Mt Monadnock New Hampshire Hike Guide
Mt Monadnock is one of the most popular hikes in New Hampshire and one of the most hiked mountains in the entire world. The southern NH mountain attracts over 150,000 hikers per year according to some groups. The hike up the white cross and white dot trails provide hikers with fun scrambling, great views and all in under 4 miles. This hike is family friendly and suitable for hikers of all levels so long as they are up for some minor rock scrambling.
Mt Monadnock Quick Facts
Virtual Trail Guide: Mt Monadnock
Mt Monadnock Rating: ★★★★ (4/5 Stars)
Distance: 3.9 Miles RT (Up White Dot, Down White Dot)
Elevation Start: 1,397ft
Highest Point: 3,165ft
Total Elevation Gain: 1,844ft
Estimated Time to Complete: 3-4 Hours RT
Difficulty: Moderate What does this mean?
Class: Class 2 – What does this mean?
Season: May – November (expect snow outside of this period)
Directions to Mt Monadnock
Trailhead: Monadnock State Park Headquarters and Trailhead (South)
Getting Here: There are a number of different starting trailheads for this hike so make sure you are entering the correct one (listed below) into your GPS if you want to hike the white cross and white dot trails.
Parking: This hike has ample parking spots but will 100% fill up on most weekends and summer holidays. Reservations are recommended but not required. The parking area has vending machines, a general store and bathrooms available.
Fee: Reservations are not required but recommended for this hike. In addition, a fee of $15+processing fees are required. Find out more information here.
Summary
Dogs: Unfortunately, no New Hampshire State Parks allow dogs.
Camping: There are a few camping options in the area: Camping at Gilson Pond, Monadnock HQ, and backcountry camping. Find out more information about the campsites here, they are seasonally open. There is also “remote” camping available at Gilson Pond, more information can be found here.
Make it a Loop: When hiking Mt Monadnock, the most popular loop to make would be to hike the white cross and white dot trails. This forms a lollipop loop (you repeat a bit of the starting trail) and is a great option. I would recommend going up White Dot and down White Cross if you do want to do both trails.
Hike Tip(s): This is kind of obvious, but pick a clear day to hike Mt Monadnock. Not only will you have a much better time on the scrambling (wet rock=no fun) but the views above treeline are absolutely fantastic. On a clear day you can see down to Boston, up to Mt Washington and even into Vermont.
XFactor: Mud & Bugs
Both of these things sound fun right? The mud on this hike can get quite bad and we all know how mud is formed. Dirt + Water = Mud. Water = mosquitoes. Be sure to bring shoes or boots that do okay in wetter conditions and pack the bug spray too, it might save your day.
Best Views: When hiking Mt Monadnock, the views are great above treeline (about 1.2 miles into the hike) and get even better the higher you get. Like many mountains in New England the best views can be found on the summit. 360 views in all directions is very hard to beat. Soak in the summit on this one.
Mt Monadnock Hike Route
Gear Needed
- Men’s Trail Runners
- Women’s Trail Runners
- La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Men’s)
- La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Women’s)
- Backpack
- Food & Water
- Optional: Garmin inReach
- Optional: Hiker Hunger Hiking Poles
- Optional: Headlamp
- Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
- Optional: Camera and Lens
- Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod
- *Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you.
My Trip to Mt Monadnock: July 2021
Another summer in New Hampshire meant more hiking in the White Mountains, this time visiting a childhood favorite: Mt Monadnock. It had been years since I tackled this classic hike and was excited to make a trip. The only problem, the rain. New Hampshire seemed to transform itself to the PWN in July21, raining nearly every single day. I finally found a clear day after work and made the drive over to the TH.
I decide to tackle the popular white dot and white cross trails since they provided a short but scrambly route to the summit. I arrived to the TH, geared up and hit the trail. Judging by all of the people coming down, it seemed that there would be few people on the way up which I was thrilled about. I made quick work of the bottom flat section dodging the mud as best as I could and decided to take the White Dot trail up because, why not?
As I started scrambling up the flat granite, it clicked to me why this hike was so popular. The scrambles were very low class but provided a nice change of pace from the usual roots and rock trails that many New Hampshire mountains offer. I worked up above treeline and picked the most challenging (fun) lines I could find and eventually found myself on the summit with about 5 other people. I soaked in the beautiful, crystal clear views and headed down the White Cross trail. This route was much less technical but still offered plenty of water, mud, roots and rocky trail conditions.
Mt Monadnock delivered on all fronts offering a nice quick hike after work with fun scrambling and excellent views. I would highly recommend this hike to anyone looking for a half day in the mountains.
2 thoughts on “Mt Monadnock New Hampshire Hike Guide”
Hello! My name is Sarah and I recently bought the Garmin Forerunner 955. That hiking map is BEAUTIFUL and I want to get it on my watch. I feel like a fool but I’m struggling figuring out how to load GPS hiking routes onto it! Help would be SO appreciated.
Hey Sarah, you would need to download the GPX file (linked in the post here) and then add it to your watch. A few different ways to do that, but a quick google should help you out there.