Stinson Mountain, Rumney NH
• 4-star hike
• 4 mile out-and-back
• Moderate | Gain 1,350 feet
• Rumney, NH | White Mountains
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Looking South from the summit over Rumney, Plymouth and a peek at Newfound Lake.
Looming 2,300 feet above the town of Rumney at the very Southwest tip of the White Mountains, the forested Stinson Mountain (2,900ft) is a great local hike, and even better when combined with a trip to nearby Stinson Lake or the talus caves of Polar Caves Park.
The foot trail is a moderately inclined route through very typical New Hampshire woodland, passing alongside a small creek and switchbacking a couple of times before reaching the summit. Views beyond the woods are non-existent, but thankfully the bald round summit of the mountain offers some excellent Southerly views and some occasional sightings of larger White Mountain ranges to the North.
Clearly apparent from the foundations that remain, a fire tower was once positioned here. The steel tower was erected here in 1927 but after falling out of service it was dismantled in 1985.
⬤ 4★ Stinson Mountain Trail
AllTrails · GPX File · Directions GPX? |
Although the trailhead is clearly marked, the trail itself is bereft of blazes or any other kind of markings. If trailfinding becomes difficult and your tracking skills are lacking, then downloading our trail to your smartphone will help you out. Note that the trail meets a forest service road after about a mile - bear left along the road for a short while until the trail diverges to the right at a signed junction. We've traced out the service road in full, should you want to return along this easier route. The service road is maintained all the way to the summit by an organization of snowmobilers, so you may be sharing the mountain with them in winter and spring seasons.
Trailhead parking has space for around three vehicles. Note that there are a couple of sections of dirt road approaching the trailhead which could be sketchy for some vehicles during spring mud season.
We hiked this on a snowy, icy, "mashed potato" kinda day in March.
We'd mark this trail with three-and-a-half stars if we'd had the foresight to build that kind of a scoring system into our website. The trail itself is pleasant if unremarkable, but the relief of finding some great views at the summit is what earns this trail an extra star.
Stinson Mountain is featured as part of the New Hampshire 52 With A View hiking list, which showcases peaks with some the best scenic views in the state. The link at the foot of this article takes you to Trailspotting's map of the peaks on the full list and shows all of the trails on which to reach them. Follow us as we explore all the peaks on this list and publish trail reviews featuring descriptions, photography and downloadable maps.
Southern panorama, with two of the foundations from the 1927 steel fire tower.
Stinson Mountain from the distance of Baker River.
Tangents:
• Official: US Forest Service
• AllTrails Public: Stinson Mountain Trail
• Facebook Group: Comment, Follow Us
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NH 52 With A View
Routes to reach the 52 New Hampshire peaks with supreme views.
Routes to reach the 52 New Hampshire peaks with supreme views.
New Hampshire Fire Towers
Discover our map of fire towers and the trails to find them.
Discover our map of fire towers and the trails to find them.