Best Trails near Waterville Valley, New Hampshire

I went with friend during fall expecting a great fall foliage view. But there is no views on this trail. Even the top is covered by trees.

Amazing view, it’s a tough claim at some parts but definitely worth it!

beautiful view of fall foliage. I would recommend only go to the view point in the middle if you are not interested in the 4000 footer. The view at the top is not as good as the halfway view point.

Not our favorite hike but we’re doing the four thousand footers and is in the list. Pretty much a steady climb that doesn’t let up until you reach the summit. Limited views. Moderate is a good description for this one.
Enjoy

a great hike with impressive views about 1/3 of the way up. there are some small streams along the way. the summit resting area was small and crowded.

Super foggy at the sumit, but I stopped at the view and got to see the sunrise! Lots of stairs leading the way to the sumit, easy to follow with lots of good footing. Lots of construction noise.

Quick and easy out and back, no real views, but the ladder was really fun and a bit scary!

This hike is easy to get to, has no parking fee, and offers the opportunity to hike either a pretty hard trail, or one that is fairly moderate. Took Sandwich Trail on the way up and it was pretty rigorous. After the first viewpoint it starts to be a flatter walk in the woods. Went up to Jennings Peak which was really stunning; plenty of room there to sit and relax. Went to Sandwich after that which was less impressive. A good view for sure but it’s hidden by trees and there isn’t a lot of room. Went down Drakes Brook Trail which was a pretty easy descent. One of the toughest parts of the hike was probably the brook crossing on both trails. It required a little more maneuvering than I’d expected. All in all, great hike.

Clouds blocked any view I would have on both peaks, but the trail/woods were interesting in that so much of the area was moss covered. The ascension rate was aggressive, but plenty doable, with a couple very steep climbs. 5 1/2 hours round trip, which includes both peaks and a 15 minute rest at the summit.

I consider a good hike to have a view as a reward. “Eye candy’. Jennings peak was worthwhile as well as an outlook on the way up. After that we hiked to sandwich dome. Not much of a view there. We came down Drake. I would consider Drake to be a moderate hike. Going up the other way was moderate to hard.

Not technically challenging, but the steep climbing at the top will have you wondering if it was worth it. Views are OK. Very good if you are looking to exercise those legs.

Nice trail and for the most part easy to follow. Got mixed up getting closer to the summit. There was a long decent which felt as though we were going down the mountain so we turned back and never got to summit. Wish there was a sign that showed we were heading to the summit at this point. Just wasn't sure so turned back. Should have had my AMC book with me. We hiked the Tripoli road side.

A good quick hike that offers some beautiful views atop a large Boulder at the end. Most of the hike is easy trail walking and the last mile is steep uphill to get to Goodrich rock. Once there, you climb up a ladder and have some beautiful views of the valley. The hike is accessible, gives some cardio from the uphill portion, and offers a nice view for not too much effort. A great morning or afternoon hike if you're in the Waterville Valley area

This was a very nice day hike. My husband and I are just beginning the 4000 footers and we have done many other easier mountains. We started at 9:15 AM and finished at 2 PM. We hiked at a moderate pace and stopped several times to take it all in and rest a bit or enjoy the view. Initially we started our descent going down the ski trail, accessed via Sosman trail. I really do not recommend it especially in later summer. The grass was super long and even though we had sprayed for tics we had to flick a few off of us. Also there were several small holes, ankle biter’s, in the trail covered by the long grass. At one point my husband stepped in one and actually fell because we really couldn’t see the terrain well because the grass was so long. There were small areas that vehicles had been going up on the trail to do maintenance so when possible we would walk on those areas to see what we were doing. The other thing is the ski trails are straight down— no variation in terrain so it was actually more difficult and downright painful after awhile— more fun with skis on. I highly recommend going back on the trail and there is varied terrain you can plainly see and no tall grass to contend with. We made our way back to the trail at the viewing area midway. This is a very enjoyable and rewarding day hike . The trails are fairly well mark and Care has been taken to construct rock steps on large sections of trail.

Fairly easy hike at the beginning with moderate uphill climb as you go on. Cool brook crossing to a set of man made stairs provides a neat photo op. The cascade is small but beautiful with a view to Waterville valley.

Nice hike. Fist part of hike to first view point is a good workout. Second half of hike to the summit is very steep and feels like it goes on forever. Spend a decent amount of time talking with fellow joker and at some of the viewpoints took under 4hours. Lots of loose rocks. The summit does not have great views.

