Mount Tecumseh: Hiking My First NH 4,000 Footer

Mount Tecumseh is a fantastic introduction to hiking the 4,000 footers in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Of the classic 48 4,000 footers in New Hampshire, Mount Tecumseh is the lowest and it is very quick to complete compared to some other trails up the 48. This post will share everything you need to know to hike up this beautiful mountain.

The elevation of Mount Tecumseh is only 4,003ft and I believe in a recent survey they discovered it is even lower than that. This is the first of New Hampshire’s 48 4,000 footers I completed so it will always hold a special place in my heart. Mount Tecumseh was my true introduction to hiking in the White Mountains!

• Parking Options
• Trail from Waterville Valley
• The Summit
• Starting a Journey

To read more about my hikes and adventures in New Hampshire, click here.

2 Parking Options for Mount Tecumseh

There are two popular trails hikers can take to summit Mount Tecumseh. One is from the base of Waterville Valley Ski Resort and one is off of Tripoli Road. 

Waterville Valley Ski Resort

The trail up Mount Tecumseh from Waterville Valley is shorter and more popular among hikers. To reach the trailhead, ideally you will want to park in Lot 1 at the ski resort but you can always park in another lot and walk up. The trailhead for Mount Tecumseh is at the northwest corner of the parking lot right before you make the turn left towards the resort.

There is a trailhead sign for Mount Tecumseh right before you head into the woods. This is the trail I hiked with my group and will be detailed in the rest of this post. The coordinates for this trailhead are:

43.966728, -71.526754

The lots at Waterville Valley are very large and it will be easy to find a spot in any off season for the resort. In the winter when the resort is open I expect the closest lots would fill up fairly early but you should have no issue parking in one of the lower lots.

Hiking Mount Tecumseh Out and Back from Waterville Valley

My group chose to meet up in lot 1 of Waterville Valley Ski Resort one morning at the end of July. We arrived around 8 or 9am and there were only two or three other cars in the whole parking lot.

Initial Climb

Starting from the trailhead across from Lot 1, the beginning of the Mount Tecumseh Trail is very relaxed. The trail follows Tecumseh Brook for a while with a few brook crossings here and there. With only 2.5 miles to hike to reach Mount Tecumseh’s summit though, you know you’ll have to start gaining elevation quickly.

The first mile is fairly gradual until you reach a couple switchbacks on the trail. These only last for 0.2 miles or so but after completing, this is the best spot to take a break before your true climb begins.

At the top of the switchbacks, you can go a few yards left to look onto an open ski trail of Waterville Valley. I definitely recommend doing so as this little lookout is gorgeous! On our sunny summer day the grass was extremely green and the sky and mountains were a beautiful blue in the distance.

Steep Second Half

The best way I can describe the second half of Mount Tecumseh’s trail is that it is similar to a giant stair-climber or simply a staircase. The mile between the switchbacks and Mount Tecumseh summit is very steep with large rock steps almost the entire way. It is a leg burner for sure.

For a hike where the total elevation gain is only around 2,200ft, having close to 1,300ft in this mile stretch is pretty extreme. Take breaks, drink water, and wait for your friends!

After the strenuous rock staircase, Mount Tecumseh Trail (the trail you have been hiking since the parking lot) meets up with Sosman Trail. At this junction, turning left takes you to Waterville Valley and turning right (heading north) leads you to the summit of Mount Tecumseh. 

There are 0.1 miles where the trails run together and then there is a final junction before reaching the top of Mount Tecumseh. Turning left (going north) follows the Sosman Trail to the summit and turning right (going northeast) follows the Mount Tecumseh Trail there. Both trail sections are only about 0.2 miles long.

We took the Mount Tecumseh Trail the entire way and in the last 0.1 mile you have to climb about 200ft before coming out on the summit. The entire 2.5 miles up to Mount Tecumseh is easy to follow and while it is a quick climb it is certainly steep which should be kept in mind for anyone interested in the trail.

Trail stats:

Summit of Mount Tecumseh

I was pleasantly surprised by the summit of Mount Tecumseh. I had heard there weren’t any views so I had set my expectations very low, especially considering nearly the entire trail was below treeline. While there weren’t sweeping views of the White Mountains since we really weren’t very high, the summit of Mount Tecumseh was still beautiful!

Especially for someone who had never hiked in the White Mountains before, I was ecstatic. I had reached the top of my first 4,000 footer in New Hampshire and it was a beautiful day spent hiking with new people. The 2.5 mile climb up Mount Tecumseh had been essentially parallel to a ski trail so I was definitely winded but the top was so worth it to me.

There was plenty of rock space to sit on and a couple other groups joined us at the summit as well. The views were decent and I didn’t know it at the time but we were looking at the Osceolas, the Sandwich Range, and even part of the Presidentials. We had some sandwiches and snacks and enjoyed the sun before heading down.

Picking the Right Trail to Descend Mount Tecumseh

One thing to be cautious about when leaving Mount Tecumseh is ensuring you take the right trail to descend the mountain. There are three different trails colliding at the summit and it would be very unfortunate to end up back at Tripoli Road when you are parked at Waterville Valley or vice versa.

You should have a map with you for a quick reference anyway, but the following are how the trails exit the summit if you are top of Mount Tecumseh:

• To continue on Mount Tecumseh Trail down to Tripoli Road, you will want to take the trail that heads southwest off the summit and quickly curves so that you are hiking in the northwest direction.
• To return to the Waterville Valley Resort parking lot by way of Mount Tecumseh Trail, you want to take the one leaving in the north/northeastern direction.
• If you come up from Waterville Valley on the Mount Tecumseh Trail and want to make a little loop, you can take the Sosman Trail off of the summit by going south.

The summit of Mount Tecumseh to Tripoli Road is 3.1 miles. A fun option one day would be to do a little traverse and come up with a friend. One car could be parked at either trailhead and you could walk from one vehicle over Mount Tecumseh to the other.

The Tripoli Road Trail is only a quarter mile or so longer with maybe 200ft more elevation gain. While it is steep it is likely less trafficked and may be a good option for some hikers. Remember the road is closed in winter though so it cannot be accessed year-round.

Starting a Journey

Mount Tecumseh is an important mountain to me because it is my first hike in the White Mountains, my first 4,000 footer in New Hampshire, and only my second hike in New Hampshire itself! (All my posts about New Hampshire’s 4,000 footers can be found here.)

I was nervous hiking in the White Mountains because I had never been before. However, I met up with two local girls to hike with this day and they put me completely at ease. We had such a fun hike and it was so fun to hear more about New Hampshire from people who actually lived here!

I had only been in the state for a month so didn’t really know anyone yet and am still grateful for these two girls for meeting up for a hike with a stranger and having the best time ever. It gave me the confidence to continue meeting new hikers, trying new trails, and pushing my boundaries.

We actually ran into two other pairs of girls hiking when we reached the summit too! It was fun to share stories about where we were from and how we had met. It was kind of fun experiencing the summit with so many women-I don’t think anything like that has happened to me again.

Hiking Mount Tecumseh of course knocked off the 48th mountain on the list of 4,000 footers in New Hampshire too. I was already working on the 46 in New York but I caught a new hiking bug that day, realizing I could totally challenge myself to hike even more than I ever expected. From then I’ve only found more lists to complete, hikes to do, and places to see!

I’ve absolutely loved exploring New Hampshire and the rest of New England so far. I’m excited to keep doing so for as long as I live here! To check out more hikes I’ve done, visit my Hiking page.