Memorial Day Hike Up To The Waternomee Plane Crash Site
| Date: | 5-27-2024 |
| Location: | Woodstock, NH |
| Distance: | 4.81 mi |
| Elevation Gain: | 1,520′ |
| Total Time: | 4 hr 17 min |
| Parking: | 4-6 cars |
It was a bit drizzly, but temps were perfect for a hike up to the Mt. Waternomee plane crash memorial. Since it was Memorial Day, this seemed like a good choice for a hike.
I met up with my sister and family and we drove up to the trail head. The temps were in the high 50’s and low 60’s. The parking lot is small, there is room for about 6-8 cars if people park correctly. Also, the lot comes up quick on your right and is easy to miss.
This is not a maintained trail so there is no kiosk or signs just the lot and a fire road gate.
We started up the fire road. This portion of trail is very easy with a gradual grade. It is wide enough for a small vehicle to get through. This section is flat. The chilly temps helped keep the bugs at bay on this damp day.
The road continues for about 1.2 miles before ending in a small field. There is a small cairn that marks the well-traveled heard path. From here the trail is marked by orange survey tape.
From here the road is more of a rooty foot path that follows the stream. With all the rain and drizzle, we had to be extra cautious about rocks and roots. We continue along the bank for a way until it crosses the stream. The water is low, so we had no problem stepping on stones to cross. Liberty was happy to be playing in the water.
Once on the other side the trail rises steeply for about 100 yards. From this point on the trail, terrain varies from moderate to steep in different areas. There were many breaks on the way up.
The trail is the steepest just before the first piece of wreckage. But once you get there it kind of stops you. This piece of wreckage was from a B-18 Bomber that crashed into a mountain. This is an area where people lost their life.
From this point there are several herd paths that lead to different pieces of the plane. Some are pieces of wing or engines; others are from landing gear and even a smashed-up front of the aircraft. On every piece of wreckage there is at least one American flag.
Part way up the site there is a plaque that lists the crew of the plane many of them died but amazingly some of them lived.
After we walked around for a while we started to make our way back down. Again, we had to be careful about slippery rocks and roots. The rain mostly held off. It was a little chilly up at the crash site but as we descended, I could feel it warm up.
The trail is well marked but if it is your first time out there you may have to pay extra attention.
I’ve done this hike several times before, but this was my first time doing it on Memorial Day. It felt very appropriate. Let us never forget that freedom isn’t free.
It also seems like every time I’ve done this hike, I’ve come across Trillium (wood Lily) flowers. This time we did see some, but most have already bloomed. But there were a few dark purple one. We also came across several Lady Slipper flowers.