Very beautiful forests and waterfalls. Bean bender is a little steep, but manageable.

This was a nice trail. Lots,of greenery, interesting plants and the trail is a combo of soft ground and rocks. Steep in sections, but overall enjoyable. The peak is quite small. Great views.

Picked up the trailhead at Lot 1 of the Waterville Valley ski resort. Hike starts easy enough. Gets tough once you’re almost a mile in. It climbs steep from there on. Lots of stairs that can be punishing in spots. Summit is small but has an intimate feel to it with a nice view. Bring lots of water!

Super-Duper hike with a view.

My wife and I just finished this hike with our 2 dogs and 8 month old in a carrier. CAUTION: there is a yellow jacket nest in a rotted stump in the middle of the trail after the trail splits to the right. It is roughly 200 yards in from the split. Wife and I were both stung multiple times but ran away so tough to judge. But really other than that it is a great trail with some beautiful spots along the brook to stop. Once you get to the rock staircase, the incline definitely gets steeper.

Moderate for a 4,000 footer. Staircase is a killer. View was much better than reviews.

Very pretty but my brother cried twice; Not for children. ...... Ok that was the kids review. For adults and less whiny kids, it is a good trail, easy start, challenging near top. Not crowded. We hiked on Sat with our dog and saw only 3 other parties.

Decided to do this one to check off my second 4000 footer. Unless you are tall than the views are very limited. The beginning was not too steep but as it continued on further it had increased in steepness but also had lots of stone steps to make it a bit easier. I actually did not think it was marked well in the very beginning or in the very end but on the main trail in the middle it’s pretty obvious. I don’t know if I’ll do this one again but I’m glad I did it anyhow and it was a nice day and overall a nice hike. BTW- The summit is extremely small and seems even smaller when there are other hikers up there with you. Nonetheless, a great workout! Got it done in under three hours and probably could’ve done it in 2 1/2.

The trail was the perfect length, all types of terrain and difficulty to challenge anyone. I enjoyed this hike very much! Went up Sandwich and came down Drake. Save yourself for some soaking in the brook on the way down. Very refreshing!
I will definitely do this hike again next year. I would not recommend bringing young children but ages 10+ should be able to handle this hike. Good luck!

A great hike that is worth the effort.

This hike ended up being a little more challenging than expected but still enjoyable none-the-less. Killer work on the legs and was shakey half way through coming back down (For a 26 yo in decent shape). DEFINITELY bring tons of water! Between two people we drank 3 bottles each just going UP. This was on Wed, July 4. Not many other hikers on this trail. Limited views at the top but still beautiful. The reason I gave this hike 3 stars is because when my boyfriend and I were at the top we read 2 signs to hike back down and we chose the sign leading to “Ski Area Parking” because we were parked in the Waterville Valley Ski Area parking lot. However, this trail actually lead us down the backside of the mountain and popped us out onto Tripoli road where we were about 6 miles from our car. When we looked at the sign at the bottom of this trail where we popped out it then showed an arrow pointing back up the trail we just came from that said “Ski Area Parking 5.6 mi.” We were tired and frustrated that the signs were confusing but we also should have gone back down the same trail we came from in the first place. The signage could definitely be more clear though. So we had to hitch hike back to our car and luckily some very friendly people camping on Tripoli road gave us a lift. We did however find that the camp sites on Tripoli road were really awesome and secluded from the next campsite enough to feel like you were out in the wilderness. I would definitely camp there! Overall it was a great hike with just the set back of coming down the backside of the mountain to where the back country ski trails are located. I think it took about 4 hours total hike (not including the ride back to our vehicle).

crossed another 4k of the list but can't say this is one I would do again. not a challenging hike but very limited views for a 4k..

This is a good trail that I would divide into two sections. The first mile or so is moderate, however, the rest of the 1 1/2 miles is a tough uphill hike. It seems every time you look up it is just another endless stretch of incline! I was pleasantly surprised at the summit as some of the reviewers seemed disappointed. It had nice views, but was small. As someone already stated it was crowded on a beautiful Saturday morning. The descent is much easier, just watch your footing. It took us about 3 1/2 hours with a few breaks and a 15 minute stay at the summit. Definitely worth the trip.

Fun 1/2 day hike, we went up through the ski resort (Waterville Valley) parked at lot 1, trail head in directly behind, up and back in about 5 hours with a few stops for views. Moderate trail, once the climbing starts it gets fun, lots of steps, well maintained and blazed trail.