Jump to Section
Hike Summary
Route Summary
Mileage/Time Splits
Trail Guide
Driving Directions
Other Notes
Mount Osceola
Mountain:
Mt. Osceola (4340')
Trail:
Mount Osceola Trail
Region:
NH - Central East
White Mountain National Forest, Waterville Valley
Location:
Waterville Valley, NH
Rating:
Moderate
Features:
Summit, views
Distance:
6.4 miles
Elevation Gain:
2060 feet (high point minus low point)
Hiking Time:
Actual:
3:28
Hike Date:
Saturday, 10/30/1999
Weather:
Pleasant 40 degrees, mostly hazy
Author:
Webmaster
Route Summary
Take Mount Osceola Trail all the way to the summit and hike back down the same trail.
Place
Split
Miles
Total
Miles
Split
Time
Total
Time
Mount Osceola trailhead
0.0
0.0
0:00
0:00
Mt. Osceola summit
3.2
3.2
1:43
1:43
Mount Osceola trailhead
3.2
6.4
1:45
3:28
Legend
Difficulty Rating
Hiking Time Comments
Hiking Time Calculator
Actual vs. Typical Hiking Times and Outing Durations
Distances of Hikes
Elevation Gain/Loss
New England States
Maine Regions
Vermont Regions
New Hampshire Regions
Massachusetts Regions
Connecticut Regions
Rhode Island Regions
Dates Comments
Map Comments and Legend
Outdoor Learning Ideas
If you like hiking outdoors don't forget to look into
fun outdoor Earth Day programs
! With all sorts of
cool Earth Day activities
and easy to
make Earth Day crafts
you can be sure that this year's
celebration of nature
will be a blast!
Earth day
is a great way for kids to get in touch with nature.
Tip
Hover your mouse over images in order to see captions.
Tip
Use our
Hiking Time Calculator
to estimate how long a hike will take based on YOUR walking pace.
Trail Guide
Pleasant trail and fantastic summit but the trail was crowded with people and ill-behaved, unleased dogs. There were about 25 cars parked at the trailhead. Since there are no loop trails or branches from this spot, that means that all those people were on the same trail. I would probably do it again on a weekday but it was too crowded to make me want to do it again on a weekend.
Overall this was a moderate trail, leaning towards the easy side. The first part of the trail is rocky such that a rough stepping-stone path is formed. You can either step mostly on the rocks, or mostly on the small patches of dirt around the rocks. As you climb higher, the dirt wins out and there are fewer and fewer rocks.
About 2/3 of the way up, I started to see small amounts of snow and ice trailside. As I got closer to the summit, the snow and ice was harder to avoid and made for a short, very difficult section without crampons. If it wasn't for the little trees on the side of the trail offering hand holds, I wouldn't have been able to make it up the path - it was very slick.
The summit is a wide open, ledgey area. It was cold and windy. Although I was comfortable hiking in a thin pair of leggings and lightweight shirt, I couldn't get warm enough on the summit even after adding layers: fleece leggings, turtleneck, fleece sweatshirt, shell, gloves, and hat!
Live and Work in the Mountains
We all dream of
living in the mountains
but the available work options often keep us chained to a more urban lifestyle. Here's a rare opportunity to
live in and run a lovely inn in the heart of Vermont's Green Mountains
, located on the acclaimed scenic Route 100.
Driving Directions
From I-93, take exit 31 ("To Rt. 175 - Tripoli Road"). At the bottom of the exit ramp, head east on Tripoli Road.
The trailhead is 7 miles from I-93. Tripoli Road becomes a (well-maintained) gravel road after a couple miles.
The parking area for the trailhead is located on the left-hand side of the road when coming from I-93.
Parking is also permitted on the side of the road in case the parking lot is full (park on the south side only).
Other Notes
A parking permit is required to park at White Mountain National Forest trailheads and parking areas. You can purchase a WMNF permit from the forest service and other vendors and can also pay-by-the-day using self-service kiosks located in many parking areas.
Rates:
$3 per day
$5 for a week-long pass
$20 for a year-long pass
$25 for two year-long passes (one household/two cars)
Website by
LeapfrogProgramming.com
© 1998-2008
