Hiker's Guide to The Moat & Carrigain Region

The Carrigain and Moat region of the White Mountains is one that I was not too familiar with prior to starting this timed attempt to hike all the trails in the guidebook. Although I had hiked Mount Carrigain a few times and am the trail adopter for Cedar Brook Trail, the remainder of the 30 named trails I was, by and large, unfamiliar with. According to the White Mountain Guidebook, 31st edition, “this section covers the eastern portion of the central region of the White Mountains, consisting of the areas bounded on the north by US 302, on the east by NH 16, and on the south by the Kangamangus Highway (NH 112); at its western edge, this section includes all areas and trails south and east of Wilderness Trail” (p. 214).  

In total, it took me twelve individual days of hiking to complete the 87.4 miles of trail in this section. My total elevation gain and total miles to complete this section of the guidebook were: 136.17 miles and 29,049’ of elevation. My original plan was to complete all of the trails in 10 hikes, however I ended up breaking up the day I planned on doing both Moat Mineral Trail, Thompson Falls, and the trails on White Horse Ledge into two days. I also took two separate days to complete Cedar Brook Trail, the Hancock Loop, and Hancock Notch trail because I had to do trailwork one of the days. 

Easiest/Hardest Days 

The most difficult day that I had in this section was the traverse of Mount Tremont and this was due, mainly, to weather and my own exhaustion after hiking so much for months straight. I had assumed this traverse would be a cake walk and it was anything but. Ascending Mount Tremont, regardless of which side you go up, is hard and I wasn’t expecting that.  

The easiest day in this section was the one where I completed Sawyer River Trail and Sawyer Pond Trail. Although there were wet areas, these two trails are super pretty. I really enjoyed seeing them, especially in fall. 

Navigation/Trail Conditions  

In terms of navigation, Sawyer Pond Trail can be harder to follow due to a lack of blazing and because after the campsite, heading south, it’s less traveled. Hancock Notch Trail east of the Hancocks is also less traveled and has some spots with river crossings, but I didn’t find it to be too difficult in terms of navigation. The rest of the trails in this area seemed pretty easy to follow and were quite well maintained with the exception of some blowdowns and washouts along Cedar Brook and Hancock Notch. This is to be expected since Cedar Brook is in a wilderness area and Hancock Notch isn’t heavily trafficked. 

Places of Note 

It is really hard for me to pick just a few areas that deserve revisiting in this area. In all honesty, I am happy to revisit all of these trails in the coming years, but for those who are looking for some ideas of places to visit I will give my top 5 favorite less common hikes and my top 5 favorite more common hikes. 

Hidden Gems in the Carrigain/Moat Region 

• Thompson Falls 

• This waterfall is one of the first spots in the White Mountains that had a trail built to it. In 1850, a path was created by artist Benjamin Champney. It is not often visited, but totally worth the trip. Located behind White Horse Ledge, which is one of the most popular areas to hike in The Whites, Thompson Falls is a stunning water feature and a very short hike. 

• Attitash Trail

• This trail which is 7.2 miles long, runs to the summit of two mountains, Table and Big Attitash. While most people would probably hit the summit of Table Mountain and go back the way they came, they would be missing out on a stretch of forest that is absolutely stunning and not heavily trafficked. I will warn that the final portion of trail running along Lucy Brook is a bit frustrating and has poor footing at times, but overall this trail has my heart and I will absolutely be heading back out there in the near future.

• Church Pond Trail

• I’ve hiked this nearly flat trail 3 times now and it never ceases to amaze me that something so seemingly pointless can be so pretty. Be warned, though, you will have to ford Swift River to reach the start of the trail and I have yet to find a time of year when this doesn’t require submerging your feet (read: bring crocs or be prepared for wet shoes). The reward is worth the wet feet, though, as you will spend the majority of the hike walking along wooden planks through diverse vegetation and end your hike at Church Pond, nestled at the base of Sugar Hill. 

• Sawyer Pond Trail

• Sawyer Pond Campsite is in and of itself worth a visit, but for those looking for a longer day, I recommend completing this trail in its entirety (there is a fording at the south end on the Swift River that will require getting your feet wet). When I did this hike it was late fall and the ground was blanketed in leaves. The sun was shining, and everything had a golden glow to it. I didn’t see a soul, the campground had a beautiful pond that was like glass, and because I went in fall, there were no mosquitoes or black flies. 

