White Ledge Loop Trail

Trail name(s)

White Ledge Loop Trail

Location

2206 NH Route 16, White Ledge Campground, White Mountain National Forest, Albany NH. 

Permitted uses

Hiking, Nature Study, Camping in designated camping sites

Prohibited uses

No Fireworks, No washing at the public water supply, No drones, No damage to live or standing trees, No fires outside of designated fire rings. No marijuana usage. Do not feed wildlife, store all food with bear safety in mind. No motorized vehicles on the trail.

Hours

There are no posted hours at the information Kiosk.

Fees and Parking

Parking for day hikers is free but limited to 5 very tightly packed spaces and one parking space reserved for handicapped visitors. If other day visitors don't park with consideration for others, then the parking will be further limited. There are parking spaces at each campsite for those wishing to camp as well as hike. Camping is subject to availability and a fee is charged. There is no fee to use the trail.

Pets

Dogs and cats are allowed but must be kept on a leash no longer than 6 feet in length. 

Accessibility

This hike is not wheelchair accessible.

Hiker amenities

There is an information Kiosk with a posted map. The map is not useful as a trail map due to the fact that it is a map of the entire White Mountain National Forest. There are several restrooms available near the parking area and potable water. There are no trash bins. Please carry out all the trash you create or find. 

Length and Trail information

This hike was done as a loop and was roughly 4.29 miles in length. The trail is marked with a yellow blaze. The trail entrance is located near camping sites 6 and 7 so hikers need to park near the entrance and walk along the paved road through the camping area to access the trail. The hike is considered to be moderate, rising to the top of White Ledge at approximate 2019 feet.  Our goal for this hike was to reach White Ledge to enjoy the views of the surrounding mountains. The hike began through a mixed dense forest with a typical forest substrate of roots and rocks. We reached the junction of the White Ledge Loop Trail where we found an engraved wooden sign and a useful trail map posted. We chose to hike the trail in a counter clockwise fashion. Our reasoning behind this was to hike the steepest parts of the trail while we were fresh and not tired, thus avoiding having to deal with the stresses on knees and feet that a steep descent can often bring.  During our hike we forded a small stream, climbed over some rock ledges and enjoyed some views wherever the trees were sparse enough to allow. The top of White Ledge is not marked well. There is no sign posted or cairn installed to let you know you have reached your destination. We figured out we were there by noticing the ledge view off of the large open rock plaza. We did a bit of exploring and determined that the small ledge was most likely the best view we were going to have at the elevation of around 2000 feet. We took a short break and then headed back to the trail and started heading down. The trail was narrow and flanked on either side with blueberry bushes that sadly were devoid of fruit. We took our time down some of the steeper rocky areas and saw some interesting boulders. We came upon another large open rock plaza and noticed large rock cairns had been installed to help hikers stay on the trail. It wasn't long before we were down into the forest again enjoying the coolness that the shade from the tree canopy provided. We continued through the forest along the trail and made our way back to the junction and then back to our vehicle.  This was a challenging hike with decent views along the way as well as at the ledge and it was a great way to spend an afternoon.