How Many People Have Died on Mount Chocorua? 1 Hiking Death on Record
As of 2026, 1 person has died hiking Mount Chocorua in the documented record — out of 20 incidents in this database, 19 of which were survived. This counts hiking and backcountry incidents only — widely-cited mountain death tolls that include railway, auto-road, and aviation accidents run higher. The causes that recur most here are fall, lost, medical. Higher counts partly reflect how heavily a peak is hiked, not just how dangerous it is — it’s hiked safely far more often than not, but it rewards real preparation.
Most common causes on Mount Chocorua
- Fall8 incidents
- Lost7 incidents
- Medical4 incidents
- Navigation error1 incident
Where incidents happen on Mount Chocorua
Trails and locations named in 8 of the 20 records. Not every report specifies a location, so treat this as where incidents are documented, not a complete map of risk.
| Trail or location | Incidents | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Champney Falls Trail | 7 | — |
| Piper Trail | 5 | 1 |
| Liberty Trail | 2 | — |
| Brook Trail | 2 | — |
One record each: Hammond Trail, Weetamoo Trail, Bee Line Trail, Bolles Trail.
When incidents happen
Documented incidents by month. Darker = more. Incidents cluster in July; winter incidents skew toward ice and traction, summer toward heat and exhaustion.
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Survived | 2 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Fatal | 1 |
Based on incidents with a known date. Use it to plan the season — not to assume any month is “safe.”
Mount Chocorua deaths by decade
Across the documented record (2008–2026), Mount Chocorua averages 0.1 hiking deaths per year — about 0.1 per year over the last 20 years. Averages flatten real variation: a single winter storm can account for several deaths in one year, and none the next.
| Decade | Incidents | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2 | 0 |
| 2010s | 4 | 0 |
| 2020s | 14 | 1 |
Rescue records are documented far more consistently in recent decades than in the historical archive, so rising incident counts reflect improving records as much as changing risk. The fatality column is the more comparable series.
Every documented incident on Mount Chocorua
Each links to the full sourced report.
- Rescue · Piper TrailJul 11, 2026
- Rescue · Champney Falls TrailJul 10, 2026
- Rescue · Champney Falls TrailApr 18, 2026
- Rescue · Liberty TrailSep 12, 2025
- Rescue · Brook TrailNov 12, 2024
- Fatality · Piper TrailOct 19, 2024
- Rescue · Hammond TrailSep 27, 2024
- Rescue · Brook TrailAug 24, 2024
- Rescue · Champney Falls TrailJul 27, 2024
- Rescue · Piper TrailJul 3, 2023
- Rescue · Weetamoo TrailMay 29, 2023
- Rescue · Bee Line TrailApr 14, 2023
- Rescue · Champney Falls TrailOct 22, 2022
- Rescue · Liberty TrailJul 24, 2021
- Rescue · Champney Falls TrailOct 12, 2012
- Rescue · Piper TrailOct 7, 2012
- Rescue · Champney Falls TrailMay 5, 2012
- Rescue · Piper Trail / Brook TrailDec 12, 2011
- Rescue · Bolles TrailJul 13, 2009
- Rescue · Champney Falls TrailJul 29, 2008
Frequently asked
Is Mount Chocorua dangerous to hike?+
Mount Chocorua appears in 20 documented incidents in this database, including 1 fatal. The most common contributing factors here are fall, lost, medical. Higher counts partly reflect how heavily a peak is hiked, not just how dangerous it is — Mount Chocorua is hiked safely far more often than not. Check the forecast, carry the Ten Essentials, start early, and be willing to turn back when conditions or daylight run short.
How many people have died on Mount Chocorua?+
This database documents 1 death on Mount Chocorua out of 20 recorded incidents. The record reaches back into the historical archive and is updated as new reports are reviewed, so it captures the documented fatality record plus a growing, primary-sourced sample of rescues — not a complete tally of every call.
Which trails on Mount Chocorua have the most incidents?+
Of the records that name a location, Champney Falls Trail has 7, Piper Trail has 5 (1 fatal), Liberty Trail has 2, Brook Trail has 2. Counts partly track how heavily each trail is used, so a busy route will out-count a harder one. Many reports don't name a trail at all, so this is where incidents are documented rather than a complete map of risk.
What is the Mount Chocorua death rate — how many people die per year?+
Across the documented record (2008–2026), Mount Chocorua averages about 0.1 hiking deaths per year — 1 deaths over 19 years. Over the last 20 years (2007–2026) the rate is about 0.1 per year, from 1 recorded death. These are hiking and backcountry deaths only; totals that also count railway, auto-road, and aviation accidents run higher. Averages also flatten real variation — a single bad winter storm can account for several deaths in one year.
Part of the WMNF Hiker Incident Database. This tracks hiking and backcountry incidents — widely-cited mountain death tolls also count non-hiking fatalities (railway and auto-road accidents, aircraft, skiing, natural causes at the summit) that this database doesn't. Counts reflect the documented record, not every call NH Fish and Game responds to.