Stinson Mountain (White Mountain National Forest)
Hike Type: Out-and-Back
Distance: 3.86 miles
Elevation: 1,385 feet
Time: 2 hours, 1 minute
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge; 52 With a View
Distance: 3.86 miles
Elevation: 1,385 feet
Time: 2 hours, 1 minute
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge; 52 With a View
The Hike
This was my first Tuesday without a chorus rehearsal before school, so I slightly overcorrected and took the whole day off! I went back and forth on what to hike, and eventually landed on a double header: Stinson Mounatin as a small warmup and then Smarts Mountain as the main event! My 3:30am alarm got me up and moving, made it to Cumberland Farms at 4:30am with all my construction worker friends, Hooksett at 5:00am to start what would be a long day of expelling my bowels in small increiments, and made it to the trailhead just after 6:00am. The trailhead is off of a dirt road with a few pot holes, but overall very accessible. It was 48 degrees and breezy with a bold orange hazy sunrise - I was just happy that it wasn't raining! There were a few mosquitos hovering around me as I got set up, but none were biting, and I BATHED in bug spray, which I like to believe helped some.
I began my hike and immediately remembered that a breakfast sandwich and two empanatas from Cumberland Farms was too much food (again... didn't I just make this mistake?) - whoops! There were a few bugs out at the beginning of the trailhead, but they only became noticable when I would stop moving. My stomach was mad at me right from the get-go, which also made for some interesting "do I stop to clench and get bit by bugs" internal conflicts. The ground was squishy but not muddy, and soon enough I made it to the junction with the snowmobile trail - the first real landmark of the hike.
There were more bugs on the snowmobile trail, but still not enough to be a problem thanks to the cool air and wind. The sun was fighting for its life to shine through the wildfire haze, but only managed to cast a dim, eerie, golden orange hue on the trees. There were some nice bridges over drainages on the snowmobile trail, and the hiking trail broke away at the biggest one.
My stomach continued to churn as I admired the wildflowers and countless ferns along the trail. I was for sure sweating, but that's my default setting. The hike itself was never too challenging, and the steeper sections were rewarded with easier spots soon after. The hiking trail rejoins the snowmobile trail again right below the summit, and then there is an unmarked path (easy to miss) that overlooks Stinson Lake, Mt. Moosilauke, and other nearby peaks. The view was not clear because of the haze, but it was still very neat to see.
The main summit is just a few feet from where the spur trail begins and provides some more lovely views into the valley below (and probably more, but ya know, haze...). There was a delightful breeze that I wanted to sit down and enjoy, but my stomach was truly a ticking time bomb at this point, so I took my pictures, stared into the void, and started my journey down.
The return trip was very quick and easy. I admired recent trail work to clear the water bars, and continuted to appreciate the lack of bugs. When I got back to the car I THREW myself in and RAN to the Walmart in Plymouth. I was determined to not poop in the woods (or my pants). I made it to Walmart in one piece, and christened that bathroom like my life depended on it (it did). I also did a quick lap in the store to see if they had any water bladders for sale - I had apparently bit through the nozzle of mine so it leaks when filled all the way... They did not have any. I did get to apprecaite a view of Stinson Mountain from the Walmart parking lot, did some journaling from my car, and started my drive to the next stop of the day - Smarts Mountain!
Step-By-Step
- Park at Stinson Mountain Trailhead (Stinson Mounatin Trailhead on Google Maps)
- Start hike on Stinson Mountain Trail.
- At first junction with snowmobile trail, turn left to follow the Hiking Trial/Snowmobile Trail.
- At next junction, turn right to leave snowmobile trail and continue on Hiking Trail.
- At next junction, turn right on the summit loop.
- Just before the summit, turn right onto unmarked path to view of Stinson Lake & Moosilauke.
- Retrace steps to summit.
- From summit, descend on the right to complete summit loop.
- Retrace steps back to car.
“Stinson Mountain Trail” from AMC White Mountain Guide (31st Ed.)
