Hiking Mt Willard: Breathtaking Crawford Notch Views
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Mt Willard is a low risk and high reward mountain on the NH 52 With a View list. The trail is short and easy to follow but the views are insane! It is currently on my must-see list to come back and hike this mountain in summer and fall after hiking it for the first time this spring.
Though the crowds at the top can get crazy, it would be so gorgeous to see the vibrant colors in the notch in another season. Mt Willard is one of those mountains I heard about ever since moving to New Hampshire. I couldn’t figure out why people kept talking about it until I hiked it for myself!
For a quick recap of the hike up Mt Willard, keep reading!
- Parking and Trailhead
- Mt Willard Trail
- Views Views Views
- Nearby Hike Suggestions
Parking and Trailhead for Mt Willard
Parking for Mt Willard is at the Crawford Depot. I describe this parking area in detail in my post for Mount Pierce, but I’ll provide a quick summary below. You can also grab the White Mountains Guide and maps to help you navigate the area.
The Crawford Depot and Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) Highland Center are right next to each other off Route 302 in New Hampshire. Heading north on Route 302, you must enter Crawford Notch State Park, pass the Willey House Historic Site (some info from the Lost New England blog here), and then the small Saco Lake will be on your right and the Crawford Depot will be on your left. A brief description of the Crawford Depot can be read on Buildings of New England here.
When the parking area is open, you can park right next to the restrooms and information building at the Crawford Depot. There is also a nice parking area parallel to the train tracks that you can park your car at, facing the tracks. Parking at the AMC Highland Center is really for guests only so you should avoid using that lot.
It is very common that the Crawford Depot lots are full and you will see cars parked along the edge of Route 302. If this is the case, you can always park your car in the line or at other lots along Route 302 and return to the Crawford Depot to get to the Mt Willard trailhead.
Heading Towards the Mt Willard Trailhead
Facing the Crawford Depot, the information and ticket building is in the middle while the building with bathrooms and vending machines next to a small parking lot is on your right. To your left, you will see the open train tracks for the cog railway with some picnic tables for seating in the warmer months.
The entrance to the Avalon Trail (which will take you to Mt Willard Trail) is right behind these open train tracks. There is a white trail sign at the entrance of the woods. Other common trails from this entrance include Mount Avalon and the trio of Mounts Willey, Field, and Tom, three of the New Hampshire 4,000 footers.
Mt Willard Trail
Avalon Trail to the Intersection
Mt Willard Trail aligns with the Mount Avalon Trail for a short 0.1 miles into the forest. You will reach an intersection at which there is a large trail map. Straight will keep you on the Avalon Trail and bring you to Mount Avalon or eventually Mount Field or Tom, depending on which way you go.
There is an old wooden trail sign at the left fork with Mt Will carved into it. This is the path you must take to hike the Mt Willard Trail and reach the beautiful summit.
Perfect for Beginners Looking for a Challenge
The trail is an easy to moderate mile and a half climb one way. With a gradual incline, this trail is not a walk through the woods but it is not technically challenging either. It is perfect for beginner hikers, families, and introducing your dog to hiking when you want to go one step further than other trails that maybe don’t have the elevation you are looking for.
There are quite a few rocks which are typical of many trails in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. However, they don’t make the trail difficult like you commonly see elsewhere. There are no big boulders to scramble over and there aren’t tiny rocks slipping under your feet every step of the way.
However, you want to make sure you still have the right footwear! Slipping and lack of traction are a huge danger when out on the trails. While some people prefer trail runners, I love hiking boots and in the White Mountains I have by far worn my Merrell Moab 2 boots the most. If you have read any of my other posts you know I am going to recommend Darn Tough socks for men and women with these.
Overall it is an enjoyable and simple trail. There are some nice lookouts as well onto the stream you hike next to. If you are worried about water you can purchase something like the Sawyer Mini filtration system and fill up your Nalgenes with fresh water at the Centennial Pool (see the image below).
Mt Willard is a quick climb making for a perfect day hike in Crawford Notch. For beginners, there are tons of options of bags to bring for a day hike. My favorite brand has always been Osprey and something like the Osprey Hikelite which is only 26L is perfect for a short hike like this one.
In my own opinion, 25L-40L bags are great sizes for day hikes depending on the layers, snacks, and miscellaneous items you bring (don’t forget a raincover!). Osprey has options for all sizes too which is awesome as well as men’s and women’s options. Some other sizes are the Kyte (36L) and Fairview (40L).
