North Percy Peak (Nash Stream Forest)

North Percy Peak (Nash Stream Forest)

Hike Type: Loop
Distance: 5.86 miles
Elevation: 2172 feet
Time: 3 hours, 40 minutes
Hiking Challenges: 52 With a View; Terrifying 25; Go North 9er

The Hike
I had attempted this hike at the end of last summer, made it up to the summit of South Percy, and by the time I made it back to the junction to head up North Percy the weather had begun to get cold and icky so I headed back down. Today was redemption day! I had left Vermont around 4:30am to make the hour and a half drive and to my DELIGHT I drove past two moose on VT-105! To say I nearly crashed my car in excitement is an understatement. One dipped into the woods but one hung out, munching on the plants on the side of the road. Life goal: achieved! After a few minutes of gawking, I continued my drive. When I got into NH, I felt a familiar gurgle in my tummy, so I began to mentally prep to have to poop in the woods (sadly my least favorite activity). To my second DELIGHT, there was a porta potty just outside of Nash Stream Forest that I paid my respects to. The day was off to an excellent start!

I took my time getting ready at the parking lot, checked out Nash Stream and really thought about taking a nap. Once I got over myself I geared up and started my hike! I really like how this hike never gets too monotonous - the scenery is always changing. It starts following the Slide Brook where frogs were in abundance and there is always the sound of rushing water. This section slowly climbs up the hillside as the brook gets further and further away. There were a few muddy sections, but nothing too terrible. This section ends at the "big fancy rock with the tree on top." There's many big fancy rocks on this hike, but you'll know which one this is. 

At the big fancy rock with a tree on top, the trail turns left and starts to climb steeply next to what appears to be an old slide. Again, this section is STEEP. Thankfully there are a few moments where you can CAREFULLY peek over the slide to get some views which are just beautiful. The trail turns away from the slide and starts to level out over some slanted sketchy slabs that provide some more partial views. At this point you can start to see South Percy looming above. This section informally ends after a slab section dips into the woods, which I have titled the "fairytale forest."

The fairytale forest climbs a bit more before leveling out in the col between the Percy Peaks. It starts climbing through dense forest, and levels out to an open forest with different conifers and off-trail blowdowns before. It's one of those areas that belong in a Yankee Candle. Eventually the trail intersects with the Old Summer Club Trail that leads to the South Percy spur, and continuing on the Percy Peaks Trail leads to the junction with the Percy Loop Trail. The Percy Peaks Trail climbs to the slabby summit of North Percy which quite literally took my breath away. It is steep, slabby, and stressful, but just gorgeous. I took a ton of long breaks on my climb up just to stare in awe. The summit area is scrubby and scenic with views in all directions. Absolutely breathtaking.

After a long break of picture taking, eating, drinking, and staring, it was time to turn around. The bugs also have officially woken up at this point which solidified that it was time to go. I spent a little more time admiring the beautiful rhodora in bloom, and SLOWLY inched my way down the slabs. I never felt that my footing was off, but it was a daunting descent. Back at the junction, I opted to take the Percy Loop Trail down which truly brought me to another world.

The Percy Loop Trail near North Percy really feels like you're in another world. The trail is hardly defined and comprised of mostly large rocks covered in moss. A beautiful forest, but careful attention needs to be paid to blazes to stay on the trail. The forest turns into a young hardwood forest soon after following, according to Google Maps, Long Mountain Brook. Since the last junction, the Percy Loop Trail has been following concurrently with the Cohos Trail, which eventually splits in the harwood forest. 

The final two stretches of this hike were the only two that dragged on. Following the split with the Cohos Trail, the Percy Loop Trail follows old logging roads until it's terminus at Nash Stream Road. The descent was steady and there were a few blowdowns, but overall it was easy going. The final mile on Nash Stream Road was straightforward and buggy. There was one view of Nash Stream and a nearby peak, but the bugs reminded me it was time to go home. Before I knew it I was back at my car and driving back to Boston!

