Steep. ?Private. Rocky. Good exercise. Great views of Lake Winnipesaukee. More to come . . .read more

Also known as Bald Peak (and lending it's name to the nearby Bald Peak Colony Club) this little…read moremountain is a decent size to get in a half-day hike, depending on your ability, a picnic lunch, and some incredible views. It's a popular trek. There are also several hiking paths nearby which are maintained by the Castle Preservation Society, as well as Castle in the Clouds itself, and hiking trails at Mt. Shaw (I believe) nearby. I recommend sticking to the path along the eastern side (right-hand side as you approach the base) of the mountain. There are several very interesting places to explore just off the path, however they can get steep. The path travels up around the back of the rocky area. As you approach the outcropping, you will have an impressive view of Lake Winnipesaukee. When I was last there, there was a picnic table and camp fire as well. There are horse trails from the summit that travel west to Castle in the Clouds, but it's a long haul to get over there! (These trails are free and open to the public, but the Castle charges admission.) I believe I read that there are some geocaching spots up there as well. Parking is along the road right at the Tuftonboro/Moultonboro border by the town sign honoring local Olympians Hannah Hardaway and Wolfgang Moser.

Travel 1.5 hrs Will recommend…read more Will return I used the Brooke to liberty Trail there are some very steep slab parts of the trail about 2 miles in I am not that experienced of a hiker and it was OK for me to do. I was intimidated looking at it but once I got my foot grip down, I was OK to continue. There are slippery spots due to being running water off of the mountain the views are breathtaking. The sounds of the babbling Brooks and the little waterfalls are beautiful. and just being in the woods there is just amazing. Everything is alive and I mean that by saying not lots of dead trees around I mean there is dead trees, but it's so much alive that you don't really see the dead trees. it's very dense woods. we did not take the trail that leads all the way to the top of Mount Chocorua (piper) we had a very challenging night the night before with our other tenants of the building so it was best that we had not done that without doing that we had a 7 1/2 mile hike had we included that it probably would've been a 9 mile hike. We took our time and had small 15 minute breaks and in total it took us about 6 1/2 hours, but it can definitely be done in four if you do straight hike up straight hike down. Going down liberty Trail. It was a little bit more wet and mushy because you're going down the mountain and the streams are running down mountain but I didn't care. I have hiking shoes that are intended to get wet so and you can find alternate routes through the woods if you choose to do so it still wouldn't deter me from coming back For the parking you do have to drive down what looks to be a snowmobile trail. Don't be afraid of that. Yes, there is parking enough of it directly where your GPS leads you. I hope you all enjoy your hike

It is very nice view from the top and on the ridge. On 2018/5/6, the snow was almost all melted on…read morethe trail and easier to hike. Some sections are very rocky and hard to climb up for short person like me but doable. It is recommended doing on a sunny nice day. We started at Piper trailhead climbed up through Weetamoo trail and came down via carter ledge trail. 9 mile loop, 3000 feet elevation gain.

Winter lunch at the Castle was so fun! Tables located in historic converted stable at the carriage…read morehouse. Set menu including starter and entree with n/a drink and gratuity at a reasonable cost. Food was excellent as was the service. Highly recommend- note reservations are required

The scenic road is a MUST (and also a one-way up). There's hiking trails and grounds to explore at…read moreno charge. The paths from what I could tell were pretty well maintained and there were a lot of people hiking in the area. There's a scenic overlook which has quarter operated viewfinders. Once you get to the Carriage House, if you want to take the trolley up to see the "Castle" (house), there's a cost. Adults are $23 and 4 + under a free. The trolley goes every 15 minutes. Once you get to the top, you have to watch a 7 minute video about the estate prior to walking around / taking a tour. The grounds are pretty but it's the view you're looking for. The house is okay, it's neat because most of the furniture is original to the property. But I feel like once you've seen one historic rich man's house, you've seen them all. No dogs or strollers are allowed up to the castle, by the way. There's also only a porta potty available up there. The carriage house has a restroom & a restaurant. There's a cute little gift shop nearby, too. The main draw for all the kids is the candy. Once you walk down to the pond area, there's a little shack "Cafe in the Clouds" which serves Gifford ice cream and some delicious sandwiches - I recommend the turkey pesto! Overall, it's a nice way to spend a morning but if you're not interested in the house itself, there's still plenty to do on the property.

It's a nice trail. Parking spots are very limited. Follow the yellow signs up and back down. Do not…read morefollow green signs, they will lead you some where else

This used to be my favorite bike when I was a kid. I thought it was so cool that you could like two…read moremountains if you knew how to find the saddle trail However these days the parking lot is always packed and there are hordes of people on the trail (no my idea of a good hike) I'd recommend mount major or similar if you like a hiking day where you don't have to fight for parking or say hi to 50+ people on the way up (and the again on the way down.) We have a lot of mountains up here. If you really want a quiet day out during the prime months I suggest you find another trail. There are at least 3 others within 3 miles of this one

Beautiful waterfall with a really nice hike to get there. There are plenty of rocks and steps along…read morethe way, but it's not too difficult and it feels like you actually worked for the view. Lots of people were there enjoying it, sitting by the falls and doing the hike, and kids were able to make it without much trouble.

