Newcomers to Solo Hiking: 6 Perfect New Hampshire Hikes to Take on Alone

One of the perks of teaching is having the month of July off to travel. I spent one July a few summers ago living in southern New Hampshire with a friend. I was so pumped to live near the Whites, even though I had only hiked the Franconia Ridge a year earlier.

With my new proximity to the Whites, I set my sights on hiking. The only problem? My friend spent the summer working, so I was on my own. I had no problem traveling alone or exploring new places by myself, but hiking in unknown terrain with limited cell signal was not a habit of mine. How things would change in the coming years…

I didn’t hike a 4,000 footer once that summer. I was too afraid of the what if’s.

I look back now and regret how close I was to the mountains and how I didn’t take advantage of them. I did spend that July starting out what would later be a weekend regular: hiking alone in the Whites.

I researched short hikes that were clearly marked. I wanted to leave no room for error. Here are the hikes I did that summer (along with a few extras I did later on) that are ideal for first-time adventurers, low-on timers, beginner hikers, or short-on-hiking-pals trekkers:

1. West Rattlesnake Mountain

A 2-mile hike with a little less than 500 ft elevation gain. Beautiful any time of day or year with this view of Squam Lake.

2. Artist’s Bluff

Less than half a mile to this beautiful overlook in the heart of the Whites in Franconia Notch with a bit of a steep incline. I’ve been here a handful of times and the view never gets old.

3. Mt. Willard

Another fan favorite in Franconia Notch is this beautiful 3 mile, out-and-back trail. Perfect for all levels and a jaw-dropping view every time.

3. Mt. Willard (continued)

Same view, different season. A major perk of winter hiking is less hikers along the trail. I hiked Willard with a friend a couple years ago in negative temps and we only crossed paths with a set of hikers at the summit.

4. Welch-Dickey Loop

This was my first attempt at prepping for 4,000 footers. Welch-Dickey is a loop of a little over 4 miles with a little under 2,000 ft gain.

This was also my first experience with NH’s namesake as the granite state, which I experienced in rainy conditions. I wouldn’t recommend this hike in running shoes on a rainy day.

5. Mt. Major

Another under-5 mile hike loop outside the Whites with stunning views. This hike is pretty popular any time of year, so it’s ideal for new solo hikers.

6. Mt. Pierce

A 4,000 footer that you can totally handle. Though this wasn’t my first 4ker, it was the first one I hiked alone. I spent an April break in the mountains and Pierce was first on my list. Three miles up to the summit on a bluebird day led to me bag Eisenhower nearby in the same day, but Pierce alone is well worth the trek.

It is one of the NH 48 with a little over 2,000 ft elevation gain. The climb is well-paced and there are endless views of the presidentials at the summit, including good ol’ Washington.

Have you made it to any of these summits? Which ones do you plan to add to your list? Let me know if you’re going to tackle these summits soon.

Twins Zealand Bonds Traverse

You know those mornings you’re so eager to wake up to? The ones where you wake up moments before your alarm in utter anticipation? One Sunday, this past October, was exactly that kind of morning for me. We cooked a hearty breakfast before dawn and loaded our packs for our adventure to snag my final 8 peaks of the 48.

The Route

After looking at which peaks I had left, I stared at a map trying to decide the best way to go about bagging them all. We headed up to the Twins on the North Twin trail, starting the morning with a steep ascent. North Twin to South Twin to Zealand to West Bond, Bond, and Bondcliff. We did this as an out-and-back, but skipped West Bond and Zealand (outlined in red on the map) on the return trip.

Elevation map below for the traverse.

North and South Twin

We parked at the North Twin trailhead at sunrise and began the two mile walk before the big climb. About a mile in, I turned on the trail and found myself encountering a moose face-to-face. A full-fledged, antlers as wide as the trail, moose. I felt pure awe. And shock. We slowly stepped backwards, off the trail, and watched him continue his Sunday morning stroll under he was out of our eye view.

I’ve patiently waited for a moose sighting for five years. To the point where I hoped one would cross the road when I drive past moose crossing signs on highways. In hindsight, it’s probably for the best I didn’t have my first encounter in that situation. Multiple trips to Maine, countless to the Whites, and even a two-week cross-country road trip out to Big Sky country didn’t help me cross off this bucket list item. This hike was off to an incredible start and it was only the first two miles of the day.

North Twin’s summit was well worth the arduous climb. I finally understood why hikers say the Pemigewasset wilderness is a Whites’ gem. The solitude alone was dreamy. We had each summit from North Twin to the Bonds to ourselves (aside from the finale at Bondcliff).

Zealand to the Bonds

From North Twin, we faced a muddy mile to South Twin, followed by a detour to Zealand where we were met with three relentless greyjays. Zealand was a tough addition to this traverse because we did it out and back before we headed to the Bonds. All the better for our return to avoid detours.

West Bond was incredible, but I started to hesitate at finishing this traverse due to daylight escaping us swiftly with Bond and Bondcliff still left on the itinerary. B carried me through the finish line with the descent down to Bondcliff. Honestly the views were jaw-dropping (fitting as we dropped hundreds of feet in elevation that we’d have to climb back up to get home). The bittersweet joy I felt heading into my final peak was met with glances over my shoulder to see that massive drop we made.

Bondcliff lived up to its hype and I couldn’t have picked a better day, partner, or peak to finish with. I set out to hike to 48 in August 2018 when I hiked up Lincoln and Lafayette with my roommates. On that hike, one of them said she’d love to hike the 48 before moving. I had never heard of the 48 before then, but I’m so glad that seed was planted that day because a little over two years later, I became an NH 48 finisher.

A 22ish-mile, ~7,000 ft gain, 15-hour day ended in the darkness of the Pemi wilderness. I don’t love night hiking, but it did present the opportunity of witnessing a mountaintop sunset on South Twin that did not disappoint. There may be more night hikes in my future to see sights like that again.

Until next time in the Whites.