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4000-footers: An Introductory Guide

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Anyone who has ever hiked even the smallest amount in the White Mountains is bound to have heard of the 4000-footers. To those new to hiking, they seem a legendary achievement. To completers of the list, they represent the spirit of hiking in the Whites. Ask any New Hampshire peakbagger about his experience on one of the peaks, and you will probably receive a wealth of information and plenty of tips and suggestions. Some even make it their sole purpose for hiking and complete the list again and again, in every month of the year, in a certain order, or another challenge. Although some 15,000 people have conquered the list by now, it remains an impressive feat. After just a few 4K adventures, you may find yourself hopelessly hooked. Battling the crowds on the northern Presidentials or reveling in the solitude on Mt. Isolation, taking an afternoon to leisurely trek up Cannon and mingle with the tourists or getting up at 4:00 to begin your 20-mile expedition to the wild and untamed Bonds, standing awestruck at the panorama from Mt. Carrigain or peeking through the trees in false hope of seeing anything at all on Owl's Head, discovering new favorites like Middle Carter or visiting the classics like Mt. Lafayette, you'll find endless adventures for everyone on the NH48.

You can find all of New Hampshire's 4000-footers here on NH Family Hikes, but you will find them grouped in a neater arrangement on this page. In addition to our suggestions on how to get started with your quest, you will find three tables with varying information on each mountain. The first table lists statistics for each hike required to collect all 48 and has clickable rows to bring you to each one's separate guide. This is by no means a complete reference, but we think it's a suitable reference for beginners. Please note that you may fashion nearly unlimited different routes to each peak, but we present our one recommended route for each one.

Before you begin

It is fairly obvious that your first 4000-footer should not be Mt. Washington, but if you are new to hiking, you may want to prepare physically and mentally for the high peaks by tackling some smaller mountains with the characteristics of the big ones. Here we present our recommendations coupled with the reasons we chose them.

Mt. Kearsarge North - This 3000-footer boasts an inspiring panorama of the Conway area, and climbing it involves lots of open ledges.

South Moat Mountain - Although a very minor peak under 3000 feet, this knob on the Moat Ridge has a wide open summit that appears higher than it is. Its hiking trail is formidible for such a low mountain, involving many open ledges and several steep, rocky pitches.

Welch and Dickey Mountains - These two tiny peaks are dwarfed by everything around them, but they offer far-reaching views from their open rocky summits. The Welch-Dickey Loop Trail attacks a few sheer rock pitches that are quite steep and provides new hikers with the experience of taking on two mountains in one hike.

Mt. Crawford - This rocky peak in the Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness has a spectacular vista of the higher Presidentials and the region at the south end of Crawford Notch. Its hiking trail, the lower Davis Path, tests the endurance of hikers as it climbs relentlessly. Add on Mt. Resolution and/or Stairs Mountain for a tougher peakbagging challenge.

Mt. Cardigan - This Lakes Region 3000-footer is the gem of Southern New Hampshire with its endless vista in all directions and extensive sub-alpine zone. The hike is very rugged for its entire 6-mile length.

There are plenty of small mountains out there that are in many ways more difficult than the 4Ks, but conquering one or all of these is an excellent way to build endurance and confidence before you move on.

The First Step

Once you feel you can confidently conquer a few of the mountains above, it's time to move on to the easiest of the hardest. Here are (in our opinion) the very easiest of the 4000-footers and excellent choices to begin with.

Mt. Pierce - This broad, low mountain in the Southern Presidentials just barely pokes into the alpine zone and offers an excellent view up the Presidential ridgeline. The trek on the lower Crawford Path can hardly be considered difficult, as it maintains moderate grades the entire way up.

Mt. Tecumseh - The very lowest of the 48 at 4003', Mt. Tecumseh (home of the Waterville Valley Ski Area) is one of the shortest 4K hikes at five miles round trip, with an optional extra mile for a scenic side trip. The trail is never too steep, and ascends with the aid of many stone staircases. At the summit, there is a small but beautiful vista of Waterville's surrounding mountains.

Mt. Waumbek - One of the northernmost 4000-footers, as well as one of the most underrated, Mt. Waumbek is reached by a gradual, woodsy climb over Mt. Starr King and across a wild, mossy ridge. Near the summit is a good view of the Presidential Range.

Mt. Passaconaway - One of the two Sandwich Range 4000-footers and another of the most underrated. The pleasant Dicey's Mill Trail explores the huge old-growth forests of the Bowl and provides a very moderate ascent route. It gets a bit rougher around the loop at the top, but the four stunning viewpoints (which many hikers miss), are worth it.

Tips for working on the list

Once you know your mind is set on achieving all 48, it is time to develop a strategy for working through them.

>-Know the most difficult peaks, and determine what path you will use to prepare for them. Use the chart and our descriptions to decide which intermediate hikes will challenge you to step up your ability to reach closer to the hardest ones. For example, if you are uncomfortable with the thought of scrambling up a landslide on Tripyramid (optional), Flume (optional), or Owls Head (necessary), consider first trying out the trip up Hancock or Willey to experience a less challenging trail with a steep pitch and loose gravel. Or if you are unsure how you will make it the 18 miles for the roundtrip to Bondcliff or Owls Head, perhaps you should work up to it gradually with Garfield (10 mi), then Carter Dome (12 mi), then Isolation (14 mi). Other peaks present different challenges, such as Adams, which is considered the most difficult due to its huge elevation gain; Wildcat and Wildcat D, which involves unsettling rock scrambling; or Owls Head (again!), which requires the crossing of potentially dangerous rivers.

>-To keep your quest varied and exciting, remember to select peaks from different ranges and areas in turn, rather than visiting nearby peaks consecutively. You will enjoy rotating through various regions and experiencing what each one has to offer. Be aware of the driving time for each general area and plan accordingly.

>-Plan based on the weather. Don't be the careless hiker who misses the view from the Bonds because of low clouds! Know which peaks you can visit with less than optimal weather and which ones you want to save for the perfect day. For example, if you have a day with hundred-mile visibility, you might choose Washington or Carrigain over mountains like Tom or Isolation, which have short-range views. Mt. Hale, on the other hand, is the only peak on the list with no view at all.

>-Know which mountains are best for certain times of year. You will want to plan for peaks which require large water crossings for late summer when water is low, for example, or save a lower peak surrounded by river valleys for autumn foliage viewing.

>-Save one for last. Don't use up all the most exciting peaks first; save some for later and remember to keep one special one for last. Popular finishing peak choices include Carrigain and Isolation. Other good choices would be Adams, Moosilauke, or any of the Bonds.

Each new check mark in your list will be a unique experience that you will remember forever. Never let the desire to finish a list get in the way of having a good time and claiming the fullest adventure and scenic beauty for each one.

Two more mountains

There are an additional two mountains that are worthy of mention here, which 4K climbers may wish to climb as part of their quest.

Mt. Guyot - The 4000-footer list is based on a prominence requirement of 200 feet, meaning that you must have to descend at minimum 200 feet from any peak above 4000 feet before you can get to a higher place in order for it to be a 4000-footer. Mt. Guyot is known to meet this requirement, but the AMC mysteriously excludes it from their list. Mt. Guyot is summitted on the way from Zealand to Bond, so if you follow our recommended routes, you can know that you achieved all 49 4000-footers in New Hampshire.

Sandwich Dome - New England's highest mountain under 4000 feet. Its elevation has been unofficially measured at 3993', but the USGS map doesn't list its height, leaving it as a range from 3960'-4000'. Sandwich Dome is included on the 52 with a view list.

Completion

Please visit the AMC 4K Club website for information about how to receive your achievement patch when you finish.

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