Mt Morgan & Mt Percival New Hampshire Hike Guide
Mt Morgan & Mt Percival is a loop hike located in central New Hampshire right next to Squam Lake. This unique hike has a series of ladders that brings hikers up to the summit of Mt Morgan in addition to some caves along the way. Once hikers get to Mt Percival, they have the option of descending through some caves with tiny exits and entrances or taking a series of slabby granite cliffs down. This fun hike is family friendly for older children and is a great trail for hikers of all skill levels. The loop trail is moderate to heavy use, especially on weekends.
Mt Morgan & Mt Percival Quick Facts
Virtual Trail Guide: Mt Morgan & Mt Percival
Mt Morgan & Mt Percival Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)
Distance: 5 Miles RT
Elevation Start: 806ft
Highest Point: Mt Morgan: 2,204ft Mt Percival: 2,212ft
Total Elevation Gain: 1,500ft
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). This hike has seasonal closures in March and April due to mud.
Directions to Mt Morgan & Mt Percival
Trailhead: Mt Morgan
Getting Here: This hike starts at the Mt Morgan trailhead located right across from the super popular West Rattlesnake trail. This is on the Northwest side of Squam Lake in central New Hampshire.
Parking: The small parking lot for this hike can fit between 15-20 cars. This lot will fill up on weekends and additional parking may be available across the road. There are no restrooms at this TH, but there is usually a portapotty at the TH across the street.
Fee: As of 2021, there is no fee to hike the Mt Morgan & Mt Percival Loop.
Summary
Dogs: Although dogs are allowed, I would not recommend bringing them on this hike. There is a trail that avoids the ladders on Mt Morgan and you don’t have to hike down the tough sections of Mt Percival. However, the whole point of this hike is to experience the ladders and caves which dogs just can’t join you in.
Camping: Camping is not available for this hike, but you can visit the Squam Lakes Association for more information about camping in the area.
Make it a Loop: This hike is a loop with the option to skip sections or backtrack from the summit of Mt Percival if you do not want to hike down that way. In addition, there are several other trails in the area including the option to extend your hike to many neighboring peaks in the area. View a map of more hiking here.
Hike Tip(s): When hiking this loop, prepare for bugs and mud. Fun right? There are several sections of bottom portion of this hike loop that can get extremely muddy and even close during times of the year (March and April). With mud comes sitting water and with water comes bugs. Bring a bug net or bug spray on this hike.
XFactor: Direction You Hike
When hiking this loop, you truly can start either direction (Mt Percival first or Mt Morgan first). If you tackle Morgan first, you get to climb the ladders and if you head to Percival, you will be ascending through the tight caves at the base of the mountain. Most hikers will start with Morgan and then go to Percival but it really does not matter.
Best Views: When hiking this trail, the best views can be found on the summit of Mt Percival and just south of the summit of Mt Morgan. There are plenty of unique photos to be had in the caves and on the ladder section before the top of Morgan as well.
Mt Morgan & Mt Percival Loop 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 or GPS – at the very least have a map of the route
- Optional: 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.
Our Trip to Mt Morgan & Mt Percival Loop: August 2021
Our time in New England was coming to an end, but Jackie and I wanted to tackle one more hike before heading back west. My sister Katelyn made me aware of this hike a few years prior and when she mentioned caves and a ladder system, I knew I was in. We hit the trailhead after work on a weekday and were one of three cars in the lot when we arrived.
The hike up Mt Morgan was fairly easy and boring until the last ½ mile or so when the elevation picked up before finally dropping us at the ladders. The ladders were short (only about 20ft long) but sweet and immediately led us into a small cave. We scrambled through the caves and onto the granite slabs before Mt Morgan’s true summit. The views of Squam Lake were absolutely amazing. I don’t think either Jackie or myself was expecting this level of beauty. We continued on to the true summit of Mt Morgan before heading over to Mt Percival.
Hiking along the ridge was fairly quick with relatively little elevation gain. The mile between the two mountains passed uneventfully and we were on the summit of Mt Percival before we knew it. We took a few more minutes to soak in the views before heading down to the car. At this point we started the descent down the steep granite and eventually into a series of tight caves. This was probably my favorite part of the hike and reminded me of the slot canyons of Utah in a way. After the caves, we hiked a few miles back to the car and completed the loop.
Both Jackie and I enjoyed our time on Mt Morgan & Mt Percival and would easily repeat this one if we were in the area.
