Shared grouping cards will appear here after the planner templates and peak details finish loading.
Important Trail Warnings
NH48.info is an unofficial, community-driven site. Use this page at your own risk; always verify trail status, rules, and safety information with official sources.
Table of Contents
Guide Deep Dives
Use these focused guide spokes when you already know the kind of question you are trying to answer and want a faster path than the full hub.
Getting started
Pick a first peak, compare easier winter options, or narrow the list by overall effort.
Planning logistics
Use these when access, trailhead setup, or multi-peak efficiency will shape the day more than the summit list alone.
Risk and support
These guide spokes go deeper on exposure, remoteness, water carry decisions, and conservative communication assumptions.
Finishing the list
Choose a completion style that matches your schedule, appetite for grouping peaks, and seasonal goals.
The New Hampshire 48 refers to mountains that meet the AMC Four-Thousand-Footer Club standard of at least 4,000 feet above sea level and 200 feet of topographic prominence. NH48.info is not affiliated with the AMC; this overview summarizes information gathered from public references and hiker contributions.
The idea dates to 1931 when Dartmouth librarian Nathaniel L. Goodrich outlined an early list. Refined USGS surveys and AMC guidelines eventually set the list at 48 peaks—adding Bondcliff and Galehead while excluding shoulder summits like Mt. Guyot and Mt. Clay. Readers should confirm criteria and routes with the Appalachian Mountain Club before planning trips.
Use range cards to focus the list and map together for faster planning. Select one, several, or none to compare the full set or narrow the view by range.
NH48 Summits (All ranges)
Peaks shown here reflect the summits recognized by the AMC at the time of publication. Tap a range filter to see the peaks clustered by geography, click a summit name to open its wiki entry, or use the Details action for the live peak page. Each row pulls live attributes from the NH48 manifest so the table stays synchronized with the photo-rich peak templates.
Visit Official AMC 4000 Site for comprehensive details. Please confirm prominence, elevation, and trail guidance with the AMC before relying on this table.
| Peak | Difficulty | Actions |
|---|
Maximize your summit count with classic NH48 day-trip families, shared planner data, and route-aware grouping notes pulled from the same source as the planner.
If you want the route-family version of this overview, the multi-peak planning guide explains which linkups work because of shared trailheads, ridge continuity, or long wilderness efficiency.
Difficulty is subjective and conditions change quickly. Use the table filters above and the reference breakdown below as planning aids as conditions, weather, and experience allow. If you want a shorter shortlist of beginner-friendly first NH48 choices, or need to compare parking and trailhead logistics before picking a hike, those guide spokes go deeper than the quick notes here.
Beginner-Friendly choices
- Mt. Tecumseh — many hikers find this short, direct trail to be the gentlest ascent on the list.
- Mt. Waumbek — often chosen for its steady grade, sheltered forest, and forgiving footing.
- Mt. Pierce — provides Crawford Path views with less exposure than some Presidential neighbors.
Advanced & Strenuous
- The Bonds (Bond, West Bond, Bondcliff) — often tackled as a 19–23 mile day or an overnight traverse.
- Owl’s Head — known for a long approach with a loose slide and muddy valley miles.
- The Wildcats (Wildcat Mountain D and Wildcat Mountain A) — feature relentless grades that many describe as a backcountry stair climber.
View some unofficial difficulty information for reference. Click on any difficulty panel to see a breakdown, or open the peak difficulty comparator for a more focused route-by-route read.
Loading... Beginner Friendly Shorter mileage, steadier grades, and common first NH48 choices.
These are often recommended as approachable first NH48 hikes because the standard routes tend to be shorter, steadier, or more forgiving underfoot. They are still real mountain days, so weather, mud, and navigation still matter.
Loading... Moderate A step up in gain, mileage, or rough footing for hikers building experience.
Moderate peaks usually ask for a little more fitness, route patience, or comfort with longer trail days. They are often great next steps once you have a few NH48 hikes under your belt.
