Mount Tremont NH via Mount Tremont Trail
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Mount Tremont NH Hike Details
Trail: Mount Tremont Trail
Miles: 5.5 miles
Hours: 3 hours hiking; 3.5 hours total
Mount Tremont NH via Mount Tremont Trail Overview
Mount Tremont (3,371’) is a beautiful mountain south of Crawford Notch near Bartlett. Although Mount Tremont is on the 52 With a View list, it is a lesser-known summit. The most popular way to reach the summit is via Mount Tremont Trail, which makes you work for the views because it is steep, but once at the top, you get stunning views overlooking the surrounding White Mountains.
Note: Mount Tremont gains over 2,500 feet of elevation, with the steepest section being the last mile. The last mile of Mount Tremont Trail gains 1,500 feet along steep switchbacks near the summit, making it strenuous. But the views at the summit make the effort worth it!
Mount Tremont NH via Mount Tremont Trail Guide
May 25, 2024
**Always remember to leave no trace. It is crucial to pack out what you pack in and throw away your trash properly.
Mount Tremont was high on my hiking bucket list this year because I heard the views were beautiful! I decided to hike it on my birthday (which fell on Memorial Day weekend) because it is a lesser-known trail, so I hoped it would have fewer crowds on the holiday weekend. We all know that the popular hiking trails in New Hampshire are crazy and super crowded on a holiday weekend, so I was hoping to avoid that, haha!
We arrived at the trailhead around 9 AM on a beautiful Saturday, and the parking lot only had five cars. The trailhead and parking lot are easy to miss because it does not have a sign. The parking area is across the street from Mount Tremont Trail and only fits a handful of cars.
The first half of Mount Tremont Trail followed along Stony Brook and had a few easy stream crossings. Even with the recent rain, the trail was relatively dry, and we easily rock-hopped across the streams, which was so nice! I also loved that the first half of the trail had many flat sections after steep sections, which helped with the elevation gain, and my legs thanked the trail for those flat sections, haha!
The second mile was actually less steep than the first, which was a nice break for our legs. For some reason, I expected this entire trail to be incredibly steep, so I was pleasantly surprised when the first two miles were not too bad. Do not get me wrong, I was still huffing and puffing my way up these two miles, but they were not as steep as I expected.
Once we got closer to the two-mile mark, the trail became very steep, and the switchbacks started. I read the switchbacks were the steepest section on the trail, and those reviews were completely accurate. The Mount Tremont Trail had, I think, over 20 switchbacks, which was pretty rare for the White Mountains! But they helped a lot with the elevation gain.
The final push to the summit was strenuous, with some incredibly steep sections. A few sections required us to use our hands and feet to climb some of the steep switchbacks, but it was fun! And the trail along the final mile of Mount Tremont Trail was stunning, covered in moss. I always love trails with moss!
The last half-mile before the summit of Mount Tremont was the steepest section and really made us work for those views. Although it was steep, I did not notice any sections that seemed undoable. Sometimes steep trails in the White Mountains have sections where you are like, "How do I climb that?!", but Mount Tremont Trail did not have any of those sections, thank goodness.
Once we were at the summit of Mount Tremont, we got breathtaking views overlooking the Kancamagus Highway, Sawyer Pond, and the surrounding mountains. The best views were at the top of a steep boulder along the summit, where we sat and enjoyed a snack.
We had the summit to ourselves before two other hikers joined us. It was nice to hike a quiet trail on the holiday weekend, especially on the most beautiful day. It was sunny with barely any clouds, and the bugs were minimal, so we really lucked out!
We stayed at the summit for about half an hour, enjoying the views and eating snacks, before deciding to start our descent. Descending the switchbacks was easier than expected but still took a bit longer because of how steep they were. Once we conquered the switchbacks, we flew down the final two miles on Mount Tremont Trail. We only passed a few other hikers on our descent, which confirmed that Mount Tremont is a lesser-known mountain. Passing only a handful of hikers on a trail on a holiday weekend is a rarity!
Before we knew it, we heard the cars along 302 and were back at the parking lot! The descent went by quickly once we finished the switchbacks.
I loved hiking Mount Tremont because it is a short and steep hike with stunning views. I would love to hike this again in the fall because it would be a fantastic foliage hike!
Have you hiked Mount Tremont?