Mount Willey, Field, and Tom: Tackle a Trio of 4,000 Footers
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Mount Willey, Mount Field, and Mount Tom are a fun trio of 4,000 footers in the White Mountains in New Hampshire. These three mountains are ranked at 29th, 23rd, and 39th, respectively on the New Hampshire 48 4,000 footers list. Mount Willey has a summit elevation of 4,285ft, Mount Field has an elevation of 4,340ft, and Mount Tom has an elevation of 4,051ft.
There are many different orders in which you can complete this trio and the trails can combine to form a loop if you’d like. When I hiked Mount Willey, Field, and Tom, I hiked a clockwise loop starting on the Avalon Trail. Therefore, this is how this post will describe the hike.
This loop gives you a little bit of everything the White Mountains has to offer. There are rocks, roots, steep sections, waterfalls, stream crossings, amazing views, and no views at all. This hike is well worth a trip to the White Mountains for a day and afterwards you will have three 4,000 footers crossed off your NH 48 list!
To learn more about the trails you will hike to complete this loop and read about Mount Willey, Field, and Tom, keep reading the sections below!
- Parking and Trailhead
- Clockwise Loop
- Starting Mount Avalon to Mount Field
- Trek to Mount Willey
- Third of the Trio: Mount Tom
- Trail Review
- Other Hiking Options
To read other posts I’ve written on hiking and traveling in New Hampshire, click here.
Parking and Trailhead for Mount Willey, Field, and Tom
The parking for the Mount Willey trio of mountains is at the Crawford Depot off Route 302 in New Hampshire. You can find other descriptions on this parking area and the nearby buildings in my posts for Mt Willard and Mt Avalon.
If you are driving north on Route 302 you will pass the Willey House Historic Site on your left and drive through Crawford Notch. Coming out of the notch the area becomes very open and there is parking for the Jackson/Webster Loop on your left. Saco Lake will be on your right and the Crawford Depot and restroom building appear on your left.
To be closest to the trailhead, park in the row parallel to the tracks off 302. The parking off the road at the depot itself is great too! And if these are all full you will likely be joining the line of cars extending south from the depot on 302.
You should avoid parking at the Highland Center since it is for guests only. Other options are the Crawford Path parking at the beginning of Mt Clinton road (just north around the bend) and the little lot people use for the Jackson/Webster loop. These are a little farther but still definitely walkable.
To hike to Mount Willey, you will want to start at the Mount Avalon trailhead right behind the tracks that go by the Crawford Depot. There is a white trail sign with Avalon Trail listed at the top and Mt Willard Trail, Cascade Loop, and Mt Avalon listed underneath it.
Follow the well-worn path into the woods and you’ll be on your way!
Clockwise Loop to Tackle Mount Willey Before Mount Tom
There are a few ways you can hike to complete Mount Willey, Field, and Tom in a day. If you want to hike out to Mount Willey before Mount Tom, do the loop clockwise. This would involve hiking the Avalon Trail until it hooks up with the Willey Range Trail and finishing the day on the A-Z Trail.
When I hiked the trio I did the loop clockwise and summited Mount Avalon to start my day. It was an extremely quick offshoot and the views were worth it. There was a beautiful cloud inversion in the notch still when we reached the summit and it was a beautiful start to the morning.
My Mt Avalon post describes this summit in more detail. To summarize, at the large intersection immediately after entering the woods behind Crawford Depot, go straight to stay on Avalon Trail. At the first junction with the A-Z Trail, stay left to keep on towards Mount Avalon’s summit. There is a sign for the summit outlook.
I use the Appalachian Mountain Club’s White Mountains Guide whenever I am hiking in that national forest along with one of the six corresponding maps that come with the guide in a store. Both are available on Amazon and are infinitely helpful in planning and tracking your day. The guide itself explains every trail in the White Mountains in detail and tells you exactly what to expect!
Leaving Mount Avalon to Hike to Mount Field
After summiting Mount Avalon (if you choose to do so), you can keep hiking on the Avalon Trail to reach your first of three 4,000 footers for the day. You will have just over a mile left on the Mount Avalon trail before you reach the junction with the Willey Range Trail.
