Hike New England - Mount Willard and Hitchcock Flume

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Mount Willard and Hitchcock Flume

Destinations:		Mt. Willard (2800'), Hitchcock Flume
Trails:		Mount Willard Trail, Hitchcock Flume Spur
Region:		NH - Central East White Mountain National Forest, Willey Range
Location:		Carroll (Twin Mountain), NH
Rating:		Easy/Moderate
Features:		Summit, views, gorge, waterfall
Distance:		3.6 miles
Elevation Gain:		900 feet (cumulative)
Hiking Time:		Actual: 2:05 Typical: 2:15
Outing Duration:		Typical: 3:15
Hike Date:		05/03/1998 (Sunday)
Last Updated:		10/21/2008
Weather:		Hazy, 50 degrees
Author:		Webmaster

Route Summary

From behind Crawford Depot, cross the railroad tracks and follow Mount Willard and Avalon Trails which coincide for the first 0.1 mile.
After 0.1 mile, turn left to stay on Mount Willard Trail while Avalon Trail continues straight.
A half-mile from the trailhead, Centennial Pool and its waterfall will appear on the right.
A mile later, a rough spur path, possibly unsigned, leads to Hitchcock Flume in 0.2 mile.
After checking out the flume, retrace your steps back to the main trail and turn left.
Continue on Mount Willard Trail for another 0.1 to reach the open ledges that run just east of the true summit.
To return, retrace your steps on Mount Willard Trail back to Crawford Depot.

Place	Split Miles	Total Miles
Mount Willard Trailhead (1900')	0.0	0.0
Centennial Pool	0.5	0.5
Jct. Mount Willard Trail/Hitchcock Flume Spur	1.0	1.5
Hitchcock Flume	0.2	1.7
Jct. Mount Willard Trail/Hitchcock Flume Spur	0.2	1.9
Mount Willard summit (2800')	0.1	2.0
Centennial Pool	1.1	3.1
Mount Willard Trailhead (1900')	0.5	3.6

Map of hike route to Mount Willard and Hitchcock Flume (map by Webmaster)

Trail Guide

Hitchcock Flume (photo by Webmaster)

The trailhead is located behind Crawford Depot. The signs are on the other side of the railroad tracks. The trail starts out as the same path for Avalon trail, but after 0.1 mile, turns left and runs level for a short time and then crosses a stream.

Shortly after the stream crossing, the trail begins its gradual ascent. Half a mile into the trail, on the trail's right, is Centennial Pool. It's a small, beautiful pool about ten by eight feet. It consists of a waterfall (about four feet high, six feet wide) and ledgy-looking rock.

About a quarter mile beyond the pool, the trail follows an old carriage road - it looked to me more like an old stream bed with lots of cantaloupe-sized rocks. I'd hate to be riding a horse-drawn buggy along this road; it would be a very bumpy ride.

A mile beyond Centennial Pool is a rough (very rough now with all the trees downed from the ice storm of 1/98) spur trail 0.2 mile long that leads to the head of Hitchcock Flume. It seemed like the trail is sometimes used as a stream bed as water was trickling down most of this spur and eventually the "stream bed"/"trail" dumps right into a gorge: all of a sudden you're at the flume where the path ends abruptly. The opposing ledges are initially about five feet apart and then the gorge quickly gets deep. There is supposedly an outlook here too but I didn't get to see it due to the haze. It was a scary, spacey feeling walking near the edge of that gorge. I hung on to tough trees, just in case.

Just beyond the spur trail are the summit ledges. Normally this is a great viewpoint overlooking Crawford Notch but it was all hazed in on this trip.

Overall, this route was a gradual, easy climb. Some parts of the trail were really straight, with few switchbacks - just a few twist and turns. It was neat to see a straight trail for a change. This is a great rest/warm-up trail.

There was no rain while hiking but it was raining off and on all the way driving up. The summit views were pretty hazy and the trails were wet but not obnoxious. I was the only one on the mountain.

Hitchcock Flume (photo by Webmaster)

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Driving Directions

Waterfall at Centennial Pool (photo by Webmaster)

The trailhead is behind the Crawford Depot and Macomber Family Information Center (visitor center) which is located on Rt. 302 in Carroll (Twin Mountain), New Hampshire.

Coming from the west, Crawford Depot is about 8.4 miles east of the junction of Rt. 3 and Rt. 302, just after the Highland Center on the right.
Traveling from the east, AMC Crawford Depot is about 2.7 miles west of the Willey House Historical Site, just before the AMC Highland Center on the left.

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