The Mount Osceola Trail at the White Mountain National Forest near Lincoln, New Hampshire is a moderate-to-difficult 6-mile out-and-back trail up to a beautiful vista point atop Mount Osceola's summit.
In my experience, this is probably one of the easiest 4,000-foot peaks in the White Mountains; however, inexperienced hikers may find this mountain a challenge due to the 2,000-foot elevation change. Experienced hikers may find this trail to be moderate instead of difficult. The trail is fairly steady going up with a consistent elevation grade and it's easy to follow.
The summit offers great views, with the option to continue on to East Osceola if you want to cross another 4,000-foot peak off your list. I saw lots of dogs and older children on the trail, and I would say this hike is suitable for both - unlike some of the other trails in the White Mountains.
Vista
Once at the top of Mount Osceola, hikers have a view of Mount Tripyramid (north, middle, south peaks), The Sleepers, Scaur Peak, and Waterville Valley below. There are several other vista points along the trail that give hikers stunning views of the White Mountains and neighboring valleys.
Parking
There is a moderate-sized parking lot at the coordinates provided; however, hikers will find the parking lot is generally full during the busy seasons - Summer and Autumn. Hikers should plan to show up early if they want a space in the parking lot, otherwise, plan to park along the street. Parking along the street may add an additional 0.5-miles to your hike, depending on how many hikers are on the trail.
Fees
There is a $5 fee at the parking area.
Road Closed for Winter
The road to access this trailhead is closed during the winter months due to snow.
MyHikes is an indie web platform aimed to make exploring public trails easier for everyone. The site has no investors and is owned and operated by one person, Dave Miller (Founder & Admin). As the Founder, main contributor, and doer-of-all-things for MyHikes, I share my trips with over-detailed write-ups for fun on a volunteer basis and I believe that public trail information should be available to everyone.
It takes a lot of time 🕦, money 💰, and effort (including espresso shots ☕) to run MyHikes, including hiking , mapping , writing , and publishing new trails with high-quality content... along with building new features, moderating, site maintainance, and app development for iOS and Android . I simply ask that if you find MyHikes' trail guides helpful to please consider becoming a Supporter to help keep the site, iOS, and Android apps available to everyone.
Supporters unlock website and in-app perks with a one-time payment of $25 (you renew) 😎👍. Or you can simply make a Donation of your choice without a MyHikes user account. Otherwise, telling your friends about MyHikes is the next-best thing - both quick and free 🎉
Thanks for visiting MyHikes and have a great hike!️