Mount Chocorua
Rocky Peak Of About 3,490 Feet At The East End Of The Sandwich Range In The White Mountain National Forest, Often Called The Most Photographed Mountain In New Hampshire, Seen Across Chocorua Lake From Route 16. · Chocorua, New Hampshire
A sharp, rocky peak of about 3,490 feet at the eastern end of the Sandwich Range in the White Mountain National Forest, often called the most photographed mountain in New Hampshire. Its bare granite summit cone rises above the forest like a much higher mountain, and the classic picture is taken from Route 16 across Chocorua Lake, with the peak reflected in still water. Fires in the nineteenth century burned the upper slopes to rock, so the last stretch of every trail is an open scramble over ledges with views in every direction, from Mount Washington to the lakes and the hills of Maine. The most popular route is the Champney Falls Trail from the Kancamagus Highway, which passes two waterfalls on the way up; the Piper Trail climbs from Route 16 on the east, and the Liberty and Brook trails from the south. The mountain takes its name from a legend of a Native American man named Chocorua who was said to have died on the summit. It is a busy hike on foliage weekends, slippery when wet, and dangerous in thunderstorms.
Piper Trailhead, NH Route 16, Chocorua, New Hampshire, 03817, United States
The mountain and its trails are open all year, day and night, with no gates or closing times. The Champney Falls trailhead on the Kancamagus Highway is a national forest fee site, where a recreation pass is needed to park; its vault toilets are open in the main season. Other trailheads on Route 16 and the Tamworth side are small lots or roadside pull-offs that may also need a pass (confirm). Winter plowing of trailhead lots is not guaranteed, and snow and ice on the summit cone last from about November into May. The roadside view of Chocorua Lake on Route 16 can be enjoyed at any hour. Summer daylight suits long hikes; in late autumn darkness falls early.