Mount Avalon Hike: Waterfalls, Bugs, and Cloud Inversions
Mount Avalon is one of New Hampshire’s peaks on the 52 with a view list. These are mountains throughout the state that have summits below 4,000 feet but tend to provide spectacular views to those that choose to climb them. Mount Avalon is an easy to moderate hike in the White Mountains that certainly lives up to this promise with a summit elevation of 3,442ft.
For a quick recap on what you can expect while hiking Mount Avalon, continue reading the post below!
- Parking and Trailhead
- Mount Avalon Trail
- Summit Views
- Should you Add the 4,000 Footers?
Mount Avalon Parking and Trailhead
To begin Mount Avalon, you will head to a common trailhead and parking area described in multiple of my posts now (see Mt Willard and Mt Pierce). The most popular trailhead for hiking Mount Avalon is at the Crawford Depot in Crawford Notch State Park.
The Crawford Depot is on the west side of Route 302 in New Hampshire. It sits west of Saco Lake and just south of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) Highland Center and Crawford Path trailhead off Mt Clinton Road.
Parking Options
There is a small parking area next to the depot itself. This holds maybe a dozen or so cars and is next to the restroom building (only open in the warmer months). There is also a row of parking parallel to the train tracks that follows Route 302 a little ways.
If these lots are full you can try parking at the Crawford Path trailhead lot but that tends to fill up quickly as well. Another option is a lot by the Jackson/Webster loop entrance. You can see this lot looking south while standing at the depot so it isn’t far at all.
If you were hoping to get a parking spot in a lot but everything is filled up, your next option is to park along Route 302. I wouldn’t say this is encouraged, but it is commonly seen most summer weekends. Parking areas tend to fill up very very early so if you aren’t an early bird on the trail I’d expect to join the line of cars extending south from the Crawford Depot.
AMC Highland Center
The AMC Highland Center has a large parking lot but this is reserved for the guests staying or visiting there. You should avoid parking in this area to respect them. However, if you need to use the bathroom I discovered they are very welcoming to hikers!
There is a little path from the Crawford Depot to the Highland Center parking lot and you can head right in the front doors. The whole lawn you walk through is beautifully well kept as well. I’ve often seen guests enjoying a morning coffee in some of the chairs out front while I pass by to briefly use the facilities inside.
Walking through the doors, you will pass the desk and turn right. Immediately on your left you should see the bathroom doors. I’ve had a very good experience the couple times I’ve used these and they are always very clean.
The AMC Highland Center is also nice because there is a café that operates during certain hours so you can fuel up if you’d like. And lastly, there’s the cutest little gear shop! Fun gear options, local souvenirs, and books so you can take a look if you might be missing something!
Parking at the Trailhead
When I arrived to hike Mount Avalon in June it was just before 7am on a Saturday, I parked in the row parallel to the train tracks. There were spots in the main depot lot as well, but coming from the south I just parked in the first area I saw. I was actually very surprised it wasn’t more busy at this time on a beautiful Saturday.
The trailhead happened to be across the tracks as well so parking in the row was actually closer. I headed to the AMC Highland Center to use the restroom while I waited for my friend to arrive because the depot bathrooms weren’t open for the day yet. Upon my return, we geared up, walked over the tracks, found the white trailhead sign for Avalon Trail, and headed into the woods.
Mount Avalon Trail
Just a few yards after entering the woods, there is a large open intersection. A big wooden trail sign is on the right as you approach the intersection. Turning left in the clearing you will see an old wooden sign with Mt Will carved into it and you can head up this trail to hike Mt Willard.
Feel free to visit my post on Mt Willard to read all about the hike! A short, beautiful day hike perfect for a quick outing.
Going straight through the intersection keeps you on the Avalon Trail towards Mount Avalon. For 1.2 miles, Avalon Trail follows parallel to Crawford Brook. There are a couple very nice lookouts over the water with a waterfall now and then.
