Me and my boyfriend loved this hike, until we didn't. The hike up and the view at the summit was amazing. 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. read more

This is a moderate hike. Currently, you have to park on the street. 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. read more

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A fantastic easy hiking spot. Gets pretty busy in the summer with tourists but great view of the lake can do it easily in under an hr and a half read more

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! read more

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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 :) read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

Mount Major - Hiking Near Me - Alton Bay, New Hampshire

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. read more

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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. read more

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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. read more

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

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! read more

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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. read more

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Five star views. Go early, go on week days. Mt Major gets crowded during the weekends in the Summer, but once you are on the trail its not too bad. Trail is strenuous at points. I've seen plenty of older people who turn back towards the top because it gets steep and slippery. There aren't views until you get to the top, but the views are worth it. Parking lot is overfull most of the time, you might end up walking half a mile ore more from your car just to the trail head. read more

Loved this hike! I've done it twice now. Very doable. Easy for many skill abilities. Highly recommended. But it can get a little crowded on the weekends. I would go early. I did a fun little video of the hike: https://youtu.be/sNJ3OA9RGc8 Let me know what you think! Liam read more

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! read more

Mount Major - view from the top of Mount Major - Hiking Near Me - Alton Bay, New Hampshire

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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! read more

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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. read more

Mount Major - The view of Lake Winnipesaukee from Mount Major - Hiking Near Me - Alton Bay, New Hampshire

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. read more

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Mt Major is a great hike - but by no means easy for folks that are not used to hiking. When you drive into the parking lot, you will end up looking for the trailhead at the far right corner of the lot. . As mentioned by the other reviewers, most of the hike is not that hard, but there are a lot of "fake summits' which can be sort of demoralizing when you think you've made it and you still have a ways to go. Just remember that you are not t the top until you see a little house built of stones!!! Also, NH trails are not always marked by blazes on trees like in other places. They are often marked by "cairns" which are little piles of rocks. When you are trying to figure out which way to go up when you are on the granite rock parts, look for the little rock piles - they are trying to tell you "follow me!". I hike all of the time and I am always shocked by how steep the main trail gets at the top. You really end up scrambling and trying to heave yourself up some big granite rocks. It is especially hard when it has been raining. Guess what!!! There is an easier trail! When you leave the parking lot and hike for about .8 miles, you will come to a pretty major split in the trail. BOTH of these trails go to the top of Mt Major. The trail to the left is more popular, slightly shorter and is likely the trail that everyone is describing in their reviews. The trail to the RIGHT (kind of straight ahead with yellow blazes) also goes to the top,. It is slightly longer (maybe .5 m) and far less steep. It wraps slightly around the backside of Mt Major, so when you summit you end up coming up side of the summit which is not steep at all. If you are hiking with people who are not accustomed to scrambling and shimmying up rocks, take the right trail. It is just a beautiful and it is easier. When you get to the top, just remember to look really carefully at where that trailhead starts so that you can return the same way. There is also a 3rd trail from the left side of the parking lot, but I've never done that one, so I can't speak to it. Whatever way you choose, the views from Mt Major are spectacular. They never get old!!! read more

This is a great half day hike. The parking lot - right of rt. 11 - is easy to find, though finding a parking space there on a weekend in the summer is not as easy. (the crowds are why it loses a star) While this is not an easy hike, it's not all that difficult too - just remember that you're hiking, not walking, so good treads on your shoes and lots of water are key. One of the past reviewers talked about how the fake summits can be demoralizing, but that is actually what I really like about this hike. You can talk in those "summits" as a chance to catch your breath, enjoy the view for a second and if you're lucky eat some yummy blueberries. We hiked up the yellow trail, which is pretty level for the first half but gets steep with several areas of flat rocks to climb up (which I could imagine being difficult in the rain). We came down via the orange trail, which was had a lot more smaller rocks and dirt. I don't know if it would be easier to hike up or not, sometimes the small rocks are scarier because they slide. The summit is beautiful and worth the hike. This place can get busy, but the summit is large enough to accommodate them all. read more

We try to get to this hike at least once a year. Nice easy hike and not exhausting, and it takes just the right amount of time to get to the top. There's a great reward view when you get to the summit. We only go in the Spring or the Fall as it is pretty much a zoo during the Summer - the most crowded hike in the area by a pretty wide margin. There are other hikes in the area that give you reward views that are far less populated, and we enjoy these during the tourist "high-season". read more

Spectacular hike with amazing views!!! We hiked the blue trail and it took about 2 hours. It was strenuous at points and when I reached the summit I was dripping in sweat! It is just a beautiful summit and you will marvel at the views!! read more

Mount Major - Summit on Mt Major - Hiking Near Me - Alton Bay, New Hampshire

A very rewarding hike with spectacular 360 views! My boyfriend and I have a moderate amount of hiking experience (Katahdin, Mt. Washington, etc.) and it took us about 2.5 hours total hiking up the blue trail and down the yellow trail, along with the time spent soaking up the views at the top. This is a very popular hike on a summer Saturday; We arrived during the early afternoon to an already full parking lot and many cars parked on the side of Rt. 11. but the trails never felt too packed to ruin the hiking experience. I highly recommend this hike as a short day trip, but be sure to pack some extra water, lunch, and/or snacks for the summit because once you're up there you're not going to want to leave! read more