Loading... Challenging Longer mileage, steeper sections, and more commitment once things get rough.
These hikes tend to combine longer approaches, steeper terrain, rougher footing, or fewer easy turn-around points. Expect slower travel and a bigger day out even in good conditions.
Loading... Alpine / Exposed Big alpine days where exposure and weather can drive the difficulty as much as the mileage.
These are the most committing NH48 days in this guide, often mixing alpine exposure, rough rock hopping, weather, and strong winds. Conditions can change the seriousness very quickly.
Weather changes quickly in the White Mountains; preparation is essential and rescue can take hours. What is considered a risk is inherently subjective, but this breakdown can help represent some of the typical challenges and things to be prepared for. For a deeper read on consequence patterns, open the risk guide, and use the water and cell-service guide when carry strategy or communication reliability is the deciding factor.
Above Treeline Exposure
17 Peaks
Significant stretches above treeline with no shelter from weather. Lightning, high winds, and sudden whiteouts are real dangers.
Example peaks
Washington
Adams
Jefferson
Madison
Lafayette
Lincoln
Monroe
Eisenhower
Long Bailout Distances
9 Peaks
Remote peaks like Owl's Head, Bonds, and Isolation require long approaches. If something goes wrong, help is far away.
Example peaks
Owl's Head
Isolation
Bondcliff
Bond
Garfield
Jackson
Whiteface
North Tripyramid
Limited Water Sources
22 Peaks
Unlike some mountain ranges, many NH trails have no reliable water sources. Carry all water you need - typically 2-4 liters per hike.
Example peaks
Adams
Bondcliff
Bond
Cabot
Eisenhower
Flume
Isolation
Jefferson
Scramble / Steep Terrain
39 Peaks
Steep ledges, ladders, or scrambling sections require careful footing and comfort with exposure.
Example peaks
Cannon
Carrigain
Flume
Garfield
Hale
Hancock
Jefferson
Tripyramid
Unbridged Crossings
8 Peaks
High water can make crossings impassable. Plan alternative routes and start early during spring runoff.
Example peaks
Bondcliff
Garfield
Isolation
Moriah
Pierce
Tom
North Twin
Galehead
Especially Unreliable Cell Service
47 Peaks
Service can be spotty or nonexistent. Download maps and do not rely on your phone for navigation or emergency calls.
Example peaks
Bondcliff
Carrigain
Cabot
Isolation
Garfield
Galehead
Whiteface
Bond
Forest Protection Areas
Certain high-use corridors in the White Mountains are designated as Forest Protection Areas (FPAs). Within an FPA backcountry camping is prohibited, wood or charcoal fires are banned, and party-size limits are enforced to protect fragile riparian zones.
FPA boundaries are defined by Forest Supervisor orders and may shift year to year as ecological conditions change. Check the latest Forest Service notices before planning to camp near popular trailheads such as Lincoln Woods; camping and open flames are not permitted along the first several miles of the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River.
Bear-resistant food storage in the Pemigewasset Wilderness
Growing bear habituation in the Pemigewasset Wilderness prompted the Forest Service to mandate bear-resistant food storage beginning in May 2026. All overnight visitors must carry a hard-sided, Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee-certified canister for food, trash, and scented items.
Traditional food hangs are no longer allowed because local black bears have learned to defeat them. The only exception is at the Thirteen Falls tent site, where permanent bear boxes are provided. Expect to carry an extra two to three pounds and factor it into your planning.
Qualitative context still matters
Digital waypoints show you where a trailhead is, but they can’t tell you if a logging road washed out last week or a river crossing is chest-deep after heavy rain.
For those details we recommend consulting the latest edition of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s White Mountain Guide and checking recent trip reports. The printed guide’s turn-by-turn descriptions and notes on seasonal gates, unbridged crossings, and exposed scrambles complement the datasets and will keep you out of trouble.
