Pisgah State Park, NH

ABOUT THE PARK:  Pisgah State Park - New Hampshire State Parks

TRAIL MAP:  Pisgah State Park Summer Trail Map

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates: 42.841475,-72.483612

View Larger Map

 

HIKE DISTANCE:
Pisgah Mountain Loop - 8.5 miles (click here for brochure with directions - also gives shorter options)
My version of the hike - 10.1 miles

HIKE DIRECTIONS:
Some of the trails are blazed but the colors are not shown on the park map.  On the map below are the colored blazes as I saw them during the hike, with the exception of the green which is to show an unmarked trail.

I had intended to follow the brochure with some modifications.  Although Intersections are marked with signs, I misinterpreted one of the intersections and ended up on an unmarked, unmaintained trail (shown in lime green on the map) early on.  This resulted in coming out at what would have been the final section of the hike so I had to flip the directions.  Most of what I am describing will be backwards if you are following the brochure link above.

From the parking lot, start on Killburn Road, a wide woods road, to the right of the park sign.  At .6 miles, keep straight as Killburn Road becomes Killburn Loop which also goes to the right.

At 1.1 miles the blue Killburn Loop trail turns sharply to the right - this is where I was confused.  So to follow the brochure, turn right at the intersection below at 1.1 miles and cross over a bridge.

If you want to follow my hike, keep straight instead of turning right on the blue Killburn Loop trail and you will see this sign - they really mean it when they say "not a maintained trail" - expect a few rock hops over a creek and some difficulty in following the trail.

At 1.9 miles the unmarked, unmaintained trail comes out at an intersection with the blue Baker Pond trail; turn left on the Baker Pond Trail.

At the next intersection with the Davis Hill and Hubbard Hill Trails, a short unmarked trail to the left takes you closer to Baker Pond.

Return to the intersection and take the red Hubbard Hill Trail.  (You would have turned right on the red Hubbard Hill Trail from the blue Baker Pond Trail if you did not detour to the pond.)

When you come to a fork on the red Hubbard Hill Trail, go left towards the vista.

View to the west from Hubbard Hill vista.

Log bench at the Hubbard Hill vista.

Retrace your steps on the red Hubbard Hill trail back to the intersection; turn left on the blue Baker Pond Trail.  At 3.65 miles, stay on the blue Baker Pond Trail as the Pisgah Ridge Trail goes to the right.  At 4.0 miles, turn right on the Reservoir Trail, a multi-use trail where you will cross several bridges and see many traffic signs.

 

 

At 4.80 miles a short yellow-blazed side trail goes to North Round Pond.

 

Return to the Reservoir Trail, passing the North Pond Trail on the left at 5.1 miles and the Parker Trail on the left at 5.9 miles.  At 6.3 miles turn right on the orange Pisgah Ridge Trail at the edge of the Pisgah Reservoir.  This trail climbs uphill with alternating uphills and downhills along the way.  This trail takes you through beautiful forests.

Arrive at an overlook with views of Pisgah Reservoir and the park to the east from above at 7.3 miles.

Mt. Monadnock to the east.

Continue on the orange Pisgah Ridge Trail over the wooded summit of Pisgah Mountain to the Pisgah Mountain vista at 8.1 miles.

View of Mt. Monadnock to the east from Pisgah Mountain vista.

View from Pisgah Mountain vista to the west.

Continue on the orange Pisgah Ridge Trail which now proceeds downhill to a junction with a yellow trail at 8.4 miles.  Turn left on the yellow trail.

At 8.9 miles turn right on the blue Killburn Loop trail, cross over a bridge, turn left staying on the blue Killburn Loop trail.  At 9.5 miles the blue Killburn Loop trail goes left; stay straight on Killburn Road back to the parking lot.

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  Kilburn Road trailhead parking; start on Kilburn Road at opposite end of parking lot
[  0.60]  Keep left as Killburn Road becomes blue Killburn Loop Trail which also goes right
[  1.10]  Blue Killburn Loop Trail turns right and crosses bridge
   ***at this point we went straight on the unmaintained trail (green on map) instead of right***
[  1.90]  Unmaintained trail ends at junction; left on blue Baker Pond Trail
[  2.25]  Right on red Hubbard Hill Trail where David Hill Trail goes left; at fork left to vista
[  2.75]  Hubbard Hill vista; retrace steps back to Baker Pond Trail
[  3.25]  Back at junction where David Hill Trail goes right, turn left on blue Baker Pond Trail
[  3.65]  Arrive back at junction where unmaintained trail joins; stay left on blue Baker Pond Trail
[  4.00]  Blue Baker Pond trail ends at multi-use Reservoir Trail; right on Reservoir Trail
[  4.80]  Left on yellow trail to North Round Pond
[  4.90]  Arrive at North Round Pond; retrace steps back to Reservoir Trail
[  5.00]  Left on Reservoir Trail
[  5.10]  Stay on Reservoir Trail as North Pond Trail leaves to the left
[  5.90]  Stay on Reservoir Trail as Parker Trail leaves to the left
[  6.30]  Turn right on orange Pisgah Ridge Trail from the Reservoir Trail
[  7.30]  Arrive at vista with eastern views of Pisgah State Park and Pisgah Reservoir
[  8.10]  Arrive at open ledge of Pisgah Mountain vista with west and east views.
[  8.40]  Turn left on yellow diamond blazed trail
[  8.90]  Turn right on blue Killburn Loop trail
[  9.00]  Killburn Loop trail veers left after crossing over bridge
[  9.50]  Stay straight on Kilburn Road as blue Killburn Loop goes to the left
[10.10]  Arrive back at parking lot

Pin It