Liberty Trail
To Mount Chocorua · New Hampshire
Liberty Trail is a trail in the Sandwich Range and Waterville Valley, climbing about 2,550 ft from Liberty Trail Parking Lot to Mount Chocorua. Part of it is above treeline.
Map length
3.5 mi
Climb from the low end
2,568 ft
Book time up / down (from map miles)
3 h 3 min / 1 h 48 min
High point
3,407 ft
Above treeline
0.4 mi
Steepest ¼ mile
1,288 ft/mi
Stream crossings
2 (2 fords)
Low point
901 ft
Measured on the map. The AMC guide and Forest Service figures usually run 5 to 15% longer. The mapped trail stops just short of the summit of Mount Chocorua; these figures end there.
Liberty Trail Above treeline
Mile by mile (map miles)
From Liberty Trail Parking Lot (the lower end) to Mount Chocorua.
- 0.0Liberty Trail Parking Lot
- 1.0Fords Durrell Brook
- 1.7Fords Durrell Brook
- 2.5Junction with Hammond Trail
- 3.2Leaves the trees: exposed above treeline
- 3.4Junction with Brook Trail and West Side Trail
- 3.5Mount Chocorua
- 3.5Junction with Piper Trail
Distances and book times (map miles)
To Hammond Trail junction
2.55 mi (total 2.55) · ↑1,670 ↓33 ft · 2 h 7 min / 1 h 17 min
To Brook Trail junction
0.81 mi (total 3.36) · ↑614 ↓38 ft · 43 min / 25 min
To Mount Chocorua
0.17 mi (total 3.53) · ↑269 ↓0 ft · 13 min / 5 min
| From | To | Map miles | Total | Climb ↑ / ↓ | Time ↑ / ↓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty Trail Parking Lot | Hammond Trail junction | 2.55 | 2.55 | 1,670 / 33 ft | 2 h 7 min / 1 h 17 min |
| Hammond Trail junction | Brook Trail junction | 0.81 | 3.36 | 614 / 38 ft | 43 min / 25 min |
| Brook Trail junction | Mount Chocorua | 0.17 | 3.53 | 269 / 0 ft | 13 min / 5 min |
↑ walking from Liberty Trail Parking Lot; ↓ the other way. Book time: 2 mph over the map miles plus 30 minutes per 1,000 ft of climbing.
Trailheads and parking
Liberty Trail Parking Lot
Trailhead
Weekdays (all seasons): Had space in the one report.
Latest report, Fri, Sep 18: Plenty of room.
Summit conditions
Today's conditions report2 incidents recorded on this trail: Mount Chocorua safety record
Recent trip reports
1 report on this trail in the last 30 days: snow or ice in 0, microspikes recommended in 0, mud in 1. From hikers on New England Trail Conditions.
- Fri, Sep 18MudWetDryFull report on NETC
- Thu, Aug 27MudWetDry
Water crossings: Easy.
Full report on NETC
Connecting trails
What to bring
From the summit forecast, Sat to MonPaid links. Backcountry.com pays me if you buy.
58 mph
Summit gusts
Waterproof shell
Daytime gusts near 58 mph and up to a 77% chance of rain. A shell blocks both.
11h 13m
Daylight
Headlamp
Sunset around 6:08 PM, so a late start or a slow descent ends in the dark.
The rest of the list: Fall gear guide · How I pick gear
Trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Elevation: USGS 3DEP. Above-treeline areas from canopy height by Meta and WRI (CC BY 4.0). Distances are measured from the map and can differ from signs and guidebooks. Conditions change: check before you go.