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  More Peaked / Middle Mountain Trail Reports

Peaked Mountain and Middle Mountain

Mountains:  Peaked Mtn. (1739'), Middle Mtn. (1857')
Trails:  Peaked Mountain Trail, Middle Mountain Trail, Middle Mountain Connector
Region:  NH - Central East  
Green Hills Preserve
Location:  Conway, NH
Rating:  Moderate  
Features:  Summits, views, loop hike
Distance:  5.5 miles  
Elevation Gain:  1650 feet (cumulative)  
Hiking Time:  Typical: 3:35  
Outing Duration:  Typical: 5:00  
Season:  Spring
Hike Date:  04/14/2007 (Saturday)  
Last Updated:  05/20/2008  
Weather:  Sunny
Author:  Sue Murphy
Companion:  13 SDHers

Route Summary   

View (photo by Mark Malnati) This is a loop hike first summiting Middle Mountain, and then continuing along to summit Peaked Mountain.

  • Start at the common trailhead for Middle Mountain, Peaked Mountain, and Pudding Pond Trails.
  • Follow the trail which parallels power lines for 0.2 mile.
  • At this point you will arrive at an information kiosk (#1). Pudding Trail goes right while Middle and Peaked Mountain Trails turn to the left.
  • Turn left and follow the trail for 0.5 mile which is both Middle Mountain Trail and Peaked Mountain Trail.
  • At the next junction, Peaked Mountain Trail (also Black Cap Connector at this point) goes to the left while Middle Mountain Trail goes straight.
  • Go straight and follow Middle Mountain Trail for 0.6 mile where there will be another junction.
  • Here Middle Mountain Connector goes left and Middle Mountain Trail goes straight.
  • Keep going straight and continue to follow Middle Mountain Trail for another 0.8 mile to reach the summit of Middle Mountain.
  • From the summit of Middle Mountain, retrace your steps for 0.8 mile back to the prior junction.
  • Turn right onto Middle Mountain Connector and follow it for 0.3 mile where it meets up with Peaked Mountain Trail which goes both straight and right.
  • Turn right and follow the path for 0.2 mile to reach the summit of Peaked Mountain.
  • From Peaked's summit, retrace your steps for 0.2 mile back to the prior junction.
  • Turn right to descend on Peaked Mountain Trail.
  • After 0.4 mile you will reach a junction with Black Cap Connector. Turn left to keep following Peaked Mountain Trail.
  • After 0.3 mile your will be at another junction and at a different information kiosk (#2). Turn left to stay on what is now both Peaked Mountain Trail and Black Cap Connector. (Turning right is only Black Cap Connector and going straight would bring you to the end of Thompson Road.)
  • Continue along for 0.5 mile until returning to the junction with Middle Mountain Trail.
  • Turn right to follow the combined Peaked Mountain and Middle Mountain Trail for 0.5 mile back to kiosk #1.
  • Turn right again to walk the final 0.2 mile back to the parking area.
  • Don't worry, this loop is a lot easier to hike than it is to explain!

Place         Split
Miles		      Total
Miles
Trailhead on Thompson Road (530') 0.0 0.0
Information kiosk #1 0.2 0.2
Jct. Peaked Mountain/Middle Mountain Trails (700') 0.5 0.7
Jct. Middle Mountain Trail/Middle Mountain Connector 0.6 1.3
Middle Mtn. (1857') 0.8 2.1
Jct. Middle Mountain Trail/Middle Mountain Connector 0.8 2.9
Jct. Middle Mountain Connector/Peaked Mountain Trail 0.3 3.2
Peaked Mtn. (1739') 0.2 3.4
Jct. Middle Mountain Connector/Peaked Mountain Trail 0.2 3.6
Jct. Peaked Mountain Trail/Black Cap Connector 0.4 4.0
Information kiosk #2 0.3 4.3
Jct. Peaked Mountain/Middle Mountain Trails (700') 0.5 4.8
Information kiosk #1 0.5 5.3
Trailhead on Thompson Road (530') 0.2 5.5
Legend
   Difficulty Rating
   Hiking Time Comments
   Hiking Time Calculator
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Forest Statuses
 Please check the links below to get the latest status, closures, and alerts regarding forest roads, trails, and campgrounds.
   White Mountain National Forest
   WMNF Road Statuses on FB
   Green Mountain National Forest


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Map of hike route to Peaked and Middle Mountains (map by Webmaster)


Trail Guide   

Thirteen happy hikers congregated at the trailhead to Middle Mountain at 9:30 debating whether or not snowshoes were needed... the six hikers who chose the snowshoes were the smart ones! Once we were a mile into the trail and heading to the summit of Middle Mountain, we all wished we had worn them. In some places the snow was two feet deep! Fortunately, our snowshoe clad friends did not mind leading the group and breaking trail. (Well, there was a little whining.) Having to plod up the mountain in the deep snow made the hike quite challenging!

The trail (photo by Mark Malnati)


The summit of Middle Mountain was lovely. We were able to enjoy lunch with views to the east and southeast. One in our group even attempted what is called "trash bag" sledding. After a half hour of leisure the group prepared to continue on. The snowshoe clad leaders trekked to the front and began the descent of Middle Mountain then north to Peaked Mountain.

Sue (photo by Mark Malnati)


The summit of Peaked Mountain was spectacular! There was plenty of room to rest and relax and enjoy another lovely view in the warm sunshine. After another half hour or so, we reluctantly headed down Peaked Mountain towards the trailhead. All went well until Pam suggested a shortcut... without a compass, and only having the brook as our guide, we bushwhacked through the deep snow and dense brush the last half mile of the hike and found our way to Thompson Road. All agreed it was an adventurous, challenging and enjoyable hike.

On the trail (photo by Mark Malnati)

  
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NH - Central East

   Driving Directions   

  • From Rt. 16 in Conway, turn onto Artist's Falls Road (across from the Millbrook House). This will be a right-hand turn when heading north; a left-hand turn if heading south and is about a half-mile south of North Conway village.
  • After 0.3 mile on Artist's Falls Road, bear right onto Thompson Road.
  • After 0.4 mile on Thompson Road, turn right into the Pudding Pond Trail parking area, just before power lines cross the street.

Other Notes   

Note that there used to be a parking area at the far end of Thompson Road but parking is no longer permitted there; however you can still access that trailhead by foot. Park as described above, then walk 0.6 mile farther down Thompson Road to its end. Then follow the trail for 0.3 mile and you will end up at information kiosk #2. From here, going straight, you'd be following Peaked Mountain Trail up towards Peaked Mountain's summit. The trail that turns left at information kiosk #2 is the lower junction of Black Cap Connector that eventually (after 3.8 miles) leads to Black Cap summit (2369').

More Peaked / Middle Mountain Trail Reports   

  
 

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