Some of these lookouts are on an 0.1 mile offshoot on your left called the Cascade Loop. There are three waterfalls on this loop you can see in the right conditions. The sound of the bubbling water is very soothing as you start your day.
Continuing after A-Z Trail Junction
After the 1.2 miles, there is a junction with the A-Z Trail. If you are only hiking Mount Avalon, turn left/south at this junction to stay on Avalon Trail. If you are interested in hiking Mount Tom or doing the Tom, Field, Willey, Avalon loop counter-clockwise, you can head up the A-Z Trail.
The trail up Mount Avalon is moderate. No crazy rock scrambles or open sections of the trail but it is a pretty steady incline the whole way. There is your typical amount of White Mountain roots and rocks but nothing technically challenging or intimidating.
After only 0.3-0.4 miles you should see a sign for a cutoff on your left. This cutoff brings you to Mount Avalon’s summit. You only have 0.1 miles or so left to climb, you are very close!
Trail Stats:
Mileage: 3.6mi
Elevation Gain: ~1,500ft
Date Hiked: June 4, 2022
Moving Time: <1h 30min to summit
Parking:
Crawford Depot or
44.217873, -71.410927
Summit Views on Mount Avalon
The climb to Mount Avalon’s summit follows the side of a hill. Immediately before the summit there is a nice lookout over the mountains behind you. This is worth looking at either on the way up or on the way down because the view is actually in the opposite direction of what you see at the summit!
Turning away from this outlook, you are behind a few large rocks that you can easily climb over or around. This is the summit! Once you see the view you will realize why Mount Avalon is on the 52 with a view list.
The expanse of the White Mountains and Crawford Notch in front of you is stunning. If you arrive early enough in the morning with the right conditions you can still see clouds below you stuck in the notch. To the left you can see part of the southern end of the Presidential Range.
Resting at the top of Mount Avalon
Mount Avalon’s summit is not very large and there are not many places to sit but if you hit the peak when there are no crowds it is extremely enjoyable. You will have to find a comfy spot on the large rock to rest and enjoy the view. Since it is a small summit, you are pretty close to the edge wherever you end up sitting so just be careful where you place your gear.
Be wary of bugs as well! On a warm morning in early June we were getting completely attacked on the open rock. That is to say we didn’t spend too much time snacking at the summit.
Sitting on the rock at the summit, your view of Crawford Notch is great but there are still a few trees in the way. If you continue just a few yards through the trees you can get a much more open view. We did so this morning to check out the cloud inversion better.
Should you add the 4,000 footers to your Mount Avalon hike?
If you’d like, you can continue past the cutoff that takes you to the summit of Mount Avalon. The Avalon Trail continues for just over a mile to connect to the Willey Range Trail. From that connection, you can hike Mount Willey, Field and Tom to tackle three of the 48 4,000 footers in New Hampshire.
Doing a loop that includes these three mountains with Mount Avalon, you will add around 6 miles and 2,000 ft of elevation gain to your day. Of the 4,000 footer hikes in the White Mountains this is one of the easier ones, but you should be aware of your hiking abilities. Before you start hiking for the day, plan whether or not you will continue the loop.
There are great views on Willey, limited views on Field, and next to none on Tom. Mount Willey will be the farthest away as well. If you choose not to hike these with Mount Avalon you can always return to hike the three of them on their own.
Another hiking option is to add Mount Willard to your day (or come back another day to hike). Mount Willard is from the same trailhead as Mount Avalon and has amazing views of Crawford Notch. Only 1.5 miles to the summit, the breathtaking views are well worth the moderate climb.
Browse all my other posts on hiking and travelling in New Hampshire.
I hope you enjoy your hike up Mount Avalon and that this post helped you know what to expect! Let me know if you were also able to see a cloud inversion, waterfalls, or if you added on the 4,000 footers. You can comment on this post or contact me on my Contact page!
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