Mount Monadnock in Jaffrey, New Hampshire is reputed to be the second most climbed mountain in the world after Mount Fuji in Japan. At 3,165 feet Mt. Monadnock is much smaller.

Though I’ve been close to the mountain on other trips I’ve never climbed it before, but this last weekend I decided to hike to the summit with one of my sons.

We arrived at the visitor’s center at around 8:30am, and knowing it was going to be a warm 80+ degree-day, I ensured we had plenty of water, and energy building food and snacks.

There are two popular trails up to the summit: White Cross and White Dot. As this was our first climb on the mountain we choose the easier White Cross Trail.

We began our ascent to the summit at 9:00am.

Even on the White Cross Trail, climbing Mount Monadnock is not a “walk in the park.” It’s an arduous hike to the summit – after all you’re climbing 1,900 feet in a relatively short distance. Now, you don’t need ropes or rock climbing experience, but it’s steep in places for long stretches, and I’m not sure I’d want to take really young kids on the hike.

At a little over half-way up the mountain we came to a clearing where we got magnificent views of the southern and western areas of the Monadnock region.

As we climbed further the trees become smaller – the Red Spruce that was tall and proud near the base, above 2,500 feet became stunted and barely reached our shoulder. At around 2,700 feet we’d an unobstructed view of the bare and rocky summit. The photo you can see at the beginning of this blog entry was taken from this point.

The climb to the top from here was the most exhilarating for me. Most of it’s above tree line and as we climbed we had stunning views of the surrounding area, which as you get closer to the top provides a wider expansive view of the Monadnock region.

My son and I reached the summit after climbing for about 1 hour 40 minutes. We took a few photos and found a quiet protected spot for a well-earned rest, and ate our lunch at approx. 3,165 feet. The sun warmed us and the food gave us the energy for the return journey.

We got back to base after being on the mountain for a little over 4 hours.

I was no longer perplexed why so many people did the climb. It’s a wonderful experience, and most people in reasonable condition can make it to the top. I’d recommend taking the White Cross Trail to the summit and back down for your first time.

If you’re an ardent hiker then you’d probably enjoy the challenge of the White Dot Trail and then come back down the White Cross for some varied terrain.

The Monadnock State Park is located off Route 124 near Jaffrey, New Hampshire, and is open all year round. But the best times to climb are late spring through to the popular fall when the weather is more predictable.

For more ideas and suggestions on destinations in the area be sure to check out my New Hampshire vacation guide by clicking here.

Talk to you next week,

Cliff Calderwood
Executive Director
New England Vacations Guide