Rogers Ledge NH via Kilkenny Ridge Trail
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Rogers Ledge NH Hike Overview
Rogers Ledge (2,965’) sits in the Northern White Mountains along the Kilkenny Ridge. It was added to the 52 With a View List in 2020 and has spectacular views overlooking the White Mountains and Presidentials.
Trail Details
Trail: Kilkenny Ridge Trail
Length: 8 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,830 feet
My Trail Time: 4 hours hiking; 5 hours total
Hike Overview
The most popular route to Rogers Ledge is via the Kilkenny Ridge Trail. Although the trail is long, the trail gradually gains about 1,900 feet of elevation without many technical sections, making it is one of the easier mountains on the 52 With a View List.
The Rogers Ledge trailhead is in the South Pond Recreation Area, which requires a fee. The road to the recreation area is only open seasonally, so you have to add a mile one-way road walk if the road is closed.
Rogers Ledge NH via Kilkenny Ridge Trail Guide
June 15, 2024
**Always remember to leave no trace. It is crucial to pack out what you pack in and throw away your trash properly.
Rogers Ledge is a newer mountain on the 52 With a View List, and as soon as I saw photos of the views, I knew I needed to hike it ASAP. It is pretty far north in Stark, New Hampshire, which made me put it off for a while. A few of my friends decided to get a group to hike Rogers Ledge, and it was the perfect day!
We decided to hike to Rogers Ledge on a gorgeous Saturday in mid-June when we knew the weather would be perfect for the best views. We started the hike around 10 AM, which is later than I usually like to start because the parking lots fill up quickly, but we were one of only a few cars there!
Rogers Ledge has a few trails leading to its summit, and the most popular is Kilkenny Ridge Trail. We decided to hike the Kilkenny Ridge Trail because one of our friends already hiked it and said it was the best one to Rogers Ledge. The trailhead was in the South Pond Recreation Area, with a beach, swimming area, and picnic tables.
The Kilkenny Ridge Trail begins to the right of the beach on South Pond and wanders along the lake shores for about a half-mile before heading deeper into the woods. The first half-mile was flat, and we flew along it.
At about 0.6 miles, the Kilkenny Ridge Trail came to the Devil’s Hopyard trail junction. The Devil's Hopyard is an optional hike on the Terrifying 25 List, but we decided to skip it and head straight to Rogers Ledge.
The Kilkenny Ridge Trail to Rogers Ledge was one of the most gradual trails I have ever hiked. It felt like we were not gaining any elevation, but it was so gradual we did not even notice it. It was nice since most trails in the White Mountains are very steep!
This section of the Kilkenny Ridge Trail traveled through a beautiful forest along a few streams and only had one major stream crossing. The water was pretty high from recent rain, but we did not have issues rock-hopping across it.
Since this trail to Rogers Ledge is not hiked too much, the trail was pretty overgrown and had many blowdowns. It felt like we were bushwhacking at times, but it was just the plants on the side of the trail that were taking over. We never had any issues following the trail, but I was more nervous about ticks (luckily, we did not find any!). Most of the blowdowns were easy to get around, but there were many!
The Kilkenny Ridge Trail was also very muddy along the entire trail. Luckily, each muddy area had rocks or branches we could walk on to get through it, but a few were shoe-sucking mud pits. Our shoes were very muddy!
Because the trail was gradual, we flew along it, and before we knew it, we were finally approaching Rogers Ledge. The last mile before Rogers Ledge gained the most elevation but was not overly steep. And before we knew it, we were approaching the ledge!
Rogers Ledge had a few lookouts, but the best views were from the largest ledge. I was in awe of the breathtaking views overlooking the White Mountains towards the Presidentials. The sky was clear, and we could see for miles.
We stayed at the summit for over an hour, enjoying snacks, the views, and good conversation. And the entire time we were on Rogers Ledge, we only saw six people. It confirmed that although Rogers Ledge is on the 52 With a View List, it is still a lesser-known hike.
After an hour of enjoying our time on Rogers Ledge, we began the descent towards the parking lot. The descent was even quicker than our ascent because of how gradual the Kilkenny Ridge Trail is. It certainly did not feel like a four-mile descent, and before we knew it, we were back at South Pond.
I would argue that Rogers Ledge is one of the easiest 52 With a View List, even though it is an eight-mile round trip hike. It was a fun and easy hike with breathtaking views! I would love to hike it again in the fall because I think the foliage views would be spectacular.
Have you hiked to Rogers Ledge?
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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