Hiking Blog

Trail guides, hiking tips, and expert advice for NH's White Mountains.

Guide·about 14 hours ago

Fall Hiking in the White Mountains: What 500+ Incident Records Say About October

October is the third-busiest incident month in our White Mountains database. The fall pattern is specific: falls on wet leaves and early ice, darkness, and summer habits carried one season too far. Here is the data, and the short list that covers it.

Guide·about 14 hours ago

Hiking Franconia Ridge in the Fall: Tundra Color, Shrinking Days, and When the Ridge Turns to Winter

Franconia Ridge in fall is two mountains: foliage at the trailhead, early winter on the ridge. The two color windows, the week-by-week changes, and what autumn incidents on Lafayette actually look like.

Guide·1 day ago

The 10 Best Foliage Hikes in the White Mountains (2026), Ranked by When They Peak

Fall color in the Whites moves by elevation, not by date. Here are the ten best foliage hikes, from a 1.5-mile bluff walk to Franconia Ridge, each matched to the week it actually peaks.

Guide·about 1 month ago

Pemi Loop Guide: Water, Elevation, Direction and Timing for All 31.7 Miles

The Pemi Loop is 31.7 miles with 9,215 ft of gain across ten 4,000-footers and nine miles above treeline. Here's where the climbs are, where the water is, what the 2026 bear canister rule means, and how long it really takes.

Guide·2 months ago

Pemi Loop Alternate Routes for 2026: How to Hike It With Lincoln Woods Closed

The Lincoln Woods Trail — the Pemi Loop's usual start — is closed June to November 2026. Here's how to still hike the loop: every alternate trailhead, compared.

Guide·7 months ago

What is HikerNerd? Your Complete Guide to Hiking NH's 4000-Footers

HikerNerd is your intelligent companion for conquering New Hampshire's 48 4000-foot peaks with real-time conditions, progress tracking, and route planning.