Hiking Blueberry Mountain
Today we’re hiking Blueberry Mountain in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Transcription
There’s actually several Blueberry Mountains in New England, but this one is in Warren, New Hampshire, in the shadow of Moosilauke or is it Moosilauk? If you know the right pronunciation, comment below.
While we didn’t have any issue parking, there is a larger lot about half a mile away.
Overall, this is a 4.1 mile hike with 1200 feet of elevation gain. I would consider this an easy hike. Distance is short and there’s nothing too crazy in terms of rock scrambles or technical hiking.
Hiking Blueberry Mountain
The start of the hike is flat and winds through several glades and meadows which was pretty in the morning sunlight.
What surprised us the most were ALL THE BUTTERFLIES!
After a little while, the trail gets a little more vertical with stone steps and eventually some steeper granite slabs the White Mountains are known for.
Soon we found out why this is called Blueberry Mountain. THEY’RE EVERYWHERE! Woah!
Unfortunately, we were a little too early in the season and the blueberries were not ripe. Had we gone in August, the berry’s would likely be at peak ripeness waiting to be plucked.
I will say, the trail wasn’t marked as nicely as we would have liked. There were a few times where we had to guess which trail was correct and we actually blew past the side-trail to the summit.
Thankfully we quickly realized our mistake and were able to identify the correct route.
Views at the Summit
Just before the summit, there’s an impossible to miss side trail to a cliff with beautiful views of Moosilauke. If you want to learn more about that hike, I’ll link to a blog article I wrote in the comments below.
This is where the main view is. The peak itself is mostly wooded with small glimpses of the mountains beyond.
While nearby Mt Moosilauke and Cube are better hikes, Blueberry Mountain is great for a more casual hike, great for novices. In August the mountain really lives up to its name and you’ll be surrounded by blueberries your entire way up the trail.
Twin Barn Brewing in North Woodstock, NH
After the hike we headed to North Woodstock and got some brews from Twin Barn Brewing Company and food from Angry Hog BBQ. We’re a big fan of Twin Barns and have been to their Meredith location several times. The food from Angry Hog was AMAZING. We shared a brisket sandwich, Alabama chicken sandwich and Moink Balls which were pork meatballs wrapped in Bacon – crazy.
For the drive home we picked up some coffee cold to go from Woodstock Pie and Coffee Company.
Brad Brad
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Best Easy Hikes in New Hampshire: Mt Parker
The White Mountains in New Hampshire are a hiker’s paradise. While tourists love to flock to iconic peaks such as Mt Washington or Lafayette, there’s hundreds of additional hikes at your disposal.
One such hike is Mt Parker, which on the New Hampshire 52 With a View list. This is a list of 52 mountains under 4000 feet that offer stellar views despite their lower stature.
Join us as we hike Mt Parker in the Presidential Range of the White Mountain National Forest.
Transcription
The Mt Parker trail head can be found near Barlett, New Hampshire near Attitash Ski Resort right on the banks of the Saco River.
Overall, the hike is 7.3 miles round trip with 2,700 feet of elevation gain. Overall, this was a pretty easy hike. Unlike most New England trails, the trail was almost void of rocks and roots for its entirety and there were no technical sections that required scrambling up rocks.
There were even some switchbacks. Am I in Colorado, or am I in New Hampshire?!
In terms of grade and technicality, there’s not many trails easier than this one in the White Mountains.
I just recommend bringing a bug net and an ample amount of bug spray if you’re doing this hike in the summer.
Hiking Mt Parker
You start out on the trail following an old logging road which quickly turns into a proper trail with two minor creek crossings.
This was where the bugs were the worst which motivated us to go faster.
The trail never got too steep and was mostly a gradual ramp the entire way up with a handful of rooty sections.
In order to get to the peak, you must first hike over a ridge which means you’ll descend by ~500 feet until you start to go uphill again.
Eventually, you’ll get higher in elevation, the tree types will change and the bugs almost completely disappear for the last mile and a half or so.
At the Peak of Mt Parker
At the peak, you’ll be met with a grand view of the Presidentials, including Mt Washington, its boot spur as well as nearby mountains such as Webster, Stairs and Resolution.
This is a very unique viewpoint, especially if you don’t want to hike a mountain like Mt Isolation which is a much much longer day.
The skies were a little hazy due to wildfires out West and in Canada but was still a beautiful day nonetheless.
When we got back to the car we dipped our feet into the Saco River. This is also a popular swimming spot so don’t be surprised if the parking lot is full of swimmers.
Moat Mountain Brewing
Afterwards, we went to one of our favorite places in the White Mountains, Moat Mountain in North Conway. This brewpub not only has a great selection of brews such as the blueberry ale shown here, but has an extensive menu of great food to choose from. We ordered the Spicy Chicken Sandwich and a Cajun Burger, but pretty much everything on the menu is above average. I’ve been to Moat Mountain at least a dozen times now and have never been disappointed.