Three Steward-Recommended 52 With a Views For Seek the Peak

By Eric Hansen and Fawn Langerman

In the early 1990s, a new hiking list was created by a group called Over the Hill Hikers, based out of Sandwich, New Hampshire.  The “52 With a View” (WAV) hiking list has summits in NH that are lower elevation than 4,000’ summits, have an official trail to get there, and have a view! Over time some summits have been “delisted” as their views have grown in, and the current list has an incredible variety of hiking options in terms of location, trail difficulty, and hiking distance.  Some are great training hikes for a hike to Mount Washington, and some are just fabulous all by themselves. Read on for three suggestions, and also check out “New Hampshire’s 52 With A View – A Hiker’s Guide” for the details on not only these three hikes, but for all the hikes on that list as well. The guidebook is available at https://www.kenmacgray.org/52.

When we asked Ken MacGray, the author of the book, for his suggestion about a 52WAV hike that would be great preparation for hiking Mt Washington, he suggested North and South Baldface. These summits can be hiked in a loop via the Baldface Circle Trail and Bicknell Ridge Trail. The hike is 9.5 miles with 3,600’ elevation gain and this route has the very challenging South Baldface ledges. Because they are so steep, it is recommended to hike this route on a dry day and clockwise, so as to ascend the ledges.  Like the Presidentials, this hike has open vistas, rocky footing, and extensive views. The views are not just at the summits, but also on the upper part of the ascent, the hike between the two peaks, and the start of the descent. You can see east into Maine, west to the Carters/Wildcats and Presidentials (including Washington!) and southwest to Mount Chocorua. There is a shelter below the South Baldface ledges, so backpacking is possible on this route.  There is one water crossing, at the bottom of the Bicknell Ridge Trail. It is a challenging hike, but the payoff is phenomenal!

North Baldface with Mt. Washington in the background (left), and South Baldface. Photos: Fawn Langerman

Hedgehog summit in fall. Photo: Fawn Langerman

A less taxing option is Hedgehog Mountain, and the authors of this post admit to bias, as Fawn is the trail adopter for the only trail to this peak, the UNH Trail! An adopter is a volunteer that takes care of the trail by clearing drainages, cutting blowdowns, and trimming back overgrowth to keep the trail corridor clear. The UNH Trail is a loop trail with 4.8 miles and 1,400’ elevation gain. There are no significant scrambles or water crossings on this route, and the footing is a mix of rocks, roots, and dirt. Everyone always asks – clockwise or counterclockwise? Either direction works well. If you like to get your work done right away, then hike counterclockwise as you will ascend the steep part first. If you like a more gentle ascent, hike clockwise and visit the East Ledges first. Hedgehog is adjacent to the majestic Mount Passaconaway, and views of this 4,000’-foot mountain dominate from both the summit and the East Ledges. Another highlight is seeing the distinctive summit of Mount Chocorua. Mt. Washington is visible from the climb to the summit, when you are hiking counterclockwise. Lastly, if you are looking for a sunrise hike, this is a great option, as both the East Ledges and Allen’s Ledge have a terrific sunrise view!

Sunrise from Allen’s Ledge. Photo: Fawn Langerman

Another less taxing option is Blueberry Mountain in Benton, NH, and the authors of this post once again admit to bias, as Eric is the trail adopter for the Blueberry Mountain Trail. This is a relatively easy hike that has two approaches to the summit: from the northern trailhead on Page Rd with 5.8 miles and 1,500’ elevation gain round trip, and from the southern trailhead at 4.8 miles and 1,310’ gain round trip. Most people take the south approach, which depending on road openings/closures may involve parking at the corner of High St and Long Pond Rd and making a short walk up Long Pond Rd to the trailhead (labeled Blueberry Mountain Trail (south) in Google Maps). Both approaches start in beautiful hardwood forest then ascend through conifers, and ultimately over a series of ledges. If hiking from the southern trailhead, the ledges all feature fine views of Moosilauke (its 4,802’ neighbor) and surrounding foothills of the Whites. And if from the north, you’ll see a direct views through to Vermont with virtually no obstructions.

The true summit, which itself has obstructed views, is found off a short spur trail leading from a large painted rock at the “top” of the trail. But overall it’s the ledges on this hike that really make it special, oh and of course abundant wild blueberries! If hiking from the southern trailhead like most, I recommend adding the short extra distance to also visiting the ledges on the northern side of the summit, it’s worth the few extra minutes! Blueberry bushes are usually alongside the ledgey areas (please stay on trail)! Whichever way you go, this trail never gets too steep, and is a very fine hike for families, dogs and those looking for unique views with a lower time and effort commitment than the 4,000’ers.

Blueberry Mountain. Photo: Eric Hansen

All three of these hikes are wonderful as training hikes, or as your hike for Seek the Peak!

Fawn and Eric are Stewards for this year’s Seek the Peak event, a team of volunteers partnering with the Observatory to help spread the word and share resources about MWOBS’ largest annual fundraiser. To learn more about the Steward Team, visit seekthepeak.org/stewards.