265-foot Bondcliff added in 1967 and 1980, respectively. In the most recent White Mountain Guide, a must-have for anyone hiking the Whites, it says that recent surveys show that Mount Tecumseh does not meet the 4,000-foot mark, and that neither South Hancock nor Mount Lincoln have the required 200-foot prominence. It also says that 4,580-foot Mount Guyot should be on the list.

The peaks don’t have to be climbed in any order and one can check off multiple peaks at a time – Presidential Traverse and Pemi Loop are common ways people check multiple summits off at one time en route to a 4,000-foot patch.

With the list topped by Mount Washington, where unprepared hikers can suffer from hypothermia at any time of the year as the weather can change quickly, the list can appear daunting at first look.

But there are a few peaks that are good for starting a 4,000-foot journey. One should build confidence handling the terrain before moving on to more challenging trails and summits.

As always, be prepared when entering the woods with the 10 essentials – map, compass, first-aid kit, warm clothing, rain gear, whistle, food and water, flashlight (more than your phone)/headlamp with extra batteries, pocketknife and fire starter, and look into purchasing a Hike Safe card.

HIKING SAFETY: How to stay prepared and have fun in the mountains

So here are five hikes that can get you started on a 4,000-foot journey. Times are based on a leisurely pace with ample time to enjoy viewpoints and summits.

Mount Osceola

If you were wishy-washy on starting this journey, the views from the 4,328-foot summit are sure to have you wanting to run to the other 47 peaks. The hike along the Mount Osceola Trail is 2.9 miles to the summit and climbs a little more than 2,000 feet from the parking lot on Tripoli Road.

The trail climbs steadily without ever being steep with mostly good footing. The angled rock slabs are no problem when dry but can slow one down when wet, particularly for newcomers.

The views at the top are fantastic from the broad ledges on the east side of the summit that make Mount Osceola a popular destination for those looking to catch sunrise.

If you are feeling good after reaching the top and have plenty of daylight remaining, you can check East Osceola (4,161 feet) off your list by going an additional mile each way. The short and steep section around the midway point between the two peaks is referred to as the chimney and gives a good preview for more difficult sections in the Whites. Unfortunately, the summit at East Osceola is viewless, but there is a good lookout to the Kinsman and Franconia Ridges just before reaching the top.

(5.8 miles round trip, 4:30; 7.8 miles round trip, 6:00 if adding East Osceola)

Mount Pierce

Crawford Path is the oldest continuously used footpath in the United States and runs from Route 302 to the summit of Mount Washington. While it is one of the longer routes to Washington, it provides a gentle way to reach the Presidential Ridge, just north of the summit Mount Pierce.

Using the relatively new parking lot on Mount Clinton Rd., it takes 3.1 miles to reach the ridge, and turn right for the short walk up the Webster Cliff Trail to reach the top of 4,313-foot Mount Pierce.

There is a nice waterfall shortly after crossing Gibbs Brook on a bridge as you begin ascending Crawford Path, which was cut 205 years ago. While it never gets steep, it is still a gain of more than 2,400 feet to the summit.

(6.4 miles round trip, 5:00)

Mount Hale

This is the one to do when the weather will not cooperate with your hiking schedule. Trees near the top have taken away the view from the 4,067-foot summit.

It is a straight-forward 2.2-mile hike on the Hale Brook Trail that climbs 2,300 feet with limited viewpoints along the way. The broad summit has plenty of rocks to sit on, making it a good place to enjoy lunch, but grey jays will be looking for a treat.

It can also be done as part of a loop going up Hale Brook and then down the Lend-a-Hand Trail and Twinway to the AMC Zealand Falls Hut and then out to the Zealand Trail and a short walk along Zealand Road back to the Hale Brook trailhead.

(4.4 miles round trip, 4:15; 8.7 miles, 6:30 if going via Zealand Falls Hut)

Mount Waumbek

A stroll through the woods on the Starr King Trail features good footing, but not much in the way of views until 2.6 miles at the top of 3,915-foot Mount Starr King. The lists aren’t limited to peaks over 4,000 feet as Starr King is part of peaks on New Hampshire’s “52 with a view.”

The opening toward the Presidential Range is excellent. The summit has a chimney standing by itself, as the building it was once connected to is long gone.

It takes another mile before reaching 4,011-foot Mount Waumbek. The cairn is among the trees, but there is a blowdown shortly after the summit that has views to the east and south.

The trail is in Jefferson, so it can be a good alternative on weekends when trails in Franconia Notch or for the Presidential Range are busy. Arrive early as the parking lot is small.

(7.2 miles round trip, 6:00)

Mount Garfield

Make sure you save this for a clear day as the 360-degree view at the top of 4,501-foot Mount Garfield is among the best in the Whites.

The first 3 miles of this trip are a good warm-up for the final 2 miles, with each segment having about 1,500 feet of elevation gain. The first 4.8 miles are on the Garfield Trail, before a steep scramble up the Garfield Ridge Trail to the summit.

Looking south from the foundation of an old fire tower into the Pemigewasset Wilderness, Franconia Ridge rises sharply to the right with Owl’s Head Mountain straight ahead and the Bonds to the left. Looking east, the roof of Galehead Hut and the Twins rising above it and some of the Presidentials rising behind them.

It’s not the mountain to start your peak-bagging journey on, but it’s a good one to break into the top 20 on the list.

(10.0 miles roundtrip, 8:00)