Hiker's Guide to the Chocorua & East Sandwich Region
The Chocorua and East Sandwich region of the White Mountain Guidebook (WMG) is both heavily trafficked and seldom seen. A true juxtaposition between popular and unpopular, this region is one of my new favorite sections of the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF). Considering how few 4000’ers are located in this region (only two) the difficulty of the hiking trails is not to be underestimated. According to the White Mountain Guidebook, 31st edition, “this section covers trails on Mount Chocorua, Paugus, Passaconaway, and Whiteface [as well as] their subsidiary peaks and ridges. It is bounded on the north by NH 112, on the east by NH 16, on the south by NH 25, and on the west by Waterville Valley & Squam Lake Regions” (p. 398).
In total, it took me thirteen individual days of hiking to complete the 117.6 miles of trail in this section. My total elevation gain and total miles to complete this section of the guidebook were: 154.39 miles and 45,753’ of climbing. Originally I had planned this region with some crossover with the Waterville & Carrigain regions. However, I ended up doing the hikes independent of those trails so it took me one less day to hike all the trails in this region than my original plan.
Easiest/Hardest Days
When I was completing this region (as with any of the regions of the guidebook) my goal was to get as much done as possible in a set amount of time. Because of this, many of my routes were not ones I would have done as day hikes had I not been working on a timed attempt. That being said, my hardest day on trail in this section was the day that I did a traverse up McCrillis Trail, down Tom Wiggin, and back up and down Blueberry Ledge Cutoff. What surprised me about this day was that McCrillis Trail was really tough and Tom Wiggin wasn’t as bad as it’s made out to be. Even descending Tom Wiggin was a piece of cake (especially compared to descending the ledges on Blueberry Ledge Trail).
My easiest day in this region was when I completed White Ledge Trail and part of Hammond Trail. I’ve done White Ledge Trail twice now and it is definitely underrated. Hammond Trail is one of the oldest routes up Chocorua, and also one of my new favorite trails. The same day I did White Ledge I also did the first 2.1 miles of Hammond Trail to the junction with Weetamoo Trail.
Navigation/Trail Conditions
In this region, despite some areas being less traveled, the trails are very well marked. Even the ones that are in the Sandwich Wilderness are pretty easy to follow. The Wonalancet Out Door Club does a wonderful job maintaining and marking their trails, as does the Chocorua Mountain Club. The trail I found most difficult to navigate was Bolles Trail from the junction with Bee Line Trail to the height of land heading north towards the trailhead on 112. This section is marshy and doesn’t have many blazes because it’s in the wilderness. I’ve done this trail twice now and the first time I ended up off trail because I lost the actual trail where it runs through the small stream/marsh.
Places of Note
Some of my favorite trails are located in this region. Prior to hiking all the trails in the guidebook I was not a huge fan of the Whiteface/Passaconaway section of The Whites. I thought that it was over-hiked and was intimidated by the trails that I hadn’t seen yet. It was after seeing Bolles Trail and Kelley Trail in 2021 that I fell in love with the area. Some of my favorite trails in this region are also some of the oldest trails in the WMNF. Brook Path, Tilton Spring Path, and Red Path, as well as Hammond Trail are some of the oldest trails in the White Mountains. They also happen to be some of my favorite trails. Big Rock Cave Trail, Cabin Trail, and Lawrence Trail are also fantastic and worth visiting.
Hidden Gems in the Chocorua/East Sandwich Region
Brook Path (With an added trip to Tilton Spring, Pasture Path, & Red Path)
I’ve already brought this one to your attention above, so let’s break it down. Brook Path runs along Wonalancet River past an old dam. In combination with a short loop on Red Path and Tilton Spring or Pasture Path, I love doing Brook Path. Going north to southeast, it starts where the river gently flows down to the dam over several waterfalls before it pops out onto a dirt road. What I love about this trail is the heavy fairy spring vibes it throws as well as the gentle grade.
Hammond Trail
With over a half dozen options for hiking Mount Chocorua, it’s not Hammond Trail that comes to mind when I’m thinking of the first choice for hiking this mountain. Most people ascend this stunning peak from Champney Falls or Piper Trail. However, now that I’ve hiked all the trails in this area, I highly recommend Hammond Trail for ascending Chocorua. As well as being one of the first hiking trails in the region, Hammond Trail comes with moderate grades, switchbacks, and less crowds.
Big Rock Cave Trail
As the 52 With A View list grows in popularity, the number of individuals headed to this less traveled region of the Sandwich Wilderness isn’t too surprising. However, based on the plushness of the footbed on Big Rock Cave Trail, it would appear that not too many people are taking this trail to the summit of Paugus. I loved Big Rock Cave Trail. It goes through a stunning forest, past (you guessed it) a huge cave, and was gradual in ascent. It can be done as a loop hike with Lawrence Trail (or Whitin Brook Trail) and Cabin Trail.
Kelley Trail
Kelley Trail brings all the feels. It runs along Kelley Brook for a short section and then ascends into the drainage. With moss-covered rocks, and a gentle water feature running parallel the footpath, what this trail lacks in views it makes up for in Fern Gully vibes. Just like Brook Path makes you feel like you’re in some sort of mystical land, Kelley Trail will make your ascent to Lawrence Trail more pleasant. I also like hiking up Kelley Trail and down Old Mast Road Trail as a loop. This loop is mild in elevation gain and difficulty.