At the Willey Range Trail junction you are essentially at the summit of Mount Field. With just a quick turn to your left you will see a clearing in the woods and a huge cairn marking the summit. There is some room for hikers to rest here but it can get a little cramped if too many parties are stopped at one time.
Mount Field is the tallest of the three 4,000 footers you will see today at 4,340ft, ranking 23rd on the NH 48 list. In my opinion, this one felt least like a summit though because the trail immediately continued into the woods on the far side of the summit. The summit of Mount Field was still enjoyable though as it had limited views into the forest below.
We could see the Omni Mount Washington Resort in the distance (a dream place to stay!) but that was about it. After brief chats with the others at the summit my hiking buddy and I continued on our way because we knew we would have to pass over Field again on our way back through.
The Trek out to Mount Willey
To reach Mount Willey, you must hike past the cairn on top of Mount Field and walk 1.4 miles to the other summit. As usual with out and backs like this, it always feels longer than you think it will! It is a bit of a trek but nothing too challenging.
I found the most challenging part of hiking to Mount Willey to be part of the descent down some reddish rocks. If you are familiar with the White Mountains you might already know what I’m talking about. I’m not sure if they are clay or some other material but there are small rust colored rocks that tend to be very slippery for hikers.
In this stretch between Mount Willey and Mount Field, there is a short descent with many of these tiny rocks. Bigger than gravel but small enough to carry a handful of them, they can provide very unsure footing. These rocks tend to move around a lot and slide down the trail when you knock a few loose.
Make sure you have good footwear for going down this portion of the trail. The day of this hike I was wearing my Merrell Moab 2 boots which have great traction with Vibram soles. They have been extremely supportive boots for me as I’ve worn them for most of my hikes in the White Mountains. Good hiking boots combined with Darn Tough socks (my favorite hiking socks for men or women which I will always recommend!) make for a comfortable long day hike!
Please be aware of where you are stepping to remain safe. Sections like this are always easier to come back up in my opinion so don’t be afraid to use your hands or slide on your butt if needed, especially if it’s a wet day!
Mount Willey Outlook
The best views of this trio of NH 48 are definitely at the Mount Willey Outlook. Do not miss it! As you reach the true summit there is a sign pointing you towards the outlook spot. Mount Willey is ranked 29th on the NH 48 list and its summit elevation is 4,285ft.
From this outlook on Mount Willey you can see so much of Crawford Notch below you. I think you are actually standing behind the summit of Mt Willard, another hike you can do from the Crawford Depot trailhead. It is absolutely gorgeous!
To your left you can even see Mount Washington’s observatory in the distance along with the rest of the southern Presidential Range. This includes Monroe, Eisenhower, and Pierce. You can definitely see more of the range in the distance and more of the NH 48 in front of you (like Jackson), but I’m not the best with pointing out peaks so I cannot name them all!
Go hike Mount Willey to check them out yourself and let me know!
We sat to snack and take in the amazing views but due to the insane bugs that day, again we did not stay stopped at Mount Willey’s summit for very long. With our snack break of course I also drank plenty of water. I always carry two 32-ounce Nalgene bottles with me since they are indestructible and while a normal wide mouth 32-ounce Nalgene works great, I’ve found I absolutely love the narrow mouth 32-ounce Nalgene since it is so easy to drink out of while walking or driving.
Hiking from Mount Willey to Mount Tom: Finishing the Trio
The hike back to Mount Field from Mount Willey is fairly uneventful. Just watch out for the few slippery parts I mentioned earlier. You will have to gain some of the elevation back that you lost, but it isn’t too bad.
You will again pass the flat, open clearing with the huge cairn on Mount Field before continuing on the Willey Range Trail to hike to Mount Tom. Remember, don’t go back down the Avalon Trail to your right, stay straight to hit your final peak for the day.
Getting to Mount Tom
The Willey Range Trail continues for 0.9 miles past Mount Field to reach a junction with the A-Z Trail and Mount Tom spur. This stretch of trail was very nice to hike on and went relatively quickly.