Strategies shift every year as trailheads, roads, and weather patterns change. The AMC tracks winter finishers separately because road closures, avalanche zones, and snowpack reshape the effort. Use the toggle to switch between summer, fall, winter, and spring planning and verify access and forecasts with official sources. If winter is the deciding lens, the winter starter hikes guide breaks out which peaks keep the broadest margin once snow, road access, and exposure start changing the day.
| Focus | Summer Strategy |
|---|
There's no single way to finish the list - pick the approach that matches your lifestyle and goals.
If you want the pace, lifestyle, and winter-goal version of this decision, the finish strategy guide expands on how to choose between the planning styles below.
Fast Finish
~1 Year | 18-20 Day Hikes
Efficient multi-peak days, optimal groupings, and flexible scheduling. Best for experienced hikers with open calendars.
Weekend Warrior
2-4 Years | 30-40 Day Hikes
Steady progress with 2-3 peaks per trip on weekends. Balance between efficiency and enjoyment. Great for working professionals.
Scenic Journey
4-6+ Years | 40+ Day Hikes
Savor each peak individually, explore different routes, and enjoy the journey. Photography and summit experiences take priority.
Explore alternative peakbagging lists
The NH48 is just one of several goal-oriented lists that help distribute hikers across the forest. The 52 With a View list spotlights fifty-two mountains between 2,500 ft and 3,999 ft with exceptional vistas. The New England Hundred Highest introduces 100 peaks across the region, including trailless summits that require careful bushwhacking. The Terrifying 25 celebrates the state’s steepest scrambles and scree-filled ravines.
Pursuing these lists spreads pressure away from the busiest 4,000-footer trailheads, introduces you to remote valleys and trailheads you might otherwise never visit, and keeps the adventure fresh once you’ve completed the NH48.
The AMC Four-Thousand-Footer Club launched officially in 1957 to encourage hikers into the deeper corners of the White Mountain National Forest. According to AMC guidelines, a peak must have 200 feet of prominence from any connecting col. Human-powered ascents are expected—using the Cog Railway or Cannon’s tramway does not meet the guidelines.
Thousands of finishers log their climbs by mailing the AMC application or joining online trackers. Please read the Appalachian Mountain Club’s introductory letter for the most accurate and current requirements, and verify any summary here with the official resource.
NH48.info now provides authenticated API access for the full NH48 peak dataset so developers can build dashboards, weather overlays, or GPX generators without relying on public bulk downloads. These community tools may contain inaccuracies and should be verified before use for navigation.
Data sources and limitations
NH48.info’s datasets pull from multiple federal and state geospatial repositories and are stitched together to power our maps and planning tools. The USDA Forest Service Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW) and its Recreation Information Database are the primary sources for developed trailhead locations and recreational site attributes. Where possible we request JSON and GeoJSON from the Forest Service because legacy formats like Shapefiles truncate field names and restrict data types, leading to data loss when converted. We augment this with New Hampshire’s NH GRANIT trail geometries and crowd-sourced edits from hikers. Even with these inputs the data are not real-time: snowplow schedules, gate closures, fee changes, and landowner agreements can change without notice. Always verify current access with the White Mountain National Forest or the relevant ranger district before committing to a trailhead.
Our canonical trailhead objects include a unique site_id, an official site_name, decimal degree latitude and longitude, and metadata such as parking fees, winter maintenance, accessibility status, surface type, and managing jurisdiction. These attributes allow you to filter routes based on difficulty, ADA compliance, or seasonal accessibility in the API.
- Authenticated NH48 Peaks API (bulk peak metadata and photo fields)
- NH48 Peak Catalog for browser-first exploration
- Photo alt-text dataset for image accessibility metadata
Developers: request a key, fetch the protected dataset from the cloud, and use the page-scoped guides when you need human-readable route context. Please credit NH48.info for reused assets and confirm data against official sources when accuracy is critical.
Get API accessThese responses summarize common hiker opinions and may not reflect official AMC guidance. For definitive answers, visit the official AMC FAQ.