Twin Barns & Twin Terrifying 25s Part 1 – Hiking Mt Morgan and Percival
Hiking Mt Morgan & Percival in the Lakes Region, NH
- Region: Lakes Region, NH
- Difficulty: Hard
- Length: 5.2 miles
- Elevation: 2,220
- Elevation Gain: 1,492 feet
- Trail Map: AllTrails
- Website: Squam Lakes Association
Peakbagging on a Spring’s Day
On May 15th, we continued our quest to hike all of New Hampshire’s 52 peaks with a view (WAV) with a trip to the Lakes Region to summit both Mt Morgan and Percival.
To make things even more exciting, we also planned to mark off two of the trails on the Terrifying 25 – the ladder route up Mt Morgan and the cave route down Mt Percival. The Terrifying 25 is a list of the 25 most white-knuckle trails with fear inducing sections of technical hiking. As someone who has already tackled the Beaver Brook Trail up Moosilauke and the Kings Ravine Trail up Mt Adams, I was game.
The Ladders up Mt Morgan
We arrive a bit later at the trailhead than we normally do at 9:30 am – such luxury, right. Thankfully there was still plenty of parking. Good to note that the trails are closed during “mud season” to help preserve the integrity of the paths up the mountain. If you’re planning a Spring hike, be sure to double check the Squam Lake Association’s website for restrictions.
The first mile and a half was a pleasant walk in the woods with a fairly wide trail that gradually increased in elevation. It wasn’t long until we reached the famed ladder of the Mt Morgan Trail, which marked the steep final ascent.
If you’re an avid hiker of the White Mountains, ladders are a common place, but what puts this trail on the Terrifying 25 list, is having to switch between ladders near the top of a cliff without anything to save your fall off the 20 foot drop. While most able bodied individuals are able to accomplish this feat with ease, there is still the chance of one misplacing your foot and tumbling 20 feet onto rock and spruce trees.
The best part is that immediately after the ladder there is a small boulder cave. This trail can be described as super fun. After the cave, you’re scrambling up bald rock faces the rest of the way to the top. This section too is also tricky, with some steep drops just off to the side.
Soon after, we made it to the peak where we could mark off our first 52 with-a-view and first Terrifying 25 for the day. At the summit, we were greeted with a commanding view of Lake Winnipesaukee in all of its grandeur as well as the Rattlesnake Mountains.
We stopped for a quick snack of ice cream sandwiches and were off to our second peak. Good to note, that this is a fairly short hike and ice cream sandwiches will travel well in a simple metal thermos thrown in the freezer the night before.
Off to Mt Percival
The route to Mt Percival – or as I like to call it Percy – is just 0.7 miles from the peak of Mt Morgan. The trail connecting the mountain is fairly flat with a few rock scrambles thrown in for good measure. If you already tackled the ladder, this will be a cake walk.
It wasn’t long before we made it to the summit of Mt Percy and were greeted with an even better view of Lake Winnipesaukee to the South and even the Sandwich Range of the White Mountains to the North.
We stopped here for a proper lunch and a beer as we gazed out at New Hampshire’s largest lake in the near distance.
Into the Caves of the Mt Percival Trail
We finished our lunch and started our descent. The trail was gorgeous, but seriously no joke. We followed a cliff mostly consisting of uneven boulders as we carefully made our way down. The views were gorgeous, but the immediate drop to our right was ever in the back of our minds.
Soon we encountered our first cave, which would be easy to miss if there was nowhere else to go. Essentially we had to carefully lower ourselves into the cave that was extremely narrow. If you’re afraid of small spaces or are on the larger side, this trail likely isn’t for you. Thankfully there is an easier alternative trail if you so choose.
The cool factor about this trail is that once you’re in the boulder cave, there’s a small chamber before you climb out the second opening.
We make our exit from the chamber, careful not to scratch ourselves in the tight rock opening and passing our packs between each other.
On the other side there was some bouldering, but nothing as difficult as what we had just done. After a fairly steep descent, we were back on gradual ground for the remaining 2 miles back to the trailhead.
Twin Peaks, Twin Trails, Twin Barns
We made it back to the car after the remainder of the trail being a walk in the woods. Overall, this was an extremely fun route with many features – like boulder caves – you don’t normally see on trails. While it is a short hike, it is very technical. However, most able bodied adults and children should be able to complete the loop – in dry conditions – without issue.
After our hike, we decided to head to Twin Barns Brewing in Meredith, NH in celebration. Read about our experience at the brewery in part 2 of this post.
Brad Brad
Best Easy Hikes in New Hampshire: Mt Parker
The White Mountains in New Hampshire are a hiker’s paradise. While tourists love to flock to iconic peaks such as Mt Washington or Lafayette, there’s hundreds of additional hikes at your disposal.
One such hike is Mt Parker, which on the New Hampshire 52 With a View list. This is a list of 52 mountains under 4000 feet that offer stellar views despite their lower stature.
Join us as we hike Mt Parker in the Presidential Range of the White Mountain National Forest.
Transcription
The Mt Parker trail head can be found near Barlett, New Hampshire near Attitash Ski Resort right on the banks of the Saco River.
Overall, the hike is 7.3 miles round trip with 2,700 feet of elevation gain. Overall, this was a pretty easy hike. Unlike most New England trails, the trail was almost void of rocks and roots for its entirety and there were no technical sections that required scrambling up rocks.
There were even some switchbacks. Am I in Colorado, or am I in New Hampshire?!
In terms of grade and technicality, there’s not many trails easier than this one in the White Mountains.
I just recommend bringing a bug net and an ample amount of bug spray if you’re doing this hike in the summer.
Hiking Mt Parker
You start out on the trail following an old logging road which quickly turns into a proper trail with two minor creek crossings.
This was where the bugs were the worst which motivated us to go faster.
The trail never got too steep and was mostly a gradual ramp the entire way up with a handful of rooty sections.
In order to get to the peak, you must first hike over a ridge which means you’ll descend by ~500 feet until you start to go uphill again.
Eventually, you’ll get higher in elevation, the tree types will change and the bugs almost completely disappear for the last mile and a half or so.
At the Peak of Mt Parker
At the peak, you’ll be met with a grand view of the Presidentials, including Mt Washington, its boot spur as well as nearby mountains such as Webster, Stairs and Resolution.
This is a very unique viewpoint, especially if you don’t want to hike a mountain like Mt Isolation which is a much much longer day.
The skies were a little hazy due to wildfires out West and in Canada but was still a beautiful day nonetheless.
When we got back to the car we dipped our feet into the Saco River. This is also a popular swimming spot so don’t be surprised if the parking lot is full of swimmers.
Moat Mountain Brewing
Afterwards, we went to one of our favorite places in the White Mountains, Moat Mountain in North Conway. This brewpub not only has a great selection of brews such as the blueberry ale shown here, but has an extensive menu of great food to choose from. We ordered the Spicy Chicken Sandwich and a Cajun Burger, but pretty much everything on the menu is above average. I’ve been to Moat Mountain at least a dozen times now and have never been disappointed.
Ultimate Fall Road Trip in the New Hampshire White Mountains
The White Mountain National Forest - 1,225 square miles of wilderness, waterfalls, epic hikes and one of the best places to view the fall foliage in the United States. In this video, I will outline a 3 day itinerary, including when to visit for peak color, how to get there and how to get around, where to stay, what to see and options for accommodations.