If you're in the White Mountains, be sure to stop at Arethusa Falls! We paired it on with…read moreFrankenstein Cliff, making for a perfect half day hike. If you choose to pair it on with the cliff, make sure to do that trail first and it will lead into the falls trail. The cliff trail is MUCH more challenging and is not recommended unless you are experienced with hiking. For the falls trail, I would recommend allotting 2-3 hours. It's a quick and easy trail that will take you maybe 45-1 hour each way depending on your experience, but you'll want to spend some time at the falls. Highly recommend!

This is a fantastic public campground ($25/nt) and beach ($5/day). The water at the lake is clean,…read morewarm (in the summer), and the beach is well cared for. There are watercraft available for rental ($20/hr). The campground is professionally managed with DNCR staff ready to help. Firewood is sold on site (no outside firewood permitted) at $7/bundle. The patrons for the most part are kind and respectful (sadly, not all). Reserve online and come and enjoy this gem!

We loved it here! Absolutely gorgeous beach. We did not camp but spend several days here. You can…read morepay to leave and re-enter the beach area. The beach has a picnic area and trees so you don't have to be in the sun the entire day. The water is shallow so it's great for small kids. They do allow you to bring or buy floats. Snack stand was a typical camping store with Keurig Coffee and teenagers. They also had a great playground in the beach area so it's excellent for families!

It may take some effort to get to the top, but when you do, you are rewarded for that effort!…read more Stunning views of the Lake Winnipesaukee region!

Forget paying for Castle in the Clouds - come to the Abenaki Tower for free!…read more Easy parking. I can see it getting a bit muddy in some places. 0.1 miles from the lot to the tower. Then about (5) sets of stairs to the top. Yes, a damn shame there is so much graffiti on the tower. However, it's not in your face w/ bright colors. Ignore it and take in the immense view. This is a better vantage point of both lakes Winnipesauke and Wentworth. Higher up too. I came on a cloudy day and it was still breathtaking. Pair this with the Wright WW2 museum and you have a solid day.

Incredible!! The gift shop is amazing, so much stuff at surprisingly great prices and it all…read moresupports the center. There was literally everything, shirts, stickers, postcards, hats, nightlights, ceramic tiles, mugs, ornaments, and more. The two women working were so nice and we had such a great conversation, and one even gave us recommendations for more things to do nearby. There's also a small museum that's really informative and a 20 minute video available, but we were just passing through so didn't watch it. There are two trails, we did the 1.7 mile one to the human-made loon nest and it was such a beautiful hike with songbirds, mossy rocks, and gorgeous foliage everywhere. We even saw an osprey, no loons probably because of the weather and it wasn't quite nesting season. Totally worth the stop, I loved it and will definitely be following them on social media and joining their email list.

Great hike on yellow trail in the off season. The trails were good mostly flat with some very…read morerooted spots. Nice benches and small bridges along the way. Loon lookout and some great glacial boulders. Open dawn to dusk for free even during the closed season. About 2 and a 1/2 hours around the loop for us.

Me and my boyfriend loved this hike, until we didn't. The hike up and the view at the summit was…read moreamazing. It was a challenging hike but worth it in the end. However, when we climbed back down, we decided to take a different marked trail that was less steeper than the way we came. The trail took us to a private property that was someone's backyard. We ended up having to walk 2 miles back to our car on a main highway, in the heat. I hope the organization of this hike is fixed for future use and most importantly for safety.

This is a moderate hike. Currently, you have to park on the…read morestreet. The parking lot is under construction. There is a box set up for a $5 donation. There are portable bathrooms before the trails, but they were disgusting. There are 3 trails. We did the blue trail up and the Red trail down. Wear good shoes, we did wear neakers and were ok. The trails are marked well. The views at the top are beautiful.

The elevation gain is less than 600 feet, but if feels like a nice, steady workout. I'm not in…read morethe greatest shape and I thought it was pretty easy and quick. I was to the top in about 35-40 min. The trail is actually pleasant even without the views. At the top, the reward is huge, really nice views in an alpine area. Plenty of space to spread out up top, so you can space out. Lots of kids and dogs, but people that day were all respectful and pleasant. There is still cell phone coverage at the top (I use AT&T.)

Black Cap Trail is a relatively easy hike with a huge reward at the end. The views from the top…read moreare just spectacular. Take Hurricane Mountain Road off of Route 16 near the Intervale Scenic Vista. The Parking lot will be on the right near the summit of the road. Warning - this road is steep and winding! The trail is well marked and is approximately one mile in each direction. It is a slow, gradual climb with a lot of tree roots in the beginning that eventually give way to scattered rocks and then to all rock on the summit. If you are not an experienced hiker or do not have the proper gear (I fall into both of these categories) I would not attempt this when the ground is wet as it can be slippery on a good day. It's a good hike Spring through Fall, but hiking it in the Fall is by far my favorite. The view of the changing colors from the top is amazing.