The fire tower on this small, relatively easy mountain was dismantled many yearss ago, but good views south are still available, and metamorphosed strata make the summit ledge geologically interesting. The trail is reached by following Main St., which becomes Stinson Lake Rd., north from NH 25 in Rumney. Main St. leaves NH 25 7.3 mi. west of Exit 26 on I-93 and 3.3 mi. west of the traffic circle and jct. with NH 3A in West Plymouth. At the foot of Stinson Lake, 5.0 mi. from NH 25 and 0.1 mi. south of Stinson Lake General Store and Post Office, turn right uphill on Cross Rd. for 0.8 mi. Turn right again onto Lower Doetown Rd. (hiker symbol sign) and follow it for 0.3 mi. to a parking area on the left. In recent years, Lower Doetown Rd. has been plowed in winter but may not always be. Roadside parking is prohibited at the junction of Lower Doetown Rd. and Cross Rd.; vehicles may be ticketed.
Stinson Mtn. Trail leaves the parking area and soon enters and follows an old farm road at easy grades between stone walls. After crossing a snowmobile trail at 0.4 mi. and passing a cellar hole on the left, Stinson Mtn. Trail becomes steeper, and at 0.9 mi., it bears left, joining a snowmobile trail that comes up from the right. (Descending, turn right here where a small cairn may be present; an alternate descent route from this point can be made by continuing straight down the snowmobile trail, bearing left at 0.6 mi., bearing right onto FR 413 at 0.9 mi., and returning to the trailhead at 1.0 mi.) At 1.1 mi., Stinson Mtn. Trail take the right fork at a jct. (sign: “Hiking Trail”); left is the old tractor road (now a snowmobile trail) to the summit; the snowmobile trail is 0.1 mi. longer, muddy in places, and has one very wet stretch on the ridge crest. Stinson Mtn. Trail ascends steadily with rocky footing and then swings left, climbs by switchbacks, and rejoins the old tractor road just below the summit (note the left turn here for the descent). From here, either of two routes, which together make a very short loop, climbs to the summit ledges. From the right branch of the summit loop, 15 yd. before its upper jct. with the left branch, an unmarked spur path leads southwest about 80 yd. to a cleared view of Stinson Lake and Mt. Moosilauke.
The fire tower on this small, relatively easy mountain was dismantled many yearss ago, but good views south are still available, and metamorphosed strata make the summit ledge geologically interesting. The trail is reached by following Main St., which becomes Stinson Lake Rd., north from NH 25 in Rumney. Main St. leaves NH 25 7.3 mi. west of Exit 26 on I-93 and 3.3 mi. west of the traffic circle and jct. with NH 3A in West Plymouth. At the foot of Stinson Lake, 5.0 mi. from NH 25 and 0.1 mi. south of Stinson Lake General Store and Post Office, turn right uphill on Cross Rd. for 0.8 mi. Turn right again onto Lower Doetown Rd. (hiker symbol sign) and follow it for 0.3 mi. to a parking area on the left. In recent years, Lower Doetown Rd. has been plowed in winter but may not always be. Roadside parking is prohibited at the junction of Lower Doetown Rd. and Cross Rd.; vehicles may be ticketed.
Stinson Mtn. Trail leaves the parking area and soon enters and follows an old farm road at easy grades between stone walls. After crossing a snowmobile trail at 0.4 mi. and passing a cellar hole on the left, Stinson Mtn. Trail becomes steeper, and at 0.9 mi., it bears left, joining a snowmobile trail that comes up from the right. (Descending, turn right here where a small cairn may be present; an alternate descent route from this point can be made by continuing straight down the snowmobile trail, bearing left at 0.6 mi., bearing right onto FR 413 at 0.9 mi., and returning to the trailhead at 1.0 mi.) At 1.1 mi., Stinson Mtn. Trail take the right fork at a jct. (sign: “Hiking Trail”); left is the old tractor road (now a snowmobile trail) to the summit; the snowmobile trail is 0.1 mi. longer, muddy in places, and has one very wet stretch on the ridge crest. Stinson Mtn. Trail ascends steadily with rocky footing and then swings left, climbs by switchbacks, and rejoins the old tractor road just below the summit (note the left turn here for the descent). From here, either of two routes, which together make a very short loop, climbs to the summit ledges. From the right branch of the summit loop, 15 yd. before its upper jct. with the left branch, an unmarked spur path leads southwest about 80 yd. to a cleared view of Stinson Lake and Mt. Moosilauke.
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