Mt. Moosilauke (via the Gorge Brook Trail)

Mt. Moosilauke – Gorge Brook Trail

The combination of moderate difficulty and amazing views from the summit has made Mt. Moosilauke one of the most popular 4,000 footers in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Despite being the 10th highest peak in the state, Moosilauke is generally considered one of the better summits in the White Mountains for beginners, particularly when hiked via the Gorge Brook Trail. At 7.4 miles round-trip and ~2,400 ft of elevation gain, the Gorge Brook Trail is a relatively moderate ascent. It’s certainly not an “easy” hike, but it’s family-friendly by White Mountains standards and the views from the top are on par with many of the more challenging summits in the region.

Trail Summary

Trail: Gorge Brook Trail

Difficulty: Moderate

Distance: 7.4 miles (out and back)

Elevation Gain: ~2,400 ft

Summit Elevation: 4,802 ft

Trail Map

Peakbagging Checklist: NH 4,000 Footer

Getting There/Parking

The trailhead is located just beyond the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge at the end of Ravine Road which can be accessed via Route 118. It’s about a 2.5 hour drive from the Boston area. We hiked on the first Saturday in October, and since it was almost peak foliage, it was a particularly busy day. We arrived around 9:15 AM and the line of cars parked along the side of Ravine Road stretched for a half-mile from the trailhead. Fortunately, someone was heading in the opposite direction and waved us along so that we could take their spot closer to the trailhead. By the time we got back to the car after the hike, the line of parked cars was closer to a mile long. As we mentioned, this is a very popular trail, so it’s best to arrive as early as possible or you could end up adding an extra mile to the beginning and end of your hike.

The Trail

The trailhead for the Gorge Brook Trail is just beyond the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge (owned/operated by Dartmouth College). From the lodge, you descend a set of stairs leading to a bridge across the Baker River. After crossing the bridge, you take an immediate left (clearly marked) and then a right shortly thereafter (somewhat less clearly marked). At this point, the trail starts to gain some elevation, albeit gradually. This is consistent with the majority of the hike, which is a steady moderate incline with very few “steep” sections and no real rock scrambling.

Good boys crossing the river

The trail runs alongside the Gorge Brook for a little over a mile before taking a hard right at a sign that says “Last Sure Water”.

After another half mile of climbing, the trail comes to a clearing that offers some nice views to the south. Like we mentioned earlier, the foliage was near peak, so these first views were pretty spectacular.

Read More: Best Hikes in New England 

After about another mile or so of climbing, the trail enters the alpine zone and the views start to get really impressive. While the temperature was in the 40’s for most of the hike, once we emerged from the treeline, the temperature dropped dramatically. We were fully anticipating the cold temperatures at the higher elevations, but the trees covered in rime ice were definitely a surprise. The clusters of frozen white trees against the red/orange backdrop was incredible. We’ve done a number of winter hikes and some fall hikes in the White Mountains, but the combination of ice and fall foliage was certainly a first.

The trail dipped back below the trees but then reemerged for the final push to the summit. This final stretch of trail is entirely above the treeline and offers impressive views of Franconia Ridge to the east and Vermont to the west as the summit looms ahead.

The Summit

The temperature was in the 20’s on the summit so we didn’t linger for too long, but the 360-degree views were amazing. It was a clear day, so Franconia Ridge and the Presidential Range were in clear view. The summit was busy, but since it was cold and windy, most people came and went fairly quickly.

The trail is very dog friendly. We must have seen 20+ dogs on the trail. We had two dogs with us and it was a very manageable climb for them. In fact, they made it look easy and ended up setting a brisk pace that had us up and down the mountain in under 4 hours. Baxter was exhausted after bagging his first 4,000-footer and immediately tried to take a nap when we got back to the car.