Most of the Mt Willard trail is dirt and there are plenty of flat spots. In May, a lot of these flat spots still were icy but you couldn’t always tell because of the debris that had fallen on it. Though they were easily passable, be careful where you step!
When I hiked Mt Willard in May 2022, there was a large tree that had fallen over just a few yards from the top. It looks intimidating walking up to it but there were easy to follow trails that went around the tree on either side. Once around, only a few more seconds until reaching the summit of Mt Willard!
Trail Stats:
Mileage: 3.2mi
Elevation Gain: ~919ft
Date Hiked: May 13, 2022
Moving Time: 2h 7min
Parking:
Crawford Depot or
44.217873, -71.410927
Views Views Views on Mt Willard
After passing around the fallen tree, the trail you’ve been following through the woods suddenly ends. The forest stops and the path opens onto a huge spacious rock ledge.
The views on top of Mt Willard are amazing! It feels like you are almost sitting in the notch, you are that close. There are a ton of great lookout spots on the ledge to snap photos of the valley and nearby mountains.
Mt Willard is actually on New Hampshire’s 52 with a view list and for good reason! It is an absolutely stunning summit. Well worth the effort of the climb.
The bare rock continues both to the left and to the right when you walk out onto the summit. This gives you lots of area to explore. When the trail isn’t busy you can spread out to rest and enjoy.
Definitely get a snack in you before making your way back down! I love having something salty and something sweet. Some of my favorites are Twizzler Bites, Goldfish, and Clif bars to fill me up. Nuun tablets are also great to get in electrolytes, especially on a hot day.
An extremely popular destination, Mt Willard is often crowded at its summit. For this reason it is best to hike it early in the morning or later in the afternoon. I was surprised to not see more hikers when I was there since it was a hot Friday in May, but I’m not complaining!
If you want to read about other hiking and travel options in New Hampshire, click here.
Nearby Hiking Suggestions after You’ve Completed Mt Willard
If you have already hiked Mt Willard and want to keep exploring the area around Crawford Notch, check out this brief list of nearby hiking suggestions. Whether you want to get into hiking the 48 4,000 footers in New Hampshire, continue your 52 with a view list, or just challenge yourself a little more, there is something for you! Click on either of those links to go to the list pages and see what other posts I’ve written on them.
From the same trailhead as Mt Willard:
- Mount Avalon: Just under 3.5 miles roundtrip, Mount Avalon is on New Hampshire’s 52 with a view list. It provides gorgeous views of the Presidential Range and Crawford Notch in general. The trail is moderate and the summit is not large, but the views are breathtaking.
- Mount Tom: By following the Avalon Trail and turning onto the A-Z Trail, you can find the Mount Tom spur. Hiking Mount Tom on its own has no interesting views on top, but at around 5.6 miles round trip, it is a quick 4,000 footer to check off your list.
- Mount Willey, Mount Field, and Mount Tom: A popular trio hiked from the trailhead over the Crawford Depot tracks, this hike tackles three of the high peaks of New Hampshire. Since there are no good views on Tom, it is commonly hiked with the other two peaks. Mount Avalon can be included in this trio if you’d like as well to make it a loop. Creating a loop, the hike becomes around 9.8 miles, with the best views at Mount Willey!
Near the Crawford Depot:
- Parking for the Crawford Path: The Crawford Path is an extremely popular trailhead that brings hikers up to the Presidential Range, hitting Mount Pierce first. From the Crawford Path, people commonly hike Eisenhower, Pierce, or complete various traverses.
- Jackson and Webster: Just south of the depot and Saco Lake there is a little parking lot on the west side of Route 302. Across the road hikers can reach a loop that will allow them to hike Mount Jackson (a 4,000 footer) and Mount Webster (a 52 with a view). Both peaks have fantastic views and the 6.1 mile roundtrip makes it an amazing day hike.
- Arethusa Falls: An extremely popular hike that has beautiful waterfalls and a nice swimming hole! You can take a couple paths to get there. Following Bemis Brook, walking there and back is around 2.8 miles. Adding Frankenstein Cliff Trail makes a loop closer to 4.7 miles.
I hope that if you are planning to hike Mt Willard, you found this post helpful! And if you hadn’t considered it before, I hope Mt Willard is on your must-see list now! There are so many great trails in the area so please let me know by commenting below or contacting me if you decide to check out Mt Willard or any others I’ve mentioned!
Thank you for reading!
