Mount Pierce: My First Winter NH48 Hike
Mount Pierce in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, 27th in the list of the 48, is a perfect introduction to hiking the 4,000 footers in New England. This short hike is challenging but shows you a variety of terrain and spectacular views at its 4,312ft elevation! By hiking Mount Pierce, you’ll be hooked on the White Mountain National Forest and excited to explore the rest of New Hampshire.
So far I’ve been fortunate enough to hike Mount Pierce both in the summer and the winter. In the summer I finished a small transverse of the southern Presidential Range by descending Mount Pierce and heading towards the AMC Highland Center. Then a few months later my friends and I tackled it as a day hike in the winter.
The winter ascent made Mount Pierce my first winter 4,000 footer in New Hampshire! (My first actual 4,000 footer was Mt Tecumseh, which you can check out here!) This post will primarily focus on the winter climb and descent but many aspects of what I touch on will be applicable to all seasons. For all you need to know to hike Mount Pierce, check out the rest of the post below!
- Parking and Trailhead
- Crawford Path
- Spectacular Summit
- Other Hiking Options
- Views and Brews Addition
Mount Pierce Parking and Trailhead
There are a couple options for where to park to hike Mount Pierce. It all depends on how busy a day it is in the White Mountains and how early you can get there.
Crawford Path Trailhead
The standard parking option for hiking Mount Pierce is at the Crawford Path (or Crawford Connector) Trailhead. The Crawford Path is a popular trail as it is largely what you follow to summit Mount Pierce and tackle other mountains in the Presidential Range. The parking is limited at the trailhead though so it can fill up very quickly.
To reach the Crawford Path Trailhead, you just have to look for the trailhead sign off of Route 302 in New Hampshire. Heading north on Route 302, you will pass the Crawford Depot and AMC Highland Center first on your left. Here you can find the trailhead for Mount Willard, Mount Avalon, Mount Willey, Mount Field, and Mount Tom.
Then, immediately around the next bend on your right you can turn onto Mt Clinton Road. The parking for the Crawford Path Trailhead will be immediately on your left after turning onto Mt Clinton Road. There are maybe a dozen or so spots in there as well as a toilet which is always wonderful to stop at before starting the day!
Note on Mt Clinton Road
It is important to note that in winter, Mt Clinton Road is closed beyond this parking lot. There will be a gate up, the road will be covered in snow, and it will not be maintained.
In the warmer months, the road itself is very narrow, winding, and bumpy as well so think about whether or not you’d actually like to bring your vehicle down it. Ben and I used it when we traversed the Southern Presidentials to get between our spots at the Crawford Depot and the Base Station Road to the base of Mount Washington. It took us 15 minutes or so to drive from end to end.
Route 302 and Crawford Depot
If you get to the Crawford Path Trailhead and find it is full, no worries! This is very common as the Crawford Path is an extremely popular trail. Even on a winter morning, though it was around 8 or 9am, my group was unable to secure a spot there as every possible space had a car squeezed into it.
The backup for this area is generally at the Crawford Depot or along Route 302. One will notice a large parking lot at the AMC Highland Center but that’s technically only for the guests staying there. There would be a fee for day use.
In the winter space can be limited as the Crawford Depot parking away from the road is closed. Try to arrive early to get in the roadside lot but know that it is very possible you will have to join the long line of cars parked along Route 302 across from Saco Lake extending away from the Crawford Depot. From there you will have to walk around the bend north on Route 302 to the Crawford Path Trailhead.
While parking along 302 should be avoided if you can for your own safety, it is a very common site in the White Mountains. More research can be done on which roads are illegal to park on and which are more generally frowned upon.
Hiking the Crawford Path up Mount Pierce
Mount Pierce was probably the most recommended hike I saw of the New Hampshire 48 to be hiked in winter. Only around 6.2 miles round trip, hiking Mount Pierce gives you a great introduction to the terrain of the White Mountains with fantastic views while keeping your day fairly short.
