Nothing beats the quiet serene beauty of being at the summit on a peak in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

While we like epic hikes, we also like shorter ones where we can be at the peak in under a few hours and be back at the car before noon.

Join us as we hike Mt Potash in the White Mountain National Forest, and stop by a local coffee shop inside an old bank afterwards.

Introduction

Mt Potash is 2,680 feet high and can be found in the White Mountain National Forest. The Downes Brook Trailhead can be found along the Eastern end of the Kancamagus Highway which is considered one of the most scenic drives in the nation. The trailhead is the starting point for Mt Potash, but also Hedgehog Mountain which we’ve also hiked before. There’s also cross country skiing trails and a trail leading towards the Kate Sleeper Trail which connects to Mt Whiteface and the Tripyramids. That being said, the parking lot can fill up fast on the weekends.

The trail is 4.0 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 1,387 feet. I would rate this hike as moderate. Overall, the mileage is easy, but there’s some steep sections filled with roots, rocks and other obstacles.

Mt Potash along with its neighbor Mt Hedgehog are both on the 52 With a View List. This is a list of 52 peaks in New Hampshire below 4000 feet that offer stellar views.

Up the Mountain

We got to the trailhead around 7:40 and were the first ones in the parking lot. It is good to mention that there is a significant river crossing near the start of the hike that can get pretty extreme if there’s been a major recent rain storm. 

Always check the trail conditions, and if river crossings terrify you, there is an alternative bypassing the crossing altogether. Instead of hiking the trail, you can walk up the Kancamagus Highway and take a logging road to where it meets back up with the trail. Easy.

However, we decided to go along the trail and cross the river. 

Right off the bat you’ll encounter multiple trails branching off to Mt Hedgehog and longer trails into the backcountry as well as a network of cross-country skiing trails. There’s a sign at each intersection so its pretty easy to find the trail up Potash.

Soon we got to the river crossing at Downes Brook and we were pleasantly surprised to see the water levels were low enough where we could rock hop across. If you feel safer, you can always wade your way across with water only coming up to your ankle. Apparently a few weeks prior there was a major rain storm so there were lots of reports of a brook too high to cross without getting your feet wet. Go slow and steady and ensure your foot won’t slip before committing your whole weight and you won’t have an issue.

Soon we came to the previously mentioned logging road and crossed it to continue on the trail.

The trail conditions here are your typical New Hampshire bullshit. Rocks and roots everywhere. 

Lots of toads were out which are always a joy to see.

Eventually you’ll come to a fun section of granite rock slabs with overgrown roots.

Just over a mile in you’ll come to your first viewpoint. A gorgeous view of Mt Passaconaway towering over you and Mt Hedgehog across a forested valley.

This is where you start to find more granite rock slabs you’ll trudge up, rocky stone staircases and even some alpine zone protected areas. 

2 miles in you’ll reach the un-marked summit which is a large flat expanse. On one side you have great views of Passaconway. On the other you have views of the Tripyramids, Cardigan and even a glimmer of Mt Washington in the distance.

Really beautiful view and we had the peak all to ourselves until the first hiker caught up to us. Not bad for a short two mile hike. 

After a quick snack we made our way back down to the parking lot, passing by dozens of hikers in the process. By the time we go back to the trailhead, the parking lot was already full.

We made good time and it was only 11 am by the time we got back with our entire afternoon open.

This was my 26th Mountain I hiked on the 52 With a View List. Halfway there!

Fairgrounds Coffee

On our way back we stopped by Fair Grounds Coffee in Fryeburg, Maine. The coffee shop is located in an old bank and offers a great selection of coffee drinks, bagels and pastries. They even let you explore the old vault, super cool. We got a cookie and coffee and headed up to the Mezzanine to reflect on our hike and celebrate with a cookie. 

If you’re in the Conway area of New Hampshire, it’s worth the short detour to Fryeburg just across the Maine border for this unique coffee shop.