All of the 12 peaks of the Belknap Range, ranked easiest to hardest by the Shenandoah difficulty score of each peak’s easiest mapped route — from Mount Klem to Whiteface Mountain (Gilford). Effort isn’t danger: an exposed summit in bad weather is a harder day than anything at the top of this list, so check current conditions before you commit.
Mount Klem is the easiest by score — 6.6 mi and 1,336 ft of gain via Klem and Mack Loop from Woods Road. Good first objectives, not easy walks.
| # | Peak | Difficulty | Elevation | Easiest route | Book time |
|---|
| 1 | Mount Klem Belknap Range | Moderate score 133 | 2,001′ | Klem and Mack Loop from Woods Road 6.6 mi · 1,336′ gain | 3-5 hours |
| 2 | Mount Mack Belknap Range | Moderate score 133 | 1,945′ | Klem and Mack Loop from Woods Road 6.6 mi · 1,336′ gain | 3-5 hours |
| 3 | Belknap Mountain Belknap Range | Very Difficult score 453 | 2,382′ | Belknap Traverse 19.4 mi · 5,295′ gain | 9-15 hours |
| 4 | Gunstock Mountain Belknap Range | Very Difficult score 453 | 2,245′ | Belknap Traverse 19.4 mi · 5,295′ gain | 9-15 hours |
| 5 | Piper Mountain Belknap Range | Very Difficult score 453 | 2,044′ | Belknap Traverse 19.4 mi · 5,295′ gain | 9-15 hours |
Whiteface Mountain (Gilford) ranks hardest by effort — 19.4 mi and 5,295 ft of gain even by its easiest route here. Save these for long days and settled weather. Peaks whose only mapped route is a long traverse rank harder than their usual approach would — check the route column before reading a place on this list as the last word.
| # | Peak | Difficulty | Elevation | Easiest route | Book time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Mount Rand Belknap Range | Very Difficult score 453 | 1,883′ | Belknap Traverse 19.4 mi · 5,295′ gain | 9-15 hours |
| 9 | Mount Major Belknap Range | Very Difficult score 453 | 1,786′ | Belknap Traverse 19.4 mi · 5,295′ gain | 9-15 hours |
| 10 | Mount Rowe Belknap Range | Very Difficult score 453 | 1,680′ | Belknap Traverse 19.4 mi · 5,295′ gain | 9-15 hours |
| 11 | Mount Anna Belknap Range | Very Difficult score 453 | 1,670′ | Belknap Traverse 19.4 mi · 5,295′ gain | 9-15 hours |
| 12 | Whiteface Mountain (Gilford) Belknap Range | Very Difficult score 453 | 1,664′ | Belknap Traverse 19.4 mi · 5,295′ gain | 9-15 hours |
| # | Peak | Difficulty | Elevation | Easiest route | Book time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount Klem Belknap Range | Moderate score 133 | 2,001′ | Klem and Mack Loop from Woods Road 6.6 mi · 1,336′ gain | 3-5 hours |
| 2 | Mount Mack Belknap Range | Moderate score 133 | 1,945′ | Klem and Mack Loop from Woods Road 6.6 mi · 1,336′ gain | 3-5 hours |
| 3 | Belknap Mountain Belknap Range | Very Difficult score 453 | 2,382′ | Belknap Traverse 19.4 mi · 5,295′ gain | 9-15 hours |
| 4 | Gunstock Mountain Belknap Range | Very Difficult score 453 | 2,245′ | Belknap Traverse 19.4 mi · 5,295′ gain | 9-15 hours |
| 5 | Piper Mountain Belknap Range | Very Difficult score 453 | 2,044′ | Belknap Traverse 19.4 mi · 5,295′ gain | 9-15 hours |
| 6 | West Quarry Mountain Belknap Range | Very Difficult score 453 | 1,894′ | Belknap Traverse 19.4 mi · 5,295′ gain | 9-15 hours |
| 7 | Straightback Mountain Belknap Range | Very Difficult score 453 | 1,890′ | Belknap Traverse 19.4 mi · 5,295′ gain | 9-15 hours |
| 8 | Mount Rand Belknap Range | Very Difficult score 453 | 1,883′ | Belknap Traverse 19.4 mi · 5,295′ gain | 9-15 hours |
| 9 | Mount Major Belknap Range | Very Difficult score 453 | 1,786′ | Belknap Traverse 19.4 mi · 5,295′ gain | 9-15 hours |
| 10 | Mount Rowe Belknap Range | Very Difficult score 453 | 1,680′ | Belknap Traverse 19.4 mi · 5,295′ gain | 9-15 hours |
| 11 | Mount Anna Belknap Range | Very Difficult score 453 | 1,670′ | Belknap Traverse 19.4 mi · 5,295′ gain | 9-15 hours |
| 12 | Whiteface Mountain (Gilford) Belknap Range | Very Difficult score 453 | 1,664′ | Belknap Traverse 19.4 mi · 5,295′ gain | 9-15 hours |
Each peak is scored with the Shenandoah difficulty formula — √(elevation gain × 2 × distance) — applied to the easiest route we have mapped for that peak, then ranked from lowest score to highest. Book time uses the AMC formula (half the distance in hours, plus 30 minutes per 1,000 ft of climbing).
The score measures effort, not risk. Above-treeline exposure, water crossings, and winter conditions can turn a “Moderate” peak into the hardest day of your list. Every peak links to its live trail conditions — today’s conditions dashboard covers the whole list, and the rescue record shows where things actually go wrong.
By this ranking, Mount Klem is the easiest of the 12 peaks of the Belknap Range: its easiest mapped route (Klem and Mack Loop from Woods Road) is 6.6 miles with 1,336 ft of elevation gain — about 3-5 hours of hiking. "Easiest" still means a real mountain hike: check conditions and carry the Ten Essentials.
Whiteface Mountain (Gilford) ranks hardest: its easiest mapped route (Belknap Traverse) runs 19.4 miles with 5,295 ft of gain — roughly 9-15 hours. Rankings reflect effort (distance and climbing), not technical terrain or weather exposure, so an exposed peak can be more dangerous than its rank suggests.
Each peak is scored with the Shenandoah difficulty formula — the square root of (elevation gain × 2 × distance) — applied to the easiest route we have mapped for that peak. It's the same formula used across HikerNerd's route pages, so a "Moderate" here means the same effort as a "Moderate" anywhere on the site. The formula measures physical effort; it does not capture above-treeline weather exposure or terrain like ladders and scrambles.
The Belknap Range is a compact group of 12 peaks in New Hampshire's Lakes Region, south of Lake Winnipesaukee. It's a popular year-round list: the summits are low enough to stay below treeline weather, the trailheads are close together, and strong hikers regularly link several in a single day.
Yes — the Belknap Range traverse is a well-established single-day objective for fit hikers, precisely because the peaks are low and closely spaced. Add up the book times in the table above for the peaks you plan to link, then add margin for the road and trail connections between them.