Beautiful Autumn Hike to Bayle Mountain without the Crowds
| Date: | 10-09-2022 |
| Location: | Ossipee, NH |
| Distance: | 3.2 mi |
| Elevation Gain: | 808′ |
| Total Time: | 5 hr 29 min |
| Parking: | 5+ cars |
| Difficultly Rating: | Easy |
Some friends asked if I wanted to join them for a hike up Mt. Bayle on Columbus Day weekend. This was a perfect suggestion. Foliage was at its peak in the White Mountains and Lakes Region in New Hampshire. Tourists are flocking into the state by the thousands. The roads and trailheads are overflowing with people from around the world to see the reds, orange and yellow leaves that cover the mountains and valleys of New England. This was the perfect hike because it is a small off the beaten path. Away from all the major mountains and popular drives.
We met up in Pembrook, NH and followed each other up Route 28. A beautiful drive that takes you through lots of rolling hills and farmlands and eventually to Rt. 16 in Ossipee. From here we drove to Pine Hill Road, Connor Pond Road, Ossipee Road and finally to Marble Road where there is parking for about 8 cars. Parking is clearly marked and clearly marked where you cannot park.
This is an easy hike and fun for families with young children. We had a 3-year-old with us so the pace was a little slower usual but it was nice to take in all the scenery around us. The temperatures were a bit chilly starting out and the sky was cloud covered in the mountains but the sun was trying to peak through.
We left the parking lot and started up the road. Just before a bridge there is a right hand turn with a couple of off shoots. Be sure to choose the trail with the orange snowmobile gate in front of it. The first .7 miles is somewhat flat and easy going along an old dirt road.
When you come to the junction to start up the Bayle Trail, you will see a small cairn on the left and a faint red blaze on the tree. This part of the trail is .5miles and is well marked and easy to fallow. From here the trials climbs gently until you get to the base of the boulder fields. You will know when you get here because the rocks just pop up and are enormous. As we climbed through the boulders the footing was good and mostly rocky and rooty steps as we ascended.
As we climbed the rocks got more spectacular. We came across one huge boulder that was cracked in half and others that had small trees growing on top of them. The trail started to get steeper, and we were climbing up some steep slabs for a short bit. We soon found ourselves at the ledges. The views of the Ossipee Range were opening up and the sun has finally come out.
We continued to climb up to the official summit. The foliage was beautiful. Lots of colors everywhere and in all directions. We took some pictures and explored the summit a bit and sat down for a break and some snacks.
Then we went and found the mountain register and signed it. (Look for a round can attached to a tree in the South East area of the summit cone). We explored a little more. So many different views from all angles. After a few more pictures we started to make our way back down.
On the way down we started to move a bit quicker. We saw a quite a few people heading up to the summit and we let them pass. The dogs were having a fun time too. By the time we got back to the gravel road Liberty was completely tired out.
Overall, this was a really fun and interesting hike. Bayle Mountain is even mentioned in Marianne O’Conner’s Haunted Hikes book. Legend has it that Sasquatch or Wood Devils have been spotted on Bald Mountain just a mile and a half way. Some sections of the Ossipee Range are very remote and not all the mountains have trails to their summit and would make them an ideal habitat for strange creatures like those. This might be worth exploring a little deeper to Bald Mountain one of these days.
