Mount Moosilauke via Gorge Brook Trail
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Mount Moosilauke Hike Details
Trail: Gorge Brook Trail
Miles: 7.4
Hours: 6:15 of hiking; 7:30 total
Mount Moosilauke Hike Overview
Mount Moosilauke (4,802’) is the 10th tallest mountain in New Hampshire and has one of the best summit views! “Moosilauke” translates to “bald place” which is an accurate description of its summit. There are a few trails leading to the summit, but Gorge Brook Trail is one of the easiest with the least mileage.
NOTE: Gorge Brook Trail is an out-and-back trail to Mount Moosilauke, so you will be descending the same way you ascended. Gorge Brook Trail gains over 2,500 feet of elevation in 3.1 miles, so it is very steep at times.
Mount Moosilauke Hike via Gorge Brook Trail Guide
August 28, 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 our hike to Mount Moosilauke at 9:00 AM on a warm, low-humidity August morning. It was partly cloudy, so we were hopeful the clouds would disperse by the time we reached Mount Moosilauke’s summit. We were mentally prepared, however, to have the summit in the clouds. The Gorge Brook trailhead was at Ravine Lodge, so it was hard to miss once we were in the parking lot. We didn’t do too much exploring at Ravine Lodge, but we knew from research that it was open to the public for rooms and meals. From what we saw, there was an event with a summer camp, so the parking lot was very crowded. We ended up parking about a half-mile from the Gorge Brook trailhead.
The beginning of the Gorge Brook Trail followed the Baker River where we crossed a small bridge. The ascent was gradual with switchbacks- nothing too crazy. The Gorge Brook Trail began to ascend steeply crossing over two more bridges. We weren’t sure if it was because the trail follows along streams, or if it had rained the day prior, but the trail was very wet and muddy. This didn’t cause too many issues as there weren’t any rock scrambles to deal with, but it made for some messy hiking boots! After about two miles, there were two cleared viewpoints that would usually have a nice view of the White Mountains, but the clouds were low that day and limiting the views.
Continuing past the viewpoints, the Gorge Brook Trail went in and out of the treeline and became steeper with lots of rocks. This was where the ascent to Mount Moosilauke became more difficult. The rocks were on the larger side, so at times it was hard to find secure footing. Soon after, we finally broke through the treeline to a bald patch and made it to Mount Moosilauke’s summit! JUST KIDDING! It was a fake summit. The clouds were hiding the real summit of Mount Moosilauke from our view.
We hiked another half mile up a steep, rocky incline until we reached Mount Moosilauke’s summit around noon and WOW. What beautiful views the clouds gave us!! We were super ecstatic that we could see the AMAZING view we climbed for! I hope you can sense my sarcasm lol. As you can see in the picture below, there was absolutely no view on Mount Moosilauke. We normally don’t take a picture with the summit sign but decided to just in case the clouds didn’t disperse.
We stayed on Mount Moosilauke’s summit for an hour hoping the clouds would disperse. As we were about to start our descent, the clouds began to move! We never had a complete 360° view, but the clouds moved enough that we saw the entire view in sections. The photo at the top of the post shows what I mean. Although the Gorge Brook Trail wasn’t the most difficult, we struggled a bit once we broke the treeline, so we were excited that we were rewarded with some views! The best views were looking East towards the rest of the White Mountains.
After we took pictures and enjoyed the view, we began our descent of the Gorge Brook Trail. I believe you can make this a loop by descending via Carriage Road > Snapper Trail, but we decided to stick with what we knew. The beginning of the descent was tricky navigating around the larger rocks, but after that, it was much easier. I’m not sure if we were taking our time descending or if we wanted to hurry back to the car, but the descent seemed to take FOREVER. We were becoming antsy. At every flat section we encountered, we began to run lol! Once we saw the first bridge we crossed, we took off! We ran past the Gorge Brook trailhead and Ravine Lodge and didn’t stop until we reached our car at 4:00 PM.
I wish we had a clear view on Mount Moosilauke’s summit, but even with what we had, we could see how beautiful the views were. If you want to conquer one of the tallest 4,000-footers with a moderately challenging hike, Mount Moosilauke is for you! If you are looking for an even bigger challenge, I would recommend hiking Beaver Brook Trail. I read that it is a strenuous hike to Mount Moosilauke made for people looking for a tough challenge.
Have you hiked Mount Moosilauke? Was the summit in the clouds, or were you rewarded with beautiful views?
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.
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