Mount Pierce
Our second 4,000-footer was a presidential mountain named after New Hampshire’s only president, Franklin Pierce. We hiked it on April 4th, 2025, just a day or so after a snow/rain mix, which left the trail icy with a bit of mud—spikes were definitely necessary!
We parked at the AMC Highland Center and paid the $10 parking fee. Pricey? Maybe. But having access to a nice bathroom made it totally worth it. From the Highland Center, follow the sign for Crawford Path across Route 302. If you park at the Mount Pierce lot off 302, you'll start on the Crawford Connector and meet up with Crawford Path just after the bridge.
Gibbs Falls
From this point on, the trail wasn’t well-marked—maybe it was just covered in snow—but it was still obvious where to go, which felt like a win for us!
This trail doesn’t waste any time—you start going uphill right away. We’ve only hiked two of New Hampshire’s 48 4,000-footers so far, and both have been on the not-so-difficult side. While this hike was a great cardio workout (I felt like I’d just done a solid run), it wasn’t technical at all—no rock scrambles or climbing involved.
Right from the start, you follow a stream for a bit and get treated to Gibbs Falls. This beautiful little waterfall is definitely worth stopping at the lookout for.
After that, you’ll hear the water again as you near the end of your hike—it’s a nice way to know you're almost back to the car. The trail gets steep, then steeper, and then settles back into just plain steep. But nothing too crazy.
What I liked most about this trail is how you’re constantly gaining elevation—no breaks (crazy, I know). That steady climb actually made the almost 6-mile round trip feel quick!
The views at the top were incredible, though we didn’t hang out too long—it was cool and windy, and then got even colder and windier. You know how Mount Washington is known for its record-breaking winds? Since we were right next door, we didn’t want to risk anything. Also, I wanted the feeling back in my fingers.
You can almost see the peak of Mount Washington here! If we had a no cloud day we would have been able to see the observation tower.
After a quick lunch sheltered by the trees, we hiked easily back to the car. Oh! I almost forgot—I decided I needed my gaiters at this point. After a few snow clumps ended up in my boots, I finally put them on, and my feet stayed warm, dry, and happy.
The views were amazing, and in my (non) expert opinion, this is a great intro hike to the 48 4,000-footers—even in light winter conditions.
Rating:
Views: 9/10
Difficulty: 6/10
Stats:
5.9 miles round trip
2,398 feet of elevation gain
