Hedgehog Mountain via UNH Trail
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Hedgehog Mountain NH Hike Overview
Hedgehog Mountain (2,532’) is a beautiful mountain off of the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire. Although it is the shortest mountain on the 52 With a View List, it does not lack beautiful views! The UNH Trail offers beautiful views on the summit and nearby ledges, overlooking Mount Passaconaway and the Sandwich Wilderness.
Trail Details
Trail: UNH Trail
Length: 5 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,400 feet
My Trail Time: 3 hours hiking, 3.5 hours total
Hike Overview
Although Hedgehog Mountain is the shortest mountain on the 52 With a View List, it is not easy. It gains about 1,500 feet of elevation in 1.5 miles, making it a steep climb.
If you want to hike the steep section first, I recommend hiking the loop trail counterclockwise. This allows for a much more gradual descent.
And although you could hike Hedgehog Mountain as an out-and-back, I recommend hiking the entire loop because some of the best views are along the east ledges. Trust me, you will be in awe of the views!
Looking to track your hikes while completing the 52 With a View List?
Whether you're chasing stunning summit views or documenting your adventures, this journal helps you track essential hike details, jot down memories, and reflect on your journey!
Each journal includes:
- individual pages for each mountain
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- completion tracker to celebrate your progress
- and fun extras like Hiking Bingo!
Hedgehog Mountain NH Hike via UNH Trail Guide
July 31, 2021
**Always remember to leave no trace. It is crucial to pack out what you pack in and throw away your trash properly.
Hedgehog Mountain had been on my New Hampshire hiking bucket list for a while, so I was so excited to hike it! Alex and I began the hike on a beautiful July day, with cool temperatures in the 60s and low humidity.
The Downes Brook Trail parking lot was not overly full when we arrived in the morning, and we didn’t pass anyone on the trail until the end. The parking lot is also home to Mount Potash Trail, which the majority of the people were hiking.
The first half-mile on the UNH trail was pretty flat and a great warm-up for the steep sections later in the hike. The trail had a few trail junctions with cross-country ski trails, but there were plenty of signs to help keep us on the UNH Trail.
Before we knew it, we were at the loop junction. The left had a more gradual trail, and the right had the steeper and more direct route to Hedgehog Mountain. We opted to go counterclockwise to get the steep sections out of the way first. I prefer to hike steep sections on fresh legs!
After a few minutes, we came to the Allen’s Ledge Trail junction. I HIGHLY recommend hiking the short and steep trail to Allen’s Ledge because it has beautiful views!
After enjoying Allen's Ledge, we made our way back to the UNH Trail and continued gaining elevation as we approached the summit. The trail had a few really steep sections that had our legs burning, but the views were so worth it!
One section of the trail was very wet and felt like we were hiking through a creek bed. Although the trail was wet, it wasn’t too difficult to ascend.
We reached the summit of Hedgehog Mountain and enjoyed the views before continuing to the east ledges. We heard the east ledges had the best views, so we saved our summit snacks for those.
After the summit of Hedgehog Mountain, the UNH Trail began to descend back into the woods as it looped around to the east ledges. A few sections were very steep, so I crab walked my way down those, haha.
The UNH Trail crosses multiple ledges that offered incredible views of the Sandwich Wilderness. The east ledges were last since we were hiking counterclockwise, so we enjoyed a snack while taking in the epic views. Mount Passaconaway, a 4,000 footer, stood next to us and looked huge compared to where we were.
We didn’t stay on the summit or ledges for too long because the wind was picking up. Descending the rest of the UNH Trail was gradual and had a few obscured views, which was nice!
Our descent was quick and much less steep than our ascent, so we were flying down the trail. Before we knew it, we were at the loop junction and back on the flat trail leading out to the parking lot. When we arrived at the parking lot, it was packed, so we were glad we started the hike when we did.
Hedgehog Mountain is one of my new favorite mountains on the 52 With a View List, and I’m excited to hike it again! If you are looking for a beautiful hike along the Kancamagus Highway, Hedgehog Mountain is for you!
Have you hiked Hedgehog Mountain?
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.
I created this blog to share my travels, show how beautiful the world is, provide tips and tricks for traveling, and encourage you to explore. Whether you want to travel across the world or explore what’s in your backyard, I hope this blog inspires you to get outside and find your adventure!