North Twin Trail/Spur

Approach

North Twin Trail
The trailhead is located at the end of Haystack Road off of Route 3 in Twin Mountain. The road was not well marked, so pay attentention to the map (i.e. it is right before/after Haystack Brook). The road in is 2.5 miles long with seasonal parking at the end. There are several camping sites along the road. The terminus of the trail is on top of North Twin Mountain.

North Twin Spur
The Spur trail starts at the peak of North Twin Mountain and ends at South Twin Mountain.

Route Description

from Haystack Road to third crossing of Little River
The first 1.9 miles of the trail have a total elevation gain of 550 feet and is therefore fairly gradual. There are three crossings (at 0.8 mi, 1.3 mi, and 1.9 mi) across the Little River which are very difficult or impossible in high water. The third crossing is slightly easier than the first two. It is possible to bushwack along the east bank from the first crossing to the second. There are several crossings over a tributary following the third river crossing, but none contain vasts amount of water.

from third crossing of Little River to North Twin summit
Follwing the third river crossing, the trail climbs away from the river and beings a long, steady climb. At 3.5 miles the trail becomes a lot steeper until reaching the edge of the ridge at 4.0 miles. The trail then flattens out a bit until reaching the summit at 4.3 miles.

from North Twin summit to South Twin Mountain summit
The trail decends slightly between the two peaks and has hardly any elevation gain. The decent is within the first third of the trail and then climbs again for the last two-thirds.

By the Numbers

• Distance from Haystack Road (1800') to North Twin summit (4761'): 4.3 miles
• Elevation gain: 2950'
• Book time: 3 hr. 40 min.

• Distance from North Twin summit (4761') to South Twin summit (4902'): 1.3 miles
• Elevation gain: 300'
• Book time: 50 min.

Essential Gear

During the Summer and Fall...
The peak is not above treeline although is a bit exposed, so be sure to pack layers especially in inclimate weather. I highly recommend carrying a super absorbant towel and maybe even Tevas with you. I hiked the first 1.9 miles in my Tevas and then dried my legs and feet off after the last crossing. It definately saved me time from having to find a way across.

During the Winter...
I have not hiked this trail in the winter. However, I would recommend using crampons for the ledges near the top. Poles would be useful to have to help on the steeper section right before the ledges.

Miscellaneous Info

If you have information about this route that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.