When you reach the junction, the A-Z Trail continues left to the Zealand Falls Hut, right back to the Crawford Depot, or straight to Mount Tom. The Mount Tom spur is only 0.6 miles one way and after the trek out to Mount Willey, it feels super quick!
Mount Tom is the lowest of this trio after Mount Willey. Its elevation is 4,051ft and it is ranked 39th on the NH 48 4,000 footer list.
We were told there were views you could find on Mount Tom at an outlook. Also, my trail book mentioned limited views due to growing foliage. However, my hiking partner and I actually could not find any at the low wooded summit.
There were some side trails we explored but we didn’t come up with any views worth mentioning. It is certainly possible we missed something though. Due to the lack of view, I’m not sure I would want to end on Tom if I did this hike again, but you are closest to your car and you don’t have to end with the walk out and back to Mount Willey which is a plus.
After summiting Mount Tom all you have left is walking back to the car. You can quickly descend the 0.6 miles back to the junction. Upon reaching the junction, turn left to walk 1 mile on the A-Z Trail, and finish your hike by going straight onto the Avalon Trail for the last 1.2 miles.
Trail Stats:
Mileage: 9.6mi
Elevation Gain: ~3,468ft
Date Hiked: June 4, 2022
Moving Time: 6h 12min
Parking:
Crawford Depot
or
44.217873, -71.410927
Trail Review of Mount Willey, Field, and Tom
Overall the Mount Willey, Field, and Tom trio is a moderate hike. It is on the easier side of the NH 48 hikes. There is a lot of incline but luckily has flat spots mixed in so it isn’t up, up, up the whole time.
There are a few stream crossings and tiny waterfalls that are fun additions to the hike rather than walking through a forest all day. Overall, at under 10 miles this is a fantastic day hike for anyone looking to explore the White Mountains more. There are gorgeous views but you can also test your motivation by hiking to those peaks with more limited or even no views.
Day Pack for Mount Willey Trio
To complete such a day hike, I would be absolutely lost without my Osprey pack. My pack has been with me absolutely everywhere on my hiking journey! I currently have an outdated Perigee pack at 31 liters and I cannot say enough good things about it!
Looking online, the most similar women’s pack I see is the Osprey Hikelite 26L pack. In my opinion, a pack ranging from 25-35L is perfect for any length of day hiking. You can fit all the essentials including food, water, and layers.
If you are looking for something at the larger end of that range, check out the Osprey Kyte 36L pack. This one is longer but will let you pack a little more in terms of extra clothes and extra snacks.
Finally, if you don’t like that longer look, you can get an even bigger pack with the Osprey Fairview 40L. This is another woman’s pack with a ton of storage. And for those dreary rainy days, the Osprey Ultralight Raincover can fit any one of these three packs! It folds up nice and small for easy storage but quickly stretches over the bag when on the trail.
Other Hiking Options for Mount Willey, Field and Tom
While I hiked the loop clockwise, you can complete Mount Willey, Field, and Tom, counterclockwise of course as well. You can hike up the A-Z Trail and climb the Mount Tom spur first. Then you can walk the ridge to hit Mount Field, go all the way out to Mount Willey, and head back down the Avalon Trail (summiting Mount Avalon if you’d like to or not).
If for some reason you’d like to avoid a loop altogether, you can always hike up the A-Z Trail first and complete the trio from there by retracing your steps. Since Mount Tom is on its own mini out and back trail you could hike it first or third. Mount Avalon and Mount Willey easily have the best views of the day so it can be up to you if you want to see these first or save them for last!
At the same Crawford Depot trailhead, you can also hike Mt Willard. This is a wonderful moderate hike with stunning views of the Crawford Notch. At only 1.5 miles from trailhead to summit it is a fantastic option nearby.
Let me know if you end up hiking Mount Willey, Mount Field, and Mount Tom and if you found this post helpful! I truly enjoyed this day hike with the addition of Mount Avalon. The trail variety made for an extremely fun day and I love the views from all the Crawford Notch trails. Any questions or comments feel free to leave them below or visit my Contact page!