32 of New Hampshire’s 48 4,000-footers, ranked easiest to hardest by the Shenandoah difficulty score of each peak’s easiest standard route — from Mount Tecumseh to Mount Madison. Effort isn’t danger: a mid-ranked Presidential in bad weather is a harder day than anything at the top of this list, so check current conditions before you commit.
| # | Peak | Difficulty | Elevation | Easiest route | Book time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount Tecumseh Waterville | Moderate score 146 | 4,003′ | Mount Tecumseh Out and Back 4.8 mi · 2,214′ gain | 2-5 hours |
| 2 |
| Mount Jackson Presidential |
| Moderate score 171 |
| 4,052′ |
| Jackson and Webster Loop 6.1 mi · 2,367′ gain |
| 3-6 hours |
| 3 | Mount Osceola Osceola | Moderate score 214 | 4,340′ | Osceola's Out and Back 8.0 mi · 2,847′ gain | 4-7 hours |
| 4 | East Osceola Osceola | Moderate score 214 | 4,156′ | Osceola's Out and Back 8.0 mi · 2,847′ gain | 4-7 hours |
| 5 | Mount Hancock (North Peak) Hancock | Moderate score 216 | 4,420′ | Hancock's Loop 9.3 mi · 2,493′ gain | 4-8 hours |
| 6 | Mount Hancock (South Peak) Hancock | Moderate score 216 | 4,319′ | Hancock's Loop 9.3 mi · 2,493′ gain | 4-8 hours |
| 7 | Mount Liberty Franconia | Moderate score 218 | 4,459′ | Mount Liberty Out and Back 7.6 mi · 3,113′ gain | 4-7 hours |
| 8 | Mount Eisenhower Presidential | Moderate score 219 | 4,780′ | Pierce and Eisenhower 7.8 mi · 3,078′ gain | 4-7 hours |
| 9 | Mount Pierce (Clinton) Presidential | Moderate score 219 | 4,310′ | Pierce and Eisenhower 7.8 mi · 3,078′ gain | 4-7 hours |
| 10 | Mount Garfield Garfield | Difficult score 237 | 4,500′ | Mount Garfield Out and Back 9.7 mi · 2,880′ gain | 5-8 hours |
| 11 | South Kinsman Mountain Kinsman | Difficult score 250 | 4,358′ | Kinsman's Out and Back 9.5 mi · 3,287′ gain | 5-8 hours |
| 12 | North Kinsman Mountain Kinsman | Difficult score 250 | 4,293′ | Kinsman's Out and Back 9.5 mi · 3,287′ gain | 5-8 hours |
| 13 | Mount Field Willey | Difficult score 250 | 4,340′ | Mount Tom, Field, Willey, and Avalon Loop 9.4 mi · 3,325′ gain | 5-8 hours |
| 14 | Mount Willey Willey | Difficult score 250 | 4,285′ | Mount Tom, Field, Willey, and Avalon Loop 9.4 mi · 3,325′ gain | 5-8 hours |
| 15 | Mount Tom Willey | Difficult score 250 | 4,051′ | Mount Tom, Field, Willey, and Avalon Loop 9.4 mi · 3,325′ gain | 5-8 hours |
| 16 | Mount Flume Franconia | Difficult score 258 | 4,328′ | Flume and Liberty Loop 9.4 mi · 3,539′ gain | 5-8 hours |
| 17 | Mount Lafayette Franconia | Difficult score 263 | 5,260′ | Lafayette Loop 8.9 mi · 3,893′ gain | 5-8 hours |
| 18 | Mount Lincoln Franconia | Difficult score 263 | 5,089′ | Lafayette Loop 8.9 mi · 3,893′ gain | 5-8 hours |
| 19 | South Twin Mountain Twin | Difficult score 299 | 4,902′ | Twins and Galehead 11.5 mi · 3,884′ gain | 6-10 hours |
| 20 | North Twin Mountain Twin | Difficult score 299 | 4,761′ | Twins and Galehead 11.5 mi · 3,884′ gain | 6-10 hours |
| 21 | Galehead Mountain Twin | Difficult score 299 | 4,024′ | Twins and Galehead 11.5 mi · 3,884′ gain | 6-10 hours |
| 22 | Owl's Head Franconia | Difficult score 315 | 4,025′ | Owl's Head via Black Pond Bushwhack 15.8 mi · 3,146′ gain | 7-12 hours |
| 23 | Mount Cannon Kinsman | Difficult score 316 | 4,100′ | Cannon and Kinsmans Loop 11.4 mi · 4,405′ gain | 6-10 hours |
| 24 | Mount Bond Bond | Very Difficult score 380 | 4,698′ | Z-Bonds Traverse 18.9 mi · 3,805′ gain | 9-14 hours |
| 25 | West Bond Bond | Very Difficult score 380 | 4,540′ | Z-Bonds Traverse 18.9 mi · 3,805′ gain | 9-14 hours |
| 26 | Bondcliff Bond | Very Difficult score 380 | 4,265′ | Z-Bonds Traverse 18.9 mi · 3,805′ gain | 9-14 hours |
| 27 | Mount Zealand Zealand | Very Difficult score 380 | 4,260′ | Z-Bonds Traverse 18.9 mi · 3,805′ gain | 9-14 hours |
| 28 | Mount Washington Presidential | Very Difficult score 567 | 6,288′ | Presi Traverse 19.4 mi · 8,301′ gain | 11-17 hours |
| 29 | Mount Adams Presidential | Very Difficult score 567 | 5,774′ | Presi Traverse 19.4 mi · 8,301′ gain | 11-17 hours |
| 30 | Mount Jefferson Presidential | Very Difficult score 567 | 5,712′ | Presi Traverse 19.4 mi · 8,301′ gain | 11-17 hours |
| 31 | Mount Monroe Presidential | Very Difficult score 567 | 5,372′ | Presi Traverse 19.4 mi · 8,301′ gain | 11-17 hours |
| 32 | Mount Madison Presidential | Very Difficult score 567 | 5,367′ | Presi Traverse 19.4 mi · 8,301′ gain | 11-17 hours |
These 4,000-footers don’t have a standard route in our database yet, so they can’t be scored. Their overall difficulty rating is shown instead.
Each peak is scored with the Shenandoah difficulty formula — √(elevation gain × 2 × distance) — applied to its easiest standard route, 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 all 48.
By this ranking, Mount Tecumseh is the easiest of New Hampshire's 48 4,000-footers: the standard route (Mount Tecumseh Out and Back) is 4.8 miles with 2,214 ft of elevation gain — about 2-5 hours of hiking. "Easiest" still means a real mountain hike: check conditions and carry the Ten Essentials.
Mount Madison ranks hardest: even its easiest standard route (Presi Traverse) runs 19.4 miles with 8,301 ft of gain — roughly 11-17 hours. Rankings reflect effort (distance and climbing), not technical terrain or weather exposure, so peaks like Mount Washington can be more dangerous than their rank suggests.
Each peak is scored with the Shenandoah difficulty formula — the square root of (elevation gain × 2 × distance) — applied to its easiest standard route. 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.
There are 48 official 4,000-footers in New Hampshire, as defined by the Appalachian Mountain Club's Four Thousand Footer Committee. A peak must rise at least 200 ft above any ridge connecting it to a higher 4,000-footer to qualify. Hiking all of them is the classic "NH48" peak-bagging list.