Iron Mountain and the Ledges
| Date: | 9-8-2024 |
| Location: | Jackson, NH |
| Distance: | 4.76 mi |
| Elevation Gain: | 1,129′ |
| Total Time: | 3 hr 52 min |
| Parking: | 5-7 cars |
I’ve been waiting for a nice day to visit Iron Mountain in Jackson, NH. So when the weather forecast said today would be sunny clear and a temperatures in the mid 60’s, I knew it would be a good day.
It is a Sunday so again I decided to start a bit later. I got to the trail head around 11:00 am. The parking lot holds about 5-7 cars but there is an overflow lot about .25 miles down the road. The approach to the trail head is fun. The last section of road is dirt and it is pretty steep in some sections. Lots of cool camps along the road as well.
It was a bit chilly when I started. The trail is almost across the street from the lot. You start by climbing a wooden staircase. Then you follow a narrow but defined path through a large field. If you stop and look behind, you there is a great view of Pinkham Notch.
At the end of the field, I entered the woods and crossed a few log bridges. I walked a way through a hard wood forest that soon turns to a birch grove. The trail is easy in grade with a few moderate areas.
The trail continues to switchback through a now mossy forest, The trail is well maintained. Most areas are dirt and root for most of the way up this side. At one of the final turns there is a short spur path that leads to a rock with a good view to the north.
From here it is the final push up to the summit. Only about .25 of a mile. As I got closer there was another rock outlook I had to check out. Shortly after that I came upon the foundation of the old fire tower.
I looked around at some of the cement slabs that held the tower in place. There are also some of wooden boards that were used in the tower. Very cool to see. I didn’t stay to long and started to head down to the ledges.
The summit area of the trail is flat for a short distance before dropping down the other side. Overall, I think the ledges are about 350 feet below the summit. This side of the mountain is a bit more rugged.
The trail is much steeper and rockier and more direct. As I climbed down there are some large open granite sections in the trees. There are a few large rocks that I had to climb over but nothing super hard.
I came to the sign at the junction for the Mine and the Ledges. I decided to vist the mine another day and continued to the ledges.
When I first got there the views opened. The wind was blowing pretty hard pushing the clouds along over the mountains. Lots of shadows over the hills and valley below.
The ledges mostly faced south, but I could see N. Conway to the west. I could see Cranmore Mt. and Attitash Mountain. I’ll have to remember this mountain when I try and get photos of the milky way.
I explore the ledges a bit, took some photos and then had a snack and some iced tea. I was such a beautiful day; I could have sat there all afternoon.
After my break I gathered my things and headed back up the trail. Climbing back up to the summit seemed to go quicker than the way down. I passed a few people on the way back up. Up to now I hadn’t seen many people at all.
Once at the top. I looked at the tower remains and kept marching down. The nice easy grade allowed for a quick trip down. Before I knew it I was back down to the birch groves and crossing the log bridges back the field and the car.
Even though this is not officially on the 52 with a View list anymore, I think it was one of my favorites. The views from the ledges were awesome, the road up the trail head was fun and the whole trail was enjoyable. I’m looking forward to visiting this mountain again.
