Mount Morgan and Mount Percival Loop

Mountains:  Mt. Morgan (2220'), Mt. Percival (2212')
Trails:  Mount Morgan Trail, Crawford-Ridgepole Trail, Mount Percival Trail, Morgan-Percival Connector
Region:  NH - Central East  
Lakes Region
Location:  Holderness, NH
Rating:  Moderate  
Features:  Summits, views, ledges, loop hike, caves, ladders
Distance:  5.3 miles  
Elevation Gain:  1575 feet (cumulative)  
Hiking Time:  Typical: 3:30  
Outing Duration:  Typical: 6:30  
Season:  Fall
Hike Date:  10/25/2008 (Saturday)  
Last Updated:  05/17/2011  
Weather:  Overcast
Author:  Claudette Raymond
Companions:  Ten SDHers, one dog

Trail (photo by Mark Malnati)


Route Summary   

This moderate loop hike over Mount Morgan and Mount Percival offers great lake and mountain views from each summit as well as the option to experience ladders and caves.

  • Start at the Mount Morgan Trailhead and follow it for 1.7 miles until it meets with Crawford-Ridgepole Trail.
  • Turn right and follow this path for about 0.4 mile. Mount Morgan Trail and Crawford-Ridgepole Trail coincide for this section. After about 0.2 mile there will be a series of ladders on the left leading up to a boulder cave that must be passed through before reaching Mount Morgan's cliff-top viewpoint.
  • The less adventurous should ignore the ladders and continue about 0.2 mile farther on the main trail before turning left to tackle the last part of Mount Morgan Trail, leaving Crawford-Ridgepole Trail behind. After 90 yards you will reach a fork. Bear left/straight to reach the cliff-top viewpoint in just 50 yards; or veer right to reach the true summit of Mount Morgan after 50 yards.
  • Return to Crawford-Ridgepole Trail, turn left, and follow this route for 0.8 mile which will bring you to the summit of Mount Percival.
  • For the descent, follow Mount Percival Trail. After less than 0.1 mile you will reach a trail junction, where on the way up one could opt to take a very rough route up to the summit by way of a boulder cave.
  • Continue descending on Mount Percival Trail for 1.7 miles at which point there will be a junction with Morgan-Percival Connector.
  • Turn right onto Morgan-Percival Connector and follow it for 0.5 mile to its end.
  • Finally turn left and follow Mount Morgan Trail for 0.1 mile back to the parking area.

Rock (photo by Mark Malnati)


Place         Split
Miles
     Total
Miles
Mount Morgan Trailhead (800') 0.0 0.0
Jct. Morgan-Percival Connector/Mount Morgan Trail (820') 0.1 0.1
Lower Jct. Mount Morgan Trail/Crawford-Ridgepole Trail (1850') 1.6 1.7
Upper Jct. Mount Morgan Trail/Crawford-Ridgepole Trail 0.4 2.1
Mount Morgan (2220') 0.05 2.15
Upper Jct. Mount Morgan Trail/Crawford-Ridgepole Trail 0.05 2.2
Mount Percival (2212') 0.8 3.0
Jct. Mount Percival Trail/Morgan-Percival Connector (850') 1.7 4.7
Jct. Morgan-Percival Connector/Mount Morgan Trail (820') 0.5 5.2
Mount Morgan Trailhead (800') 0.1 5.3


Claudette waving from the cave entrance at the top of the ladders on Morgan Cliffs (photo by Mark Malnati)

Trail (photo by Mark Malnati)

 

SDH (photo by Mark Malnati) Misty view (photo by Mark Malnati)

 



 

Trail map of hike route to Mount Morgan and Mount Percival (map by Webmaster)


Trail Guide   

Ten brave hikers and one dog showed up for the Morgan-Percival loop. The weather was on the cool side and overcast but the rain held off. The trails were covered in colorful leaves making it difficult to find at times.

We hiked up to the summit of Morgan, where some reluctantly climbed up the scary cliff ladder with two rungs missing, and a few avoided the ladder and took the alternate "loop around".

Tippy tree (photo by Mark Malnati)


We ate lunch on the Percival summit. There were many hikers with a "sweet tooth" as cookies, cake, pudding and candy were tossed around. As we departed the summit, the fog cleared long enough for us to snap some photos and take in the beautiful views of Squam Lake.

Cruising down Percival, some of us took a quick detour and crawled through the mysterious caves. Everybody pretty much hiked at the same pace and completed this scenic hike in 3-1/2 hours book time.

Later, it was interesting to review photos from this hike and the same hike we did in February of this year and to compare the trail signs in their normal environs vs. when they were practically covered by deep snow (see photos at bottom of the page).

Ladders up Morgan Cliffs (photo by Mark Malnati)

 
Dennis, Kristin, and Cheryl at the cave entrance at the top of the ladders on Morgan Cliffs (photo by Mark Malnati)

 


NH - Central East

  Driving Directions   

The trailhead for Mount Morgan Trail is located in Holderness, New Hampshire along Route 113.

The loop starts from the Mount Morgan Trailhead.

From I-93:
  • From I-93, take Exit 24 and follow Rt. 3 South to Holderness.
  • From Holderness, get on Rt. 113 and follow it northeast for 5.5 miles.
  • The parking area will be on the left. There is also parking on the right side of the road at the Rattlesnake trailhead.

From the East:
  • From the junction of Rt. 113 and Rt. 109 in Center Sandwich, follow Rt. 113 southwest for 6.3 miles.
  • The parking area will be on the right. There is also parking on the left side of the road at the Rattlesnake trailhead.

Note that the Mount Percival Trailhead is 0.3 mile southwest of the Mount Morgan parking area. Parking for this trail is at the end of a short gravel road.

Other Notes   

Note that this trail may be closed during mud season.
  Trail signs at the junction of Mount Morgan and Crawford-Ridgepole Trails (photo by Mark Malnati)
 

Mount Morgan Trail (photo by Mark Malnati) View (photo by Mark Malnati)

 
  More Mt. Morgan and Mt. Percival Trail Reports   

 
 

Trail sign comparison: October vs. February (photo by Mark Malnati) Trail sign comparison: October vs. February (photo by Mark Malnati)

 

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