To read my other posts about hiking the New Hampshire 48, click here. Or if you are interested in more posts on winter hiking, click here.
Crawford Connector Trail
Your hike will start at the Crawford Path/Crawford Connector Trailhead described above. After getting your group together, going to the bathroom, and putting your layers on, you can head up the Crawford Connector Trail next to the bathroom. We had a beautiful, sunny, winter morning when we did this hike in February and I was so excited to head up the mountain.
The trip from the parking lot to the summit of Mount Pierce is only about 3 miles one way, but you will pass a couple different trail junctions in that short time so make sure you are on the correct path. Generally, you will follow the Crawford Path almost the entire way up the mountain.
The Crawford Connector Trail is a short 0.4 miles to warm up and get to the true Crawford Path. Just before you reach the Crawford Path there will be a short trail on your left after crossing the bridge over Gibbs Brook called the Crawford Cliff Spur Trail. I did not explore this trail when hiking Mount Pierce and cannot share how it is, but I read it takes people about 40 minutes out and back to complete.
Crawford Path
Upon reaching the main trail, the Crawford Path, you should turn left to walk away from Route 302 and head northeast. In the winter the entire trail is especially easy to follow (unless abig storm has just gone through) as many other hikers have snowshoed or used microspikes along the way already.
Quickly after starting the Crawford Path, at only 0.6 miles away from the Mt. Clinton Road parking, there is another short spur that brings you to Gibbs Falls. This is a pretty and quick viewpoint to pass through before entering the Gibbs Brook Scenic Area on the trail. The trail up Mount Pierce continues on the Crawford Path, steadily ascending, for about 1.2 miles to another junction.
The Climb up Mount Pierce
Hiking Mount Pierce ranged between a gradual and steep climb. There weren’t many, if any, spots where I felt the trail flatten out. If I hadn’t been lacking in cardio ability at the time (haha oops) I would say this trail is actually really nice in winter because you are avoiding a ton of the rocks and roots that are usually surrounding Gibbs Brook.
That said, the packed down snow possibly made the trail steeper than in warmer months because there were less footholds that might normally be nudged into those rocks and roots. I will say I do not remember the trail being that steep when I descended it in September, but there was a lot more mental thought about where I was placing each foot when hiking down.
Though the trail can be steep, it is still extremely doable. As long as you take your time with rest, food, and water, you can definitely make it up Mount Pierce since there is nothing technically challenging on the trail.
Mizpah Junction
After hiking for 1.2 or so miles on the Crawford Path you should reach another junction for the Mizpah Spring Hut. If you would like to hike by the hut, take the Mizpah Spring Cutoff Trail here by turning right and heading southeast. You can still reach the summit of Mount Pierce this way but you will be hiking an extra quarter mile with maybe 100ft more elevation gain.
This could make a good little loop option near the summit if you are interested. However, if you are sticking to the traditional route, stay on the Crawford Path by walking northeast again at the junction. There is a very clear sign with arrows here as well so it should be easy to figure out where you are going (especially since you have your map too, right?).
Mount Pierce’s Spectacular Summit
From the Mizpah Spring junction, another 1.1 to 1.2 miles on the Crawford Path brings you to the shoulder of Mount Pierce, a wide open ledge, and the junction with the Webster Cliff Trail. The last 0.1 miles on the Crawford Path is fairly flat bringing you through the scrub near the top of the mountain. It can be pretty narrow but then suddenly opens up onto a very large, open ledge.
Here, the views are spectacular! There are no trees on this ledge blocking your views and on a clear day you can see for miles over the Presidential Range and back into the Whites. It’s truly breathtaking.
Webster Cliff Trail
To reach the true summit of Mount Pierce, you need to take a sharp right turn and go southwest on the Webster Cliff Trail. This can be a little difficult to find in winter if others have not hiked before you that day, but once on it you only have to walk 0.1 miles to the Mount Pierce summit cairn.
