Mount Cardigan via West Ridge Trail
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Mount Cardigan Hike Overview
Mount Cardigan (3,155’) is often compared to Mount Monadnock because of its variety of trails, proximity to Boston, and beautiful 360-degree views. Mount Cardigan had a devastating fire in 1855 that removed all of the summit’s vegetation. To this day, the summit is still bare.
Trail Details
Trail: West Ridge Trail
Length: 3 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,180 feet
My Trail Time: 2 hours hiking, 3 hours total
Hike Overview
The hike to Mount Cardigan is short and sweet, and it will likely become one of your favorite hikes near Southern New Hampshire! Although it is only 3,155 feet tall, it provides the illusion you are much higher because of the beautiful 360-degree views and bare rock summit.
The most popular trail is West Ridge Trail, which gains 1,000 feet of elevation over 1.5 miles, with most of the elevation being near the summit. As the trail nears the summit, it has a few rock slabs to climb, but soon enough, you are rewarded with the breathtaking summit views!
Mount Cardigan Hike via West Ridge Trail Guide
April 17, 2016
**Always remember to leave no trace. It is crucial to pack out what you pack in and throw away your trash properly.
Alex and I began the hike to Mount Cardigan at 9:00 AM on a beautiful April morning. There were a variety of trails available on Mount Cardigan, however, we chose West Ridge Trail because it was the most direct route to the summit. The beginning of West Ridge Trail had a gradual elevation gain with switchbacks, so it was very easy on our legs. We came to the South Ridge Trail junction and stayed left to continue on the West Ridge Trail. We had to be cautious about where we were going because there are multiple side trails on this route. It would have been easy to go off route!
At the one-mile mark, we came to the Skyland Trail junction and stayed to the right to continue to Mount Cardigan’s summit. Shortly after, we saw the opening to the end of the treeline. I love hiking above the treeline because of the amazing views. Mount Cardigan did not disappoint with its views either. As soon as we broke the treeline, we stopped to take in the views and prepared for the lovely half-mile of rock scrambles to Mount Cardigan’s summit.
This portion of West Ridge Trail was where we gained most of the elevation, but we enjoy rock scrambles, so we were excited! There were a few view steep sections, so we took our time and let our legs rest when they were screaming at us. Before we knew it, we were on Mount Cardigan’s summit by 10:00 AM! Since we arrived at the summit quickly, we decided to take an hour to relax and enjoy the beautiful views. It was a beautiful April day, so we were excited to enjoy ourselves on Mount Cardigan’s summit without freezing! We were surprised by the lack of people at the summit, but it made for a more peaceful experience.
After enjoying ourselves on Mount Cardigan’s summit, we decided to begin the descent on West Ridge Trail. We heard that the South Ridge Trail descent was “better”, however, we didn’t want to deviate from our original route. It was easier to descend the trail we already knew. The descent on the rock scrambles was fairly easy besides the steeper sections. There were a few wet sections that we did not notice during our ascent, so we took our time and made sure our footing was good. We saw people running down these rock scrambles which gave me anxiety just watching!
The rest of the descent on West Ridge Trail was uneventful and quick, and we were back at our cars at 12:00 PM! We passed a lot of hikers on our descent, so we must have arrived at the trailhead earlier than most. It was nice to have most of the hike to Mount Cardigan be quiet and peaceful!
We really enjoyed the hike to Mount Cardigan and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great, easy hike with beautiful views!
Have you hiked to Mount Cardigan? Did it become one of your favorite hikes, too?
Hey, I’m Nichole!
I am the creator behind Nichole the Nomad, the home of my explorations around the world, mountain hikes, and beautiful pictures taken along the way. I have a deep passion for capturing the world in a beautiful light and sharing my experiences.
I created this blog to share my travels, show how beautiful the world is, provide tips and tricks for traveling, and encourage you to explore. Whether you want to travel across the world or explore what’s in your backyard, I hope this blog inspires you to get outside and find your adventure!