Hiking Imp Face via Imp Trail — Nichole the Nomad

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Imp Face via Imp Trail Details

Trail: Imp Trail
Miles: 4.3
Hours: 3 hiking, 3.5 total

Imp Face via Imp Trail Overview

Imp Face (3,165’) is a beautiful cliff on the west side of North Carter Mountain in Pinkham Notch and provides stunning views overlooking the Presidentials and Pinkham Notch. The Imp Trail can either be an out and back (4.3 miles) or a loop (5.9 miles). The Imp Trail is a loop trail but does not start and end in the same place and requires an additional 0.2-mile road walk. If you want to hike the loop, I recommend starting on the Imp Trailhead North since it is the steepest section.

Note: The Imp Trail gains over 1,800 feet of elevation in about two miles, so the trail has a few steep sections as you approach the cliff. There are also a few river crossings. If you hike the Imp Trail as an out-and-back from the Imp Trailhead North, you will only have one river crossing. If you hike the loop, you will have multiple river crossings, which can be difficult if the water is high.

Imp Face via Imp Trail Guide

November 7, 2021

**Always remember to leave no trace. It is crucial to pack out what you pack in and throw away your trash properly.

Imp Face has been on my bucket list for a while because the views looked stunning! On a cold November Sunday, Alex, Meadow, and I began our hike to Imp Face. We decided to hike it as an out-and-back trail from the Imp Trailhead North because it was shorter and had fewer river crossings. I read that the river crossings along the other side of the Imp Trail were high and tricky to cross, so I wanted to avoid those.

The trail started out walking through a beautiful forest. The fallen leaves were a bit slippery from the recent rain, but nothing too crazy. The leaves also covered the rocks and roots on the trail, so we had to pay extra close attention to our footing. The hike was noisy at the beginning because we could hear the cars from Pinkham Notch, but as we hiked further on the Imp Trail, it became quiet and peaceful. All we could hear was the brook we were walking near.

The trail began getting closer to the brook, where we saw so many beautiful small waterfalls. Around 0.7 miles, we crossed the brook, which was easy because there were plenty of rocks to hop over. Once we reached the other side, the Imp Trail became steeper.

After another few minutes of hiking, we encountered snow! It was beautiful but slippery, and soon enough, the trail became icy. It was a great reminder of why it is crucial to pack microspikes this time of year because although the beginning can be fine, there is usually ice in the higher elevations. After hiking a little over two miles and past a handful of steep sections with stone stairs, we finally saw we were close to Imp Face!

As we came out of the trees, we saw the stunning views overlooking Mount Washington, the rest of the Presidentials, and Pinkham Notch. Honestly, the views took my breath away! We enjoyed them for a half-hour with a few other hikers. The sun was shining, the wind was almost nonexistent, and we couldn’t have asked for better weather!

imp face views from imp ledges in new hampshire

My map showed the ledges we were on weren't officially Imp Face, so we hiked another couple of minutes to what looked like the official summit, which was in the trees with a cairn. Once we returned to the ledges, we took some photos and began making our way back to the car. The hike back went by quickly, and soon enough, we were already back at the parking lot!

Imp Face is one of my new favorite mountains on the 52 With a View list, so I will definitely be revisiting it! If you are looking for beautiful views that don't require a crazy amount of effort, Imp Face is for you!

Have you hiked Imp Face?