The views are just as beautiful after the little scramble up the Webster Cliff Trail. Be wary of the weather conditions since you will be very exposed at the top of Mount Pierce! When my group did this hike there were predicted 30+ mph winds at Mount Pierce’s summit but we got extremely lucky with only a light breeze.
It was chilly for sure, but the day held out for us, giving us sunshine and clear skies. We could very easily see Mount Washington not too far away and the rest of the southern Presidentials in front of us. We had very quickly tackled the 2,400ft elevation gain, passing by a lot of other hikers along the way.
From my recording, the moving time with my group was around 2 hours and 49 minutes while the total time was only 3 hours and 15 minutes. For me, this is an extremely quick pace that I was not prepared to keep up with my group and do but I would say for an average hiker, Mount Pierce would likely take more like 4-4.5 hours.
Trail stats:
Mileage: 5.2mi
Elevation Gain: ~2,365ft
Date Hiked: February 20, 2022
Moving Time: 2h 49min
Parking:
Crawford Connector Trailhead
or
44.22389, -71.41138
Other Hiking Options Including and Near Mount Pierce
Combining Peaks with Mount Pierce
Mount Pierce is commonly hiked with Mount Eisenhower as a day hike. Another 3 miles or so (about 1.5 miles each way) brings you to a 9 to 9.5 mile day. Since you have already done most of the elevation up Mount Pierce, you are also on a ridgeline the entire way to Mount Eisenhower so it can be traversed fairly quickly.
For those wanting to travel even farther, tons of traverse options can be planned as Mount Pierce sits at the southernmost end of the Presidential Range in the White Mountains. The Presidential Range consists mainly of Pierce, Eisenhower, Monroe, Washington, Jefferson, Adams, and Madison with some offshoots to other summits. These can make for long days though so plan accordingly if doing a day hike and try to book nights in the AMC huts if you want to turn your trek into a multi-day adventure.
In another post I will definitely be sharing my experience climbing the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail in a thunderstorm, staying a night at the Lake of the Clouds AMC Hut, and doing the southern Presidential Range from Mount Washington down to Mount Pierce the following day.
More south from Mount Pierce are Mount Webster and Mount Jackson which are lower summits but can make a beautiful day hike. I have done Webster and Jackson as their own loop, but Mount Pierce could easily be tacked on for a longer day. Parking is nearly at the same spot so a loop could certainly be completed.
To browse posts I’ve written about New Hampshire, click here.
Trails Nearby Mount Pierce
The parking off Mount Clinton Road is generally all for the Crawford Path since it is so popular. However, there are a ton of other trail options nearby along Route 302 and behind the Crawford Depot.
Some nearby trails include:
- A short 0.3 mile hike around Saco Lake
- Webster and Jackson loop from a parking lot just south on Route 302
- Walk around Ammonoosuc lake from the end of the AMC Highland Center parking lot
- Mount Willard behind the Crawford Depot (this has fantastic views!)
- Tom, Field, and Willey trio along with a few other peaks off these trails behind the Crawford Depot
Mount Pierce Views and Brews Addition
I knocked Mount Pierce off my New Hampshire Views and Brews list by visiting Tuckerman Brewing Co with my friends after. This has become one of my favorite breweries to visit and I’ve written a lot more on it in my post about visiting North Conway! If you are interested in reading more about visiting this brewery, check out the post here.
Tuckerman has a great atmosphere, a wonderful variety of drink options, yummy snacks, and a wonderful outdoor space. They seem to be constantly improving and really paying attention to their customers which is something I appreciate. If you want to learn more about the options at Tuckerman, visit their website.
For other Views and Brews posts I’ve written, check out my Views and Brews Page!
Thank you so much for reading about the trails up Mount Pierce! Mount Pierce is a wonderful introduction to the White Mountains and has views well worth the climb! I hope you will consider giving it a shot and let me know if you do in the comments below or by contacting me!