Downes Brook Trail
Although I am hesitant to call this a hidden gem, Downes Brook Trail is one of my favorite trails. It has a lot of water crossings (over a half dozen) but it is beautiful and the gradual ascent to the Kate Sleeper Trail is right up my alley. I love taking this trail to the summit of Whiteface (it’s my preferred route). What I like most about this trail is the length and gentle climb. I don’t recommend taking this trail in unseasonably wet weather or in spring (because runoff from the mountains will make water crossings more difficult).
Popular Hikes in The Chocorua/East Sandwich Region
Champney Falls Trail
One of my favorite trails in this region is also a lot of other people’s favorite trails. Drive by the trailhead on 112 during the summer and you’ll see dozens of cars in the parking lot (and spilling onto the road) for good reason. Champney Falls Trail runs from 112 to the ridge leading to the summit of Mount Chocorua. This peak may not be a 4000’er but it has 360 degree views and is one of the most popular mountains to hike in New Hampshire. If you don’t want to go all the way to the summit, you can also take the side trail to Pitcher and Champney Falls.
Carter Ledge Trail
This alternative to Piper Trail ascends Mount Chocorua from route 16. It takes you along some beautiful ledges as you make the climb to the summit of the Sisters. One of these two subpeaks are on the 52 With A View list. There is an old basement to a lookout tower on the summit of Middle Sister but don’t plan on using it as a refuge in poor weather because it’s locked. This trail is by no means easy and the ledges can be more difficult to climb in cold weather because they can get really icy.
Kate Sleeper Trail
Another one of my favorite trails which has grown in popularity is Kate Sleeper Trail. I have always hiked this trail from south to north, but it can be done in either direction. One of the 100 Highest Peaks in New England is off of this ridge, which runs between Whiteface and the Tripyramids in the Sandwich Wilderness. I prefer making this a loop hike by taking Downes Brook Trail up and Sabbaday Brook Trail down. This loop (including an out-and-back to Whiteface) runs around 16 miles, gains almost 4400’, and has over a dozen water crossings.
Blueberry Ledge Trail
Perhaps one of the most popular hiking trails in New Hampshire, Blueberry Ledge Trail is not one of my favorites. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t include it on the top 5 popular hikes in this region. Leading to the summit of one of New Hampshire’s 48 4000’ers, Blueberry Ledge Trail has some pretty gnarly scrambles and is by no means easy. While I wouldn’t consider it the hardest trail in The Whites, I don’t necessarily think it’s as easy as one would think based on its location within the WMNF. It can be fun to climb up the ledges and there are some fantastic views from the trail, but it tends to be heavily trafficked and I personally prefer the less direct route up Downes Brook to the summit of Whiteface.
Piper Trail
Another very popular trail in this region, Piper Trail runs up Mount Chocorua from route 16. It is the steeper way up Chocorua, and gains more elevation as well, but it has some really nice views of the barren summit cone along the ledges and in spring the foliage of the Rhodora, which line the trail, is stunning.
Final Thoughts
This section of the White Mountain Guidebook is highly underrated in terms of difficulty, in my opinion. I went into tackling this region thinking that it would be about equivalent in difficulty to the Waterville Valley section and was pleasantly surprised. Not only are there a myriad of trails running throughout the Sandwich Wilderness begging to be explored, but there is a lot of history scattered among the trees that blanket the landscape. I fell in love with trails running over seldom touched ridges (like the Walden Trail and Lawrence Trail) and I was physically challenged making the climb up McCrillis Trail to the summit of Whiteface. This is one of the regions that I am most excited about re-hiking in the future. Another major bonus of this region is the accessibility to south-central New Hampshire, and the diversity in trail elevation. This is one of the first regions of the state to lose its snowpack in spring (with the exception of the 4000’ers). In an attempt to quantitatively rank the 12 sections of the guidebook, I will give it a score out of 10 in three categories:
Variety of Hiking Trails: 9/10
This is one of the most diverse regions of hiking in New Hampshire. It has everything from flat trails in the trees to steep trails over rocky ledges. It is a veritable hiker’s dream in terms of difficulty and on top of that the snowpack tends to melt (and appear) much later (and earlier) in the shoulder seasons meaning more time to play in the woods sans snow.
Accessibility from South-Central NH: 8/10
This region is closer to south-central New Hampshire than some, but still requires a lot of backroad travel. As someone who prefers highway to back road, reaching many of the trailheads off route 16 can be frustrating as you wind through one town after another. Reaching the Ferncroft area still takes you on back roads, and Champney Falls is off of route 112 closer to North Conway, which takes longer to get to from where I live. However, I am giving this region an 8/10 in this category because despite the drive being more cumbersome, the variety of hiking trails makes it worth it, in my opinion.
Overall Enjoyment on WMG Journey: 9/10
This region has everything except ridges like the Franconia or Presidential Range. It has really hard trails with rock scrambles, tons of water crossings, long walks in the woods, and 360 degree views from summits like Chocorua and Middle Sister. As someone who isn’t entirely smitten when spending a substantial amount of time above treeline, this region is perfect for me. For those looking for more alpine vegetation and massive amounts of time above the trees, this might not be the region for you. But I encourage everyone to give it a chance. There is much to be loved about the Chocorua & East Sandwich region despite only having two 4000’ers.
