Glen Boulder Trail

Approach

The trailhead starts in the first parking area prior to the Pinkham's Notch Visitors Center. Once parked, head towards the end of the parking lot and you will see the trailhead near the toilets.

Route Description

The trail starts with a very gradual ascent for approximately 0.4 miles before you reach some large rock cliffs (this is the area where the photos show us doing some ice climbing). At this point, the trail turns to the right and becomes very steep. Eventually the trail intersects with the Direttissima Trail (which leads back to the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center). Stay to the left and follow the Glen Boulder Trail. The trail flattens out a bit here and the next trail intersection is with the Avalanche Brook Ski Trail at 0.8 miles. After several creek crossings, the trail begins to steepen again and eventually you will rise above treeline and begin to scramble up large rock ledges and boulders. At 1.6 miles, you reach Glen Boulder, a large rock outcropping with nice views of the valley. The trail continues up a steep rise until it again goes back into dense pines at 2.0 miles. The trail continues through the dense pines, eventually rises once again above treeline, and reaches the summit at 2.6 miles. The summit is marked with a large cairn.

Essential Gear

In the summer months, I would imagine that all that is required would be lightweight hiking boots, day pack, snacks, and fluids.

In the winter months, I would prepare for the worst. Weather can be unpredictable in the White Mountains and can be pretty severe. We took crampons, snowshoes, ice axe, plastic boots and plenty of winter clothing. We also took rope to do some ice climbing along the route.

Miscellaneous Info

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