Cherry Mountain NH via Cherry Mountain Trail
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Cherry Mountain NH Hike Details
Trail: Cherry Mountain Trail > Martha’s Mile
Miles: 5.4 miles
Hours: 3.5 hours hiking; 4 hours total
Level: Moderate
Cherry Mountain NH via Cherry Mountain Trail Overview
Cherry Mountain (3,556’) is in the northern White Mountains and has two peaks: Mount Martha and Owl’s Head (not to be confused with the 4,000-footer Owl’s Head). Although both summits have beautiful views of the Presidentials, Owl’s Head has a more open viewpoint that will take your breath away. Cherry Mountain is one of the most confusing mountains on the 52 With a View List, but I will provide details about what to expect! The AllTrails map also leads you to the wrong place if you take Cherry Mountain Trail, and I will include a picture of the correct trail.
Note: Cherry Mountain Trail gains about 1,700 feet of elevation in 1.5 miles, making it a relentless climb. Once you arrive on the ridge, it is relatively flat to Mount Martha. Also, the last push to Owl’s Head is very steep and icy in the winter.
Cherry Mountain NH via Cherry Mountain Trail
December 16, 2023
**Always remember to leave no trace. It is crucial to pack out what you pack in and throw away your trash properly.
Cherry Mountain is one of the most confusing mountains on the 52 With a View List. The AllTrails map does not lead you to the mountain you need for the list, so I am including a map below to help. Mount Martha has a beautiful view of Mount Washington, but I highly recommend continuing to Owl’s Head to get a breathtaking view of the Presidentials. It is worth the extra mileage!
Cherry Mountain is one of the lesser-known mountains on the 52 With a View List. I did not even know it existed until I started completing the list. I was very confused about what I needed to hike because many reviews stated Cherry Mountain did not have views. After researching and asking around, I realized the AllTrails map leads you to the wrong mountain. Mount Martha and Owl’s Head are the two peaks with the views.
We decided to hike Cherry Mountain on a beautiful and sunny December day and were the only cars in the parking lot when we arrived. We were unsure about the trail conditions since the snow was melting rapidly, but we were excited to get out and hike on the beautiful day.
We decided to begin the hike at the Cherry Mountain Trailhead. There is another trail from the northern side, but we did not have as much information about that trail and decided to hike from Cherry Mountain Trail.
The 1.5 miles of Cherry Mountain Trail gained about 1,700 feet of elevation, making it a relentless climb. In the winter, trails seem less steep to me because snow covers the trail, so I did not mind it or think it was overly strenuous! Cherry Mountain Trail is not anything special, but it flew by.
Before we knew it, we arrived at the Mount Martha trail junction. The trail to the right, I think, is a snowmobile trail from what I have heard, but we did not see any. We continued left to head to Mount Martha, and this section of the trail was stunning with snow-covered trees!
After a quick 0.2 miles, we arrived on Mount Martha and had stunning views of Mount Washington. The views are limited, but they still did not disappoint!
We decided to continue to Owl’s Head because we heard it had the best views of the two mountains. Martha’s Mile after Mount Martha descends to the summit of Owl’s Head, and the ridge walk between the summits was stunning with the snow-covered trees. We even got a few sneak peeks of the views of the Presidentials along the way.
Right before Owl’s Head, the trail was very sketchy, even with microspikes. It probably would not be as bad in the summer, but the trail was completely iced over on the steepest section, which made a dicey climb. We had to pull ourselves up using the surrounding trees. But the effort was worth it once we saw the breathtaking views from the summit of Owl’s Head!
Owl’s Head did not disappoint. The viewpoint faced the Presidentials, and the views were incredible. We sat here for a while, enjoying the views and eating snacks. I usually do not spend too long on summits in the winter, but there was no wind, so it was perfect.
The descent off Owl’s Head was even more sketchy than the ascent, and it took us a bit to get down safely. But once we made it to Martha’s Mile, we quickly hiked back to Mount Martha. We also took about a million photos of the trees because we can never have enough photos of snow-covered trees!
After Mount Martha, the descent on Cherry Mountain Trail was pretty easy and quick. The snow was becoming slushy as the warm day went on, but our microspikes worked well, even with the snow balling up a bit. And before we knew it, we were back at the parking lot!
Cherry Mountain is one of my new favorite trails on the 52 With a View List, and I plan to hike it again in the summer!
Have you hiked Cherry Mountain in New Hampshire?
Hey, I’m Nichole!
I am the creator behind Nichole the Nomad, the home of my explorations around the world, mountain hikes, and beautiful pictures taken along the way. I have a deep passion for capturing the world in a beautiful light and sharing my experiences.
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