Trail Report for Mount Hale : White Mountains, New Hampshire

Mount Hale is apart of the New Hampshire 48 High Peaks. It is quite a steep little trail. Multiple times I was whispering a silent Hail Mary from the awful elevation gain. Don’t be fooled by the short mileage this is a TOUGH hike. 

Over the summer, my friend and I hike Mount Hale before we made the longish drive back to upstate New York. I am glad we did this however, the elevation gain is unreal. And we knew it was going to be bad and it still out performed how bad we actually thought it was going to be. In 2.1 miles you will gain 2,500ft of elevation gain. It’s ridiculous. I ONLY advice hiking this mountain if you want to become a 48er or if you wish to feed the Gray Jays (probably not suppose to do this but that’s how my friend and I rewarded ourselves at the top of the summit). 

In this article you will read about Mount Hale, Mount Hale NH, Mount Hale trailhead, Mount Hale hike, Mount Hale trail conditions, Mount Hale elevation, Mount AllTrails, Mount Hale Brook Trail, Mount Hale summit, and more.

This post is all about Mount Hale.

Mount Hale:

Hale via Hale Brook Trail Directions

Okay, to get to Mount Hale via the Hale Brook Trail you will make your way to Interstate 93 in New Hampshire and stay there until Exit 40. Take exit 40 onto US-302 East towards Bethelhem and Twin Mountain. Stay straight for the next 14 miles then turn right onto Zealand Road. Finally, in about 2.5 miles, the trailhead will be on your right. My friend and I hiked Hale via the Hale Brook Trail. Of course, directions will depend on where you are coming from. Here are the directions I used to get to Mount Hale. This is also the same parking lot for the Zealand traverse.

Also, I would get here early if you want to hike this mountain or in the afternoon. The short mileage really does fool people. A lot of people like to hike this as a quick, morning hike. DON’T be fooled, this is NOT a short hike. The elevation gain kills. That being said, my friend and I hiked this on a Friday in the summer around 9am. We had to park on the road because there were no more spots. I’m sure on the weekends it’s even more difficult to get parking in the actual lot.

I suggest hiking this peak on its own if you wish to hike all the 48 peaks. I wouldn’t pair this peak with any other, as it would make an already difficult hike, so much more difficult.

Mountain Stats, Time & Distance

Like I said, this is a short trail, it is a total of 4.2 miles with an elevation gain of 2,500ft. The elevation gain never stops until you reach the summit. Even though this is a short hike, it still took my friend and I about 3 hours to hike, including breaks and a lunch break at the summit. We are moderate to fast paced hikers as well. 2,500ft in about 2.1 miles is TOUGH. Anything that has about a 1,000ft of elevation gain per mile is TOUGH. This has double that, so again, keep this is mind when planning this hike. I only advice hiking this if you wish to complete your 48. I say this because there’s no view at the top and the elevation gain will destroy you, especially, if you’re not in good hiking shape.

Mount Hale Trail

Okay, once you park at the Hale Brook Trail, you will go to the trail registration area and begin the hike. Just follow the only trail, this is the correct trail that will get you to the summit of Hale. Like I previously said, be ready for the incline, because it starts off right away. This being said, I would advice not to bring dogs on this trail unless they are really fit. I say this because again, the elevation gain is so bad, I would hate to put my pet through this unless they enjoy A LOT of physical activity. Also, bring plenty of water for your dog if you bring them because they will need it. And so will you!

This trail is very straight forward. You really don’t need a map, just follow what looks like a trail and you will make it to the top. When you think it is over, there is still so much more. The summit does have a big pile of rocks, this will be your summit maker.

Mount Hale Summit

Once at the summit, a cool picture to take is to stand at the top of the rock pile by yourself or with your hiking buddies. Sadly, there is no view at the summit or at any part of this summit. Unless you like physical pain or just being in the woods, this is why I don’t recommend this hike. Apart from, if you want to complete all the 48 High Peaks, then you have to finish this trail. This is the only reason why I hiked this peak.

Although, if you like wildlife maybe this hike actually is for you. By far, the only good thing about this hike was getting to feed the Gray Jays (may be called Canadian Jays). This was a really cool experience. I noticed a lot of birds at the top of the mountain and all along the entire trail. I noticed that they were closer to me and my friend than most birds are. Thus, when we got to the summit and I saw how close they were to us, I thought maybe they wanted some food. And sure enough, they did.

I put some goldfish in my hand, put my hand out, and after a couple minutes, the bold birds sat right on my hand and ate the goldfish. The only other time I got to feed a bird out of the palm of my hand was in Steamboat Springs, Colorado on a chair lift. Now, I’m sure you’re not suppose to feed the birds, so I’m sorry I did that, but this was still a really cool experience. Also, it’s the only reason why I enjoyed the day.

Getting Back to the Parking Lot

Now, getting back to the trailhead and your car, again, is super easy. You will just retrace your steps to get back down. You can breeze going down, however, there are some rocky parts, so just be careful in those sections. Otherwise, this is a really straight forward hike. I would allow yourself 3 hours to complete this hike. Again, because of the elevation gain, you will want a nice break at the top.

Overall, this was not my favorite hike. Physically, it did push me, which was cool to see that I could do it. However, I don’t think I would re-hike it. It is shorter than a lot of hikes, but it’s a double edge sword, again, because of the high elevation gain. My overall recommendation is to only hike this peak if you want to complete your 48. Here you can find a bunch of other great hikes to do instead. Otherwise, don’t bother with this one. Thank you so much for reading and take care!