• Hancock Notch Trail 

• I know this one is going to make some people wonder if I am being facetious but hear me out. While 1.8 miles of this trail is heavily trafficked because it leads to two 4000’ers, there is another 5 miles of trail that sees little use. I am a glutton for long walks in the woods. Throw in some old logging railroads and I’m convinced it’ll be a good day. While there are spots on Hancock Notch Trail that require river crossings, I didn’t have an issue with any of them. The forest in this region of The Whites is just plain stunning and because this trail is an old logging railroad the grade is very mild. I highly recommend giving this trail a chance and it may just win your heart as well. 

Popular Hikes in The Carrigain/Moat Region

• Nancy Pond Trail

• Prior to hiking this trail I was under the impression that nobody did it. But when I pulled into the parking lot, I discovered that many people visit this area, I was just unaware of that. Nancy Pond has both stunning waterfalls and wetlands. It has long walks in the woods and climbs that will get your heart rate up. And if you make it to the end, you’ll be rewarded with a really interesting water feature where you will cross Norcross Brook at a waterfall. It seems that more and more people are finding this trail worth visiting and I couldn’t agree more.  

• Desolation Trail

• Now that the “Terrifying 25” hiking list is becoming more popular, I am well aware that the Desolation Trail is also seeing more foot traffic and I couldn’t be happier. This trail descends down the back side of Carrigain, a 4000’er, and it is definitely not an easy trail. However, now that I’ve seen them all, I would say this one is par for the course in terms of navigational difficulty and rockiness. It also runs through a beautiful forest, is entirely within the Pemigewasset Wilderness, and follows part of an old logging railroad. 

• Moat Mountain Trail

• I would be kidding myself if I didn’t think that The Moats don’t deserve a place on this short list. These three peaks are absolutely stunning and rival many of the views you get on top of a 4000’er without quite as much elevation gain. However, don’t be fooled by their lower stature, the Moat Mountain Trail is by no means easy and will require ascending over 1500’ of elevation at minimum just to reach the lowest of the three peaks. Once you reach the summits, though, you’re rewarded with 360 degree views and alpine vegetation that turns bright reds and purples in the fall. 

• Lovequist Loop

• This 1 mile loop hike is very popular with leaf peepers, tourists, and those who are looking for a short hike to do with family. It is an easy 1 mile loop that allows you to get a taste for what the forests of New Hampshire have to offer, has a beautiful waterfall at the very beginning of the hike, and if you’re not looking for anything other than a backdrop for a great photo, can be the perfect place to stop. It’s also less likely to be as packed as Diana’s Baths or Echo Lake. 

• Signal Ridge Trail

• Signal Ridge is actually the trail that I almost quit hiking on back in 2016. It isn’t easy, but if you’re willing to put in the effort, you’re rewarded with stunning views from the fire tower that sits on the top of Carrigain, a 4700’ peak. Signal Ridge is a very popular hike and for good reason. But if you’re new to the 4000’er list, I recommend keeping this one in your pocket for a potential finishing peak, or to be done after you’ve hit some of the easier mountains and got your trail legs under you.   

Final Thoughts 

This section of the White Mountain Guidebook is full of history. The varied terrain and challenges of hikes to the summits of some of the 4000’ers means that it is an amazing place to visit regardless of what kind of day in the woods you’re looking for. In an attempt to qualitatively rank the 12 sections of the guidebook, I will give it a score out of 10 in three categories: 

Variety of Hiking Trails: 10/10 

This area is rife with variety. There really is something for everyone. From completely flat and right off the main road, to in the middle of the wilderness and strenuous. There are 360 views from alpine zones and forests so thick you can’t fathom how anything could get through them. 

Accessibility from South-Central NH: 6/10 

Because there are a lot of trailheads in the North Conway area, this section of The Whites took me around 2 hours or more one way to access some of the days of hiking. Which is part of the reason I had avoided some of these hikes for years. I’ll be honest, I am not a fan of driving to this area of the state because of the lack of highway access and traffic. It would behoove those hiking in this area from southern NH to get a hotel. 

Overall Enjoyment on WMG Journey: 7/10  

The main reason that I didn’t love this area more is because of the driving. Additionally, some of the hikes were super short, so in terms of planning it wasn’t always the easiest. I loved most of the trails in this area, but Signal Ridge is one of my least favorite trails so I wasn’t too thrilled with revisiting it but we got it done. One less than ideal trail isn’t good enough of a reason to dislike an entire section of the state. The history and long walks in the woods, the Moats, Attitash Trail, and Sawyer Pond/River trails, Carrigain Notch, Red Ridge Trails all made this an area I am excited to revisit again (with the exception of the drive).