Turtleback Mountain & Bald Knob Hike
Trail Names
Shannon Brook Trail, Bald Knob Cutoff, Bald KnobTrail, Turtleback Mountain Trail, Turtleback Summit Trail, Connector Trail
Location
Castle in the Clouds Conservation Area, Route 171, Old Mountain Road, Moultonborough NH
Permitted Uses
Hiking, Nature Study, Snowshoeing, Cross-country skiing, activities described as “Low impact” recreational use. Fishing is allowed in accordance with NH State Laws. Hunting is allowed in certain areas and at certain times of the year and must also be in accord with NH State laws.
Prohibited Uses
No Camping, No overnight use, No fires, No mountain bikes, No ATVs, No horseback riding.
Hours
Daylight hours, year round
Fees and Parking
There is no fee to park or use the trails. Parking is across the street from the trailhead and there is ample parking.
Pets
Dogs are allowed on the trails and must be in control, either by leash or voice of the owner.
Accessibility
Hikes are not wheelchair accessible.
Hiker amenities: There is a kiosk at the parking lot entrance with a posted map and information about the trails. There are no restrooms or trash bins at the trailhead or along the trails.
Length and Trail information
The Castle in the Clouds Conservation Area consists of 5,246 acres of conserved land with 30 miles of trails to explore in the Ossipee Mountain Range. The conserved area is stewarded by the Lakes Region Conservation Trust and is the largest conserved space in the Lakes Region. Detailed information for visitors can be found at the Lakes Region Conservation Trust website by following the link below:
Our hike was done as a loop and was 8.6 miles in length and is considered a moderate hike. Each trail was well marked, had their own assigned trail blaze color making each trail easy to identify. We found excellent signage at each intersection of the trail we encountered. The trails we hiked range from easy to strenuous, but we found that at our pace, none of the trails were too difficult. The trail substrate is as varied as the trail blazes are, each one having a typical mix of smooth flat sections, as well as rocky and rooted sections,often found in mixed forests in New England. Along the route we were able to see pocket views of the Lucknow Mansion, aka "The Castle in the Clouds" and glimpses of Lake Winnipesaukee in the distance. Unfortunately for us, our visit coincided with the smoke from the wildfires originating in Canada and so the views were not as spectacular as they would have been if the view was not obscured by the smoke and haze. We were still impressed with the views and could just imagine how amazing the view must be during the height of fall foliage season.
One of the more interesting features of this visit was the discovery of a large section of Columnar Jointing. It’s well worth the short side spur to read the information posted about this geologically significant area and to see the columns of rocks up close.
We were able to snag two summits on this trip: Bald Knob at an elevation of 1801 ft. and the Summit of Turtleback Mountain at 2203 ft. The view from Turtleback Mountain Summit may not be as spectacular as Bald Knob is, but it's a beautiful place and the rocky summit is surrounded by a variety of trees that made for a lovely spot to enjoy our lunch.
This is a very popular hiking destination, and even during a midweek visit, it's likely that you will have company along the trail and at the summits.
