Mount Willard

An amazing hike, we walked it on New Years day, 30 degrees base — 22 top of summit. Dress accordingly if you’re planning to hike in the winter, its quite cold of course and filled with lots of slippery ice; wear pikes on your shoes. Guidelines are easy to follow (yellow paint on the trees,) we were able to navigate very naturally up the mountain. Of course if you hike in the winter, just be cautious this is a moderate hike during the normal seasons; it becomes VERY strenuous in the snow and ice.
We were a bit underprepared and unaware it was going to start snowing when we were halfway up; but truly a beautiful view and breathtaking hike through the snow-​covered terrain. Loved it, will be revisiting in the Summer for a different perspective in the trail. The summit is quite lovely and overlooks the entire notch with views of the White Mountains.

Great hike, went early in the morning 6:30. There was no one on the trail, this was my grandsons first mountain hike. He loved it. It is a moderate hike with a few side paths to nice waterfalls. Great sceanery at the top overlooking Willy House Pond and RT 302. We Spent about ½ an hour at the top and worked our way back down. The crowds were coming by then. We passed about 10 groups on the way down. There are some Geocaches as my grandson found one as he climbed back up to the main path after visiting some waterfalls.
Great hike, will do it again in the fall, it will be a very beautiful view looking back down the valley towards Bartlett.

One of the best «bang for the buck» hikes in the White Mountains. It’s 3.2 round-​trip miles to a gorgeous view of Crawford Notch. About 2 – 3 hours round trip and its a moderate climb from start to finish.
Can be visited year-​round, and makes for an excellent snowshoe hike in winter.
Park just south of AMC Highland Center in Crawford Notch. If you want more hiking after, do Ripley Falls and/​or Arethusa Falls

Every year, my partner and I try to do a different hike in the North Conway area. My father recommended this one, and it was pretty good. It’s very steep and rocky, and at times, it feels like it’s never going to end and you just go up and up. I ended up hurting my ankles (my shoes failed me) and being in a bit of pain. I recommend bringing plenty of water and energy bars. While the trail is shaded for the most part, it is very tiring to do almost 2 miles up. The view is amazing and beautiful so it’s well worth the climb. There’s a small pool (called the Centennial Pool) when you first begin. If you’re brave, you can climb down and wade in the water. Great photo taking opportunities abound throughout the climb. I didn’t see much wildlife though. I went early and by the time we were going down it was getting very crowded with families going up so I definitely recommend an earlier climb.

Agreed, this is a good walk. Nice views at the top, a fine trail with easy footing, and lots of pretty trees to look at.
Side note: I am slowly shaping my CA-​weathered self into a hardcore Northeasterner. Today I went HIKING IN THE RAIN. I guess that’s what rain pants/​jackets are for… but it just never would have occurred to me before. This is a true cultural difference… and one I am still learning: people in the Northeast hike even when the weather is crappy. Wow.
I went with a guide from the AMC Highland Center (nearby, I recommend checking it out) and of course he does night hikes in the winter… but the dude grew up in Maine. What do you expect?
Hardcore is a state of mind.

A
hell
of a
hike
Mount Willard is part of Crawford Notch State Park. There is an old carriage road that leads to the summit that makes a great hike. With all the erosion over the years it’s no longer possible to get a carriage up the mountain but it’s still great for feet.
The top is 2,804 feet above sea level but since the trail was once a carriage road it really isn’t that steep. It is UP the entire way so it can be a bit strenuous. The views from the top are of course fantastic. The summit is quite large, one huge rack plateau so several people can stand up there at once without the fear of knocking someone off the mountain to their death.
You can actually stand at the very edge and look straight down about 1,000 feet, pretty damn cool. The area was shaped by glaciers about 12.000 years ago and from the summit you get breath taking views of Hitchcock Flume, Saco Lake and Crawford Notch. Absolutely fascinating geology if you are into such things and all kind of stories about people in the past getting caught in avalanches and snowstorms. No doubt many of the stories are somewhat embellished but it is easy to see the potential dangers of this place.
In the winter nothing is plowed but the trail is great for snow shoeing or cross-​country skiing. If you ski the mountain you better be real good because the trails get icy and severe drops are around every corner.
At the end (or beginning) of the trail is a cool old railroad station that now serves as a visitor center. They have maps, warnings and info about the area. I even bought a cool t-​shirt there that says «I survived Mt. Willard».