Step-By-Step

• Park at designated parking area just before the bridge over Slide Brook.
• Walk across the bridge and turn right to join the orange-blazed Percy Peaks Trail.
• Follow the Percy Peaks Trail until the junction with the Old Summer Club Trail, continue on Percy Peaks Trail.
• At next junction with Percy Loop/Cohos Trail, turn left to continue on Percy Peaks Trail to the summit of North Percy Peak.
• At the summit, turn around and carefully retrace steps to the previous junction.
• Follow signs for the red-blazed Percy Loop Trail (which coincides with the yellow-blazed Cohos Trail).
• Follow Percy Loop Trail through rugged terrain until it splits with the Cohos Trail - continue on red-blazed Percy Loop Trail.
• At terminus at Nash Stream Road, turn left onto Nash Stream Road and walk back to car.

Photo Album

1995 Nash Stream Management Plan (Quoted Below)

"The Nash Stream property has never been the hikers' destination that the White Mountains have been since the late 1800s. Nevertheless, mountain peaks, ponds, and other natural features of the property have provided destinations to some recreational hikers for many years. Berry pickers climbed South Percy Peak as early as 1876. Within four years after the foundation of the Percy Summer Club on Christine Lake, a path had been cut from their camps to the summit of North Percy3. Mr. Earl Roberts of Lancaster published a trails map (Figure 3) for Coos County in 1940 that identifies a dozen trails on the Nash Stream property. The current condition and use of many of these historic trails is unknown."

"The Sugarloaf Mountain and North Percy Peak trails, totaling more than 5 miles in length, are the only maintained mountain hiking trails. The short trail to Pond Brook Falls from the Main Road is also worth mentioning as a hiking trail because of its recreational value even though it is only a few hundred feet in length. Numerous walking opportunities exist on the Forest's 66.5 mile road and trail network. Most, if not all, of the network will be utilized as multi-use trail corridors and maintained to generally accepted trail maintenance standards as discussed under Trails above. There are opportunities to improve hiking on the Nash Stream Forest including better marking and signing of trails, re-opening of selected historic hiking trails, addition of hiking loops from single destination trails, establishing a regular hiking trail monitoring and maintenance program, and possible construction of new mountain hiking trails. Although funding and staff for hiking trails is limited, proper hiking trail maintenance and improvements can be accomplished with the aid of volunteers and the Statewide Trail System Advisory Committee. For example, the North Percy Trail has been well maintained by local interests for years prior to state purchase of the Forest. More recently, the Appalachian Mountain Club voluntarily performed an assessment of work needs for the West Side Trail on North Percy in the summer of 1991, and accomplished some of the trail work called for in the assessment."

2017 Nash Stream Management Plan (Quoted Below)

"In 1998, construction began on the Cohos trail through Nash Stream. The Cohos Trail was a proposed through trail system that had its conceptual beginning as far back as 1978. It began as an editorial in the Coos County Democrat, an idea that Kim Nilsen conceived. In the late 1990’s this proposal started to become a reality, with Nash Stream front and center in the master plan. Approximately 15 miles of trail was developed on Nash Stream, however, much of the trail was existing gravel roads, woods roads and old trails. In 2003, two remote campsites locations were approved; one on the Percy Loop trail, north of the Percy Peaks and the other on the Arm of Sugarloaf trail. The Percy Loop campsite was developed shortly after as a tent platform with an outhouse. The Arm of Sugarloaf site was not developed for many years. Finally, in 2012 a lean-to structure was erected on the approved site with an outhouse facility as well. This lean-to was donated by the Garland Mill and is a timber frame shelter."

"Hiking opportunities in the Nash Stream Forest include designated trails, challenging walks on multipleuse woods roads, and off trail exploration. There are two hiking trails that lead to summits on the property, the Percy Peaks and Sugarloaf Mountain. The Percy Peaks trail is the most popular trail on the property, starting at the trailhead on the main road and ascending along Slide Brook to the 3,418-foot summit of North Percy Peak. The main Percy Peaks trail had a substantial amount of work completed in 2009. There were several small relocations to better stabilize the trail. The summit of North Percy provides an excellent 360 degree view of the surrounding region, and is a popular site for blueberry picking in August. There is no designated trail to South Percy Peak, although it is often visited. In 2003, the Percy Loop trail was constructed. The trail heads north from the junction with the Old Summer Club Trail and skirts around the northeast flank through Bowman Valley to Long Mt. Brook eventually coming out onto the main road."