Mount Major - Such amazing views! Also, probably spectacular during the fall foliage. - Hiking Near Me - Alton Bay, New Hampshire

As a first-time hiker, I searched endlessly for a not-too-crazy mountain to start off with. All the reviews I read for Mt. Major were saying "kids can hike this" and "piece of cake".... oy. We found the not-so-well-marked mountain this morning after getting very lost and once we parked we were instantly confused..again. In the parking lot, there are NO signs of anything - which color is which trail? any difficulty levels? anything? NO. there is not one sign of direction in the parking lot. What kind of mountain has no signs of it's trails?!? it's basically a guessing game. so, we crossed our fingers, took the trail on the right (the blue trail) and we were on our way. We were instantly on an incline, that basically never ended. there were a few brief flat areas but not enough to catch your breath. (yes, the blue trail was marked well, meaning there were blue dots on many trees to follow.. but we had no idea what course we took, we just followed blindly.) About halfway up there is a small clearing, which I was praying to be the top... but no such luck. We stopped and rested for a bit then carried on. All in all it took us about 2 hours to get to the top. We only sat at the top for about 20 minutes because it looked like rain was moving in and the rocks on the mountain are so smooth they could get REALLY slippery when wet. Now, you should know that my friend who came with is an experienced hiker, in fact she is going to Europe next week to backpack so she's got a lot of experience. Even she said that, although she was fine, this was a lot more difficult than she anticipated... Perhaps to experienced hikers this is more "easy" but to first-time hikers, I would strongly disagree. so be warned. read more

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Mount Major is a worthwhile hike because the views are spectacular given the short trek it takes to summit, compared to other hikes with so-so views. You can see Lake W. and other surrounding bodies of water with no obstructions from trees. I loved the views but wanted more of a challenge in the ascent. We took the trail to the left of the parking lot (Boulder Loop - orange?) and got to the summit much quicker than I expected. I didn't even burn off my big breakfast! On the descent we took the blue trail down and decided to summit another mountain since it was a short distance and we had time some time. Straightback Mountain was closeby and there's now view at all, basically just a little pitstop before the next peak, Anna. We backtracked and descended further via the longer trail (Brook - yellow, I believe). It's much more gradual and is less rocky than the trail we took up so go this route if you don't want to work your quad muscles! There are no portapotties! Just an fyi. Go and enjoy the view, then go treat yourself to some ice cream. read more

Pretty easy hike. I am an extremely amateur hiker and it took me 1.5h to summit and about an hour down. We took the blue trail and yellow trail up, and the orange trail down. The orange trail was for sure rockier but I made it down without any issues and it was still rather pleasant! The views were pretty nice on top. It was a sunny autumn day so the leaves were just beginning to change and the view of Lake Winnie was also very pretty. read more

For my 40th birthday I wanted to do something memorable. My friends were like 'LETS PARTY' and all I could think about was 'I'm not going to remember that in 10 years. I decided that we should do a hike. WE ARE NOT HIKERS!!! After gathering 6 of my closest friends and family, I decided on Mount Major. Its centrally located to most of us and after reading reviews and seeing that it was considered 'moderate', I thought this would be the best mountain. WOW!!! For beginners this was tough on some of us. It took us 2.5 hours to get to the top. We took the blue to yellow trail. It said that this was a longer route but easiest for beginners. It was long!! And Steep, and OMG are we ever going to reach the top!!? The reward is worth all of it. The views are AMAZING on the summit! The feeling of satisfaction was like nothing else. AND most of all, I will remember exactly what I did for my 40th birthday for a mighty long time! read more

Great hike with fantastic views. Some of the trails can be a bit rocky, though well worth the effort. Do not go by the directions noted. Drive past this spot and into Alton Bay. Follow the road to the left and then right with traffic. The parking area is approx. 1-2 miles down - past the pullout scenic viewing areas. Also, don't let the number of cars parked in the large lot or along the side of the road stop you. The area is large enough, with many trails - it doesn't feel too congested. read more

Mount Major - Even on a cloudy day this place is pretty amazing. - Hiking Near Me - Alton Bay, New Hampshire

Fantastic hike in every way. Despite several steep segments the trail is far easier then most of the local mountains and is well maintained. Blueberries line the summit area in the summer and the views of Winnipesaukkee are unmatched anywhere. There are plenty of taller mountains and longer trails and more expansive views throughout New Hampshire, but Mt. Major is easy, accessible and gorgeous. Worth a visit, and many repeats. read more

We had a great hike on Columbus Day weekend. My husband and I took our 7 yo son and we chose the orange trail (boulder) on the way up. It wasn't too challenging or dangerous but definately got our heart pumping! It was well worth it once we got to to summit! As another reviewer wrote, look for the little stone house at the top for the area with the best views. We chose the yellow trail on the way down which was a little easier. read more

