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    Mount Major

    4.5 (51 reviews)

    Mount Major Photos

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    David C.

    Beware of the GPS directions, it might bring you to a neighborhood which will guide you to where the entrance REALLY is. You know you're at the right place when you see lines of parked cars on the side of the road. Super stoked that there's portapotties here. The path up is a mix of dirt and rocky trails. Did see someone slip on the way up, so bring proper gear. Other than that, it's more about the incline of going towards the top that had me winded. When you do get to the top, it'll be worth the hike and if your group doesn't annoy you...you can nap peacefully up there!

    Sarah A.

    I went in April and it was decent! There was tons of mud and ice but it's surely cleared up by now! I enjoyed the sights but not the amount of people that were there. I went again in early May and it was much better!! The trails going up are quite easy to follow, although finding your way down on Blue is tough. Yellow is definitely the easiest trail, it just takes way longer :)

    Kaori M.

    Good view for New England. From the top there is a nice view of lake and islands. I made a 5 mile loop and went to the other mountain top. It was a nice sunny day hike.

    Ellie W.

    This view from the peak of this mountain is majestic -- you can see the entire lakes region of NH from it, with a backdrop of the White Mountains beyond it. I went mid-October to catch the fall foliage, and oh was it worth it. We took the orange trail up (supposed to be medium difficult, vs the easy yellow or difficult blue), but it was full of huge boulders you have to climb up on your hands and knees, so MEDIUM difficult it was not... the blue trail on the way down was less boulders and more millions of smaller rocks, but pick your poison I suppose. It's not terrible, but definitely a hike that requires sturdy hiking boots (weak ankle folks beware) and a few gallons of moxie. BUT, the view is really quite spectacular and well worth the scrambling through the rocky trails. The whole loop took about 4.5 - 5 hrs, with some ample time spent admiring the foliage and view, which really wasn't too bad for a day hike. The summit gives you the most stunning Bob Ross-level nature canvas you could ever imagine.

    View from the top
    Margaret L.

    One of my favorite day trip hikes from seacoast NH. A pleasant hike that isn't too difficult (although the rocky part by the top can get slippery if it's wet) with a beautiful payout at the top. There's a parking lot right at the trailhead- although beware, my gps originally brought me to the wrong place. Once there you can take a variety of different paths. I usually do the main major trail but did straight back to major recently and it was a nice add-on of a few miles. It's been busy recently but straight back was much quieter. The top can be a bit windy but is a nice place to eat lunch before heading back down.

    Summit views
    Sonia N.

    Mount Major gets 5 stars for amazing 360 degree summit views of Lake Winnipesaukee and nearby mountains while simultaneously being one of the nicest and easiest hikes close to Boston. Highly recommended to hook in novice hikers and easier than Mount Monadnock IMO. Great for all ages and still quite warm when we went in mid-November. If you have a half day to spare and you're feeling the need to connect with nature, this is a perfect trip. We took the Boulder Loop trail to the Mount Major trail for a 4 mile loop and were done and back within 1.5 hours in time for lunch.

    signs
    Karen 2.

    pretty nice hike with views at the top overlooking the water which looks so nice! cool to see the mushrooms too. not too long or difficult but a good workout for sure.

    Crissy R.

    Great hike that I throughly enjoyed. When you make it to the top you get a great view of the lake. Depending on your speed and endurance will determine how long it takes you. It took me roughly 50 min. Total hike was about 3.94 mi. The view at the top is totally worth it!

    Rosie Q.

    There are a few trails here: the easy trail (blue), the medium (yellow) trail which eventually merged into a yellow/blue trail and a hard (orange) trail. There were a lot of people with their kids and dogs here that took the blue path so we we decided to go on the yellow trail; might as well pick it up a notch! It took us roughly 2 hours to get to the summit! We stopped a few times because it was extra humid in the forest but once you get out of it, the air feels amazing! The hike up looks a little daunting but it leads to an exceptional summit view providing wide-ranging views of field, lakes and forest. I highly recommend going back down through the blue trail (~30mins) because it took us an hour and a half heading back down through the yellow.

    view from the top of Mount Major
    Peyton H.

    Great hike for families & dogs! Only takes about 2.5 hours even with sitting at the top for a little. Went up the blue trail; gets harder the higher you go. Then came down the orange trail which is a little steep & slippery. The view from the top was so pretty!! Highly reccomend if you like shorter hikes!

    Ciara A.

    This hike is amazing. Before you get to the top the view just gets better and better. Overall it took us about 3.5 hours there and back. The blue trail is difficult more at the top because of ice but a really fun trail to go up. Unfortunately, we weren't dressed for snow and ice. I attached a picture of the shoes we wore. We still made it up to the top, there's a place to picnic up there despite the winds. It's a must to climb. We went down the orange trail on the way back because there's less ice. It's steep at some points but probably easier then the blue trail. I hope this helps! The people we encountered were nice too!

    The view of Lake Winnipesaukee from Mount Major
    Francesca R.

    Mount Major in Alton, NH is an amazing day hike with gorgeous views of Lake Winnipesaukee at the top (1100 ft elevation). There are three loop trails, all of which are moderately strenuous and then hit some very steep bits right before the peak. There are loads of families with wee children here, though, so it's definitely scale-able for anyone. The view from the summit is absolutely spectacular after a pretty good workout--this is well worth a day trip from anywhere in New England. The hike itself will take about 2.5 - 3 hours, and it's a 2.5 hour drive from Boston.

    Trail entrance
    Sarah S.

    Excellent hike with spectacular views at the top. Definitely more of a moderate hike, steep and rocky at points but overall a doable day hike. Our dog absolutely loved it but we're convinced that she's part mountain goat.

    Summit on Mt Major

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    Wonderful little hike great views you can pick the difficult trail or the easy trail.

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    Ask the Community - Mount Major

    Review Highlights - Mount Major

    The Blue trail is steeper and has you going over a few rock ledges, so you may on occasions be on all fours.

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    Bald Knob - View of Lake Winni from near the top!

    Bald Knob

    4.3(4 reviews)
    14.7 mi

    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.

    Photos
    Bald Knob - Cute little Eastern ribbon snake sunning itself.

    Cute little Eastern ribbon snake sunning itself.

    Bald Knob - Solomon's Plume

    Solomon's Plume

    Bald Knob - Sign at the trailhead.

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    Sign at the trailhead.

    Mount Major - hiking - Updated May 2026

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