Hiking
Surrounded by 4000 foot mountains, Waterville Valley is a hiker's paradise. With hikes from easy to expert the area provides hikes for all ability levels. Waterville Valley has five 4000 footers, more than any other town in New England. Popular mountains like Tecumseh, Osceola, Tripyramid, Welch & Dickey are all minutes away and easy hikes like Goodrich Rock and the Scaur are accessible from the Valley floor. If you want to get away into the mountains and hike, let Waterville Valley be your base camp. Check out our Denali Challenge weekend August 14-16, 2014. Hike 20,000 feet (or the equivalent of Mt. Denali) in one weekend.
Popular Waterville Valley Hikes:
Mount Osceola
Directions
Trail head is located off Tripoli Road in Waterville Valley. There is a fairly large parking lot and overflow parking is available along Tripoli Road. The trail begins very rocky and resembles a dried riverbed. It ascends the ridge, crossing a spring 2/3rds of the way up. It then climbs by short rather steep switchbacks to the summit, the site of an old fire tower. From the summit, the trail descends steeply into the col. At one point, you have the option to "chimney" down a short rock face, or take an easier route around. There are lookouts to the north as you ascend East Peak. The hiking is steep and rocky. Leave an hour for this, one way. East Peak is a wooded summit marked by a small cairn. Considerable time should be allowed in descending the East Peak. It's a steep trail of loose rock and ledge as it leaves the summit along a narrow ridge. As it descends toward Greeley Ponds, it enters the Greeley Ponds Scenic Area, where camping and fires are prohibited. The trail ends at a junction with the Greeley Ponds Trail, 10 minutes from the beach at the upper pond.
Mount Tripyramid
The trail begins off the Livermore Trail. As you hike up from the valley, there are two trailheads for Mount Tripyramid. The first, leads to the South Slide. You want the second, half an hour later, at a hairpin turn. It immediately descends down to Avalanche Brook, crosses it, and continues on a long traverse parallel to the brook to the bottom of the North Slide. Once on the Slide, the trail is straight up and very steep on slabs and ledge rock. The easiest route is to begin on the left-hand side, and angle toward the center and eventually end at the upper right-hand corner of the slide, where the trail re-enters the woods. The views are best before the slide narrows at the end. Once in the woods, there's a short steep section through thick conifers to the summit. Hiking across the summits is a beautiful undulating route, passing the Sabbaday Brook Trail junction on the left about half way across. Coming down from the South Peak is a short steep section through thick conifers. When descending the South Slide, which is steep, but not so precipitous as the North Slide, the Kate Sleeper Trail diverges to the left almost immediately. The Mount Tripyramid trail re-enters the woods at the bottom right of the slide. From there, it descends the steep mountainside on a long traverse, eventually joining an old logging road grade running parallel to the Slide Brook, before crossing Avalanche Brook [difficult in high water], just before it ends at the Livermore Trail.
Mount Tecumseh
Directions
The trail begins at the north end of the Waterville Valley Ski Area parking lot, and gradually ascends the southern side of Tecumseh Brook for about 15 minutes, then crosses the brook and climbs up the northern foothills with the ski slopes on the left. Eventually, it descends a small ravine and crosses Tecumseh Brook again. Shortly after that, there's a short spur path on the left that takes you out to the ski slope for a view. The next mile is straight up and rough and rocky and generally slow-going. The Sosman Trail diverges left not far from the summit. This short trail traverses the ridge past a great lookout that gives excellent views to the east, before continuing on to the cell tower at the summit of the High Country chair lift. The Mount Tecumseh Trail, as it continues past the Sosman trail and approaches the summit cone, divides in two, with a southern route to the summit diverging left. Continuing straight, and the trail curls around the northern side to the summit. Once on top, the trail descends fairly steeply down the other side toward Tripoli Road, through thick walls of conifers, into a col. It then climbs again to the crest of the northern ridge, turns west along the ridge, and not long after that there's a spur path on the left with very nice views to the west. Below this point, the trail joins a logging grade and descends moderately down to Tripoli Road.
The Scaur
This hike begins off the Livermore Trail. Follow until you reach the Greeley Ponds Trail where it immediately crosses the Mad River. This is always a difficult crossing, even in low water. The trail continues on the far shore to the left of a boulder. It then passes through a boggy area with a foot bridge. Soon it climbs up the hillside on stone steps, and before a steep set of 36 wooden steps begin, there is a small spur path on the right that leads to Judges Spring. After a short section on a flat terrace, the trail again climbs straight up a steep hillside, though not as steep or as long as the first, leading to a second terrace. Shortly after that, the Kettles Path joins from the right. From there, the Scaur Trail is pretty steep and rocky, but it's only 15 minutes more to the views at the end.
Goodrich Rock
The trail begins It begins off the Greeley Ponds Trail about 30 minutes from the parking lot. It climbs somewhat steeply at first, steadily up to a set of stone and wooden steps. From there, it levels off, crosses a small brook and begins to encounter the Davis Boulders, a favorite destination for children. It passes through broken-open chunks of granite and under a cave-like passageway. After a set of stepping-stones across a wetland area, it traverses a conifer forest, and eventually circles around to the ladder that brings you to the top of Goodrich Rock. As this is a frequently traveled destination, hikers are asked to be careful of the outcrop communities of lichen and balsam trees growing in this precipitous habitat.
The Cascades
This is a moderate hike that brings you to a beautiful series of seven cascades [1800ft.], falling down the rocky gorge of Cascade Brook. Even on the hottest days, the water runs cold; but neverthelss, it's a popular site for swimmers. The trail begins at the base of the Cascade Ridge housing development, just beyond the Snow's Mountain parking lot. It ascends an open grassy hillside, passes alongside the Cascade Ridge road, and continues straight [the road turns up to the right]. Shortly after that, the Boulder Path diverges left. The Cascade Path continues up the hill, and soon crosses the Cascade Ridge Road that has looped back around from the right. On the other side of the road, the trail ascends what's left of the former alpine ski trail, "Beanbender." Five minutes later, the Cascade Path diverges left into the woods, traversing the rocky northern foothills of Snow's Mountain, past the Elephant Rock Trail diverging right, and eventually descending down to a small footbridge that leads you to Lower Snow's Mountain x-c ski trail. Hike up the ski trail to a USFS bridge over the Cascade Brook that leads to the Norway Rapids Trail. The Cascade Path continues straight past the bridge into the woods and begins to climb gradually toward the cascades. It takes 15 minutes to reach the first cascade, where the trail crosses the brook, and ascends more steeply through thick woods up the left-hand side. The footbed is rough with roots and rocks. From this side, the viewing and access to the water are the best; however, at high water, the crossing can be difficult. At the top, the trail loops over another USFS bridge, and descends down the other side of the cascades, reconnecting at the base of the first cascade.