Mount Major - Great views from the top - Hiking Near Me - Alton Bay, New Hampshire

A beautiful place to go, it also a good place to your dog! We went there with my dog. He is very exactly! Greeting with other dogs. everybody looks very happy. We spent 1.5 hours on the each way to the top. Very good exercise with fresh air. This mount next to lake Winnipesaukee, after you reached the top, you will get a amazing view! read more

Spectacular view of Winnpesaukee. The trails are not always clearly marked in places (yellow trail), but the blue trail suffers from rutting and littering. Pack it in pack it out, people! read more

We went up Mt. Major over Columbus day week-end. When we arrived at the parking lot at 11:30 am, cars were parked along Rt. 11 a ¼ mile in each direction. After we returned at the end of our hike, there were cars 1/2 mile in each direction, right up to the scenic site stop (which by the way is a great landmark when coming from Alton Bay). So on the negative side, on a nice week-end, you are unlikely to have the mountain to yourself. On the positive side, parking is not really an issue and since you are prepared to hike anyhow, an extra ¼ mile won't affect you. There are 3 trails going up the mountain: - Yellow - Brook Trail - Easy/Longer (starts from the back right of the parking lot) - Blue - Mount Major Trail - Harder /Shorter (starts with the Blue Trail) - Orange - Boulder Trail - Between the two (starts from the back left of the parking lot) We had three kids (10, 8 and 5) with us, went up the blue trail and came down the yellow - which is what I would recommend as a good compromise to most people. The two trails start together until they diverge about half way up. The Blue trail is steeper and has you going over a few rock ledges, so you may on occasions be on all fours. It has the big advantage of going over several nice lookouts and takes you up the fastest. Going down is a bit more challenging either if you are with smaller kids, your knees are not what they used to be or it is wet. The yellow trail has a much more gradual incline but is correspondingly longer. For a good portion it goes along a little brook (hence the name Brook Trail). The trails are relatively well marked. The easiest way to find your way down if switching trails, is to go to the stone structure at the summit from where you will find colored markings on the floor guiding you in the direction of the three trails. The yellow trail will start as blue/yellow as it shares a stretch with the Major-Straightback Link (Blue but different from the Mount Major Trail) going down. There are loads of dogs. It took us 3 hours to make the loop, but that included an irrational number of wee-wee, water, cookie and rest stops on top of a 20 min picnic at the summit. A group of adults or older children should easily make this in 2.5 Hrs without being rushed and enjoying the views. read more

This is a great quick hike that will push you a bit in spots, but has great views, especially of Lake Winnipesaukee. It's crowded on weekends for sure. It's also a quick drive, about 90 minutes from the MA border and also has some cool eateries around it so it makes a great day hike. read more

Nice easy day hike. Got there at 10 am and it was already very crowded so it is a very popular spot. People of all different ages from young to old could do this hike, including pets. The views were amazing and completely worth the hike to the top. I would definitely do this hike again for something fun to do with friends and family! read more

I live in the Boston area of Massachusetts and do not usually get the opportunity to hike up much of a hill never mind a mountain. That said I jog 6 days a week and so am in pretty good shape. While this was not a very hard or super long hike I think it was challenging. It took me about 50 minutes to get to the top on the orange trail. I did see a fair amount of children on the trails and at the summit but I think it is likely that these are kids that are very familiar with hiking as the trails were a challenge. The trails are not smooth or wide, they are extremely rubble strewn and it takes a lot of careful foot placement to get through the rocks and boulders. The view is completely worth the hard work of getting to the top and I found an enormous abundance of blueberries everywhere near the summit. I was able to fill a large ziploc bag to take home. I had no trouble finding the parking lot from directions I found online. On a comfortable sunny Saturday in summer the lot was full at 11:00 and people were parking along the side of the road for about a half mile. Here is the link I used, with descriptions of the trails and the time they take. http://www.hikenewengland.com/Major000506.html read more

beautiful hike! Not too hard, but not too easy either. Perfect height and length to keep you moving the whole time, but not exhausted at the end of the day. read more

Decided to hike this after work with my coworker since we are not from this area. We took the blue trail... I can't remember what it was called. It took us about 45 min to get to the top. The view is amazing from the top. Pictures don't do it justice. If you're in the area I recommend this trail. Also, don't forget to pack some bug spray. read more

Mount Major - Pictures don't do it justice - Hiking Near Me - Alton Bay, New Hampshire

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Follow the Yellow trail if you have little kids! We have a 6 year old and 3 year old and took the blue trail up which would have been too much for them coming down the mountain. There is a lot of ledge climbing- that is tough for little kids, older climbers not used to climbing. We took the yellow trail down which was much milder. The parking lot was packed but the actual trail wasn't that busy.The entire hike was about 5.5 miles, and took 3 hours with a 20 minute rest at the top (up blue trail, down yellow trail). read more