Stinson Mountain and The Dam Brewhouse – A Perfect Pair

• History
• Parking and Trailhead
• Stinson Mountain Trail
• Ascending the Staircase
• Sunny Summit
• Enjoying the Descent
• Views and Brews – The Dam Brewhouse

Stinson Mountain rises up just south of Stinson Lake. There used to be a fire tower at this location but it is no longer standing. You can see some remnants of the cement base at the summit but not much more.

The cement blocks are nice to rest on and serve as a reminder of the structure that was once present. It is pretty amazing to think how far the view stretches over and past Stinson Lake and what it must have been like manning the fire tower on top of the mountain.

Stinson Mountain used to host a cross country ski trail as well but was abandoned long ago. Now the mountain remains a popular day hike for families and beginner winter hikers. It is accessible by snowmobiles and snowshoes in the winter as well.

Stinson Mountain is at the very southern end of New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest in Rumney, New Hampshire. It is about 30 minutes west off of I-93 right after you pass the town of Plymouth. There are not many other trails immediately nearby the Stinson Mountain Trailhead but you can drive to some other small mountains in the area. 

Parking for Stinson Mountain is free in a small lot on Lower Doetown Road which branches off of Stinson Lake Road. There is a very clear wooden sign at the back of the lot marking the beginning of Stinson Mountain Trail. The beginning of the path is also obvious as the flat forest floor is cleared besides some rocks, winding away in front of you.

For the first 0.4 miles, Stinson Mountain Trail is extremely flat and runs parallel to a brook most of the way. It is also very wide and in early December, most of the fallen leaves have cleared away.  This is the perfect warm up for your legs. 

You are able to enjoy the fresh forest air around you before any real incline starts which is very encouraging. If you head out early in the day, the sun will still be low in the sky and the sun beams look very pretty coming through the trees. On a crisp winter morning you can’t ask for a better start to your hike.

Almost immediately some ice appeared on Stinson Mountain Trail but it was avoidable. We kept stepping around or over it while remaining on the trail. There were also a few rocks but again, easily passable.

After this stretch you will reach your first junction. To hike Stinson Mountain, continue straight here. Turning left takes you on another set of trails that don’t really lead to any peaks and turning right lets you cut over to the Stinson Mountain fire road.

Passing straight through the junction, continue on Stinson Mountain Trail for another 0.5 miles. This half mile is steeper than the beginning of the trail but is still very moderate. A different brook, Cross Brook, should be to your left for most of this section as well.

Once the brooks veers away from the trail, you have just about reached your section junction. Here, Stinson Mountain Trail meets up with the fire road. Once you set foot on the fire road, it is a pretty steady incline to reach the summit of Stinson Mountain.

You will have to walk about a quarter mile up this road before Stinson Mountain Trail returns into the woods. The fire road continues all the way to the top, but the official trail will be to your right at a trail sign immediately before a small bridge. It is a standalone wooden sign with “Hiking Trail” engraved into it with an arrow and a yellow and black striped reflector to grab your attention.

Looking to the right where the sign is pointing, you definitely can see the trail rise in front of you. It almost looks like it will never end. The stones are set up almost like a staircase and they stretch up and up in front of you.

The steady incline portion of the trail continues for 0.6 miles. This portion is a consistent moderate climb up the staircase-like stones. If you were chilly before, you’ll definitely be warming up on this section of Stinson Mountain Trail!

Emily and I dressed in warm socks and layers but removed the outermost layers real quick here. I don’t remember there being a lot of wind as we climbed this day so there wasn’t much cooling us down as temperatures increased.

This steep section of Stinson Mountain Trail was definitely tougher than anything we’d done so far that day but it was still very doable! We communicated, took breaks as needed, and fueled our bodies with snacks and water.

Previously, the path coverage was too inconsistent to put anything on and I didn’t want to walk on the dirt and rocks with them. We reached a large log that had fallen across the trail and finally paused and donned our microspikes. As expected, throwing on the spikes was a game changer.

The microspikes I currently own (and am loving!) are Hillsound Trail Crampons. I felt like I was zooming up the mountain after I put them on! I had such a better grip and way more confidence in where I was stepping. 

My friend Emily had smaller “nano” spikes that she was borrowing this day. We learned mine gripped a lot better and that the nano spikes still allowed for some slippage. We agreed if we hiked in winter again we’d find her some better spikes to use since they were making a world of difference for me.

Either way, the trail was simple enough that you could have summited Stinson Mountain without them (at least the day I hiked it). It just would have taken longer. Also the weather was so beautiful that we didn’t have any concerns about the hike taking longer than it should or encountering any difficult conditions.

Emily and I wore the microspikes for at most half a mile up the trail but they made a huge difference. I strongly recommend bringing some on your outdoor trail adventures in the winter. I would not enjoy the trail as much or get to take in as much of the forest around me if I was still worried about slipping on the ice.

After climbing 0.6 miles up Stinson Mountain Trail, you will again reach the Stinson Mountain Fire Road.  You only need to walk 0.1 more miles or so on the fire road to reach the summit!

Mileage: 3.95mi

Elevation Gain: ~1,378ft

Date Hiked: December 17, 2021

Moving Time: 2h 20min

Parking:

Lower Doetown Road

or

43.84943, -71.80094

Being so open, there was some wind at the top so Emily and I threw some warmer layers back on. However, being so sunny, even the rocks warm up a bit at the peak making it a cozy spot to sit for a few minutes.

The remains of an old fire tower are also present and you can rest on the cement bases if you’d like. I did not see any metal or things to be careful of in the rocks but that’s not to say the cement is all that is left. Be careful where you step.

Emily and I chatted, refueled, and enjoyed the landscape in front of Stinson Mountain. It was still very chilly though, especially with some wind! We didn’t sit at the peak for too long because once the sweat started evaporating, we were cooling down.

I generally push myself to get to the bigger mountains as often as I can, but I was really excited to take it easy this day. This was a day for my friend Emily and I to just get outside and catch up. Stinson Mountain ended up being the perfect choice for such a day!

Winter without snow can often be a brown and empty sight. However, the sunshine at the top and the dusting of snow in the woods was just enough to make the day beautiful as my friend and I finished up Stinson Mountain Trail.

The hike was not long enough or rough enough for my knees to hurt from the descent. We very quickly made it down the steep section with our microspikes before strolling on the fire road and final flat path to finish out the adventure. The forest appeared so bare but I couldn’t help notice how pretty it still looked with all the dried orange fallen leaves covering the floor.

At this point my friend Emily had not moved to the area yet so she had not experienced a Views and Brews hike with me. Of course I had to take her on one! After looking up a few breweries we decided our best option was to check out The Dam Brewhouse.

If you are wondering what Views and Brews is you can visit the official Views and Brews website. Essentially it’s a list for a handful of states where you go to a brewery and do a local trail nearby within 48 hours. If you do enough you can get a patch which is enough incentive for someone like me.

These Views and Brews hikes have been amazing for me to explore the state of New Hampshire after I moved here and I love how they help me try new things! I’ve made a page for the List of NH Views and Brews on this website where you can read about some other pairings I’ve completed.

She was able to provide recommendations based on other drinks we like and got us some warm food right away. We each had a beer and we liked the unique flavors! I’ve said before, beer is not my drink of choice but I always like trying local breweries and what they’ve come up with. We even left with some cans to take home.

We also saw a couple dogs during our time there, so how could we not like it? you can never go wrong with a cute brew dog. I also learned about NH Pint Days for the first time here (run through the New Hampshire Brewers Association) and it was really fun to support!