Mt. Kearsarge via the Rollins State Park
| Date: | 06-11-2023 |
| Location: | Waterville Valley, NH |
| Distance: | 4.5 mi |
| Elevation Gain: | 754′ |
| Total Time: | 5 hr 2 min |
| Parking: | 10+ cars |
I’ve hiked Mt. Kearsarge many times but this was the first time I’ve ever hiked it from Rollins State Park.
The weather forecast for the day was hot and humid. I wanted to get a quick hike in with Liberty so she could get some outdoor time since we had a concert that evening.
We arrived at the entrance to the state park toll booth early so we could beat the heat. I have a state park license plate so there is no charge for me.
The ranger said even with a plate I needed to make a reservation due to the limited amount of parking at the trail head but let me through anyway. There is room for about 30 cars if people park properly.
The road to the trail head was beautiful and climbs up for about three miles. The road is narrow with lots of twists and turns. Go slow, there is two way traffic and not a lot of room for error. Once at the trail head it is a short .5 mile walk up to the summit.
After we parked and grabbed our gear Liberty, and I started up the Rollins Trail. This starts off very gradual and is easy to follow.
As we climbed, we explored a picnic area and some other outlooks. The trail was in very good shape with good footing the whole way. Toward the top the trail steepens and is even a little slabby that last 200’ or so.
We walked around the summit for a while taking pictures and enjoying the views. Lots of people were up there. Did not see many on the trail though.
On our decent we decided to go down the top section of the Lincoln Trail to the parking lot. This trail was a lot more rugged with many rocks to climb over.
Toward the parking lot this trail gets very steep and rocky, but we took our time and made it down safely.
If I were to do this hike again, I would go up the Lincoln Trail and down the Rollins trail.
Overall, this was a fun easy and short hike with outstanding views. This would be a great first hike for kids or someone starting out. Great views at the top.
