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Best Lake Hikes in New Hampshire

The directory currently contains 27 quality-checked routes matching this guide in New Hampshire. Their average mapped distance is 2.6 km and average recorded ascent is 130 m (427 ft); the longest route in the set is 8.4 km.

This subset represents 7% of the 390 quality-checked routes in New Hampshire. Its average distance is 2.6 km, compared with 5.3 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 130 m (427 ft), versus 260 m (853 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

Every route in this set carries a lake tag in the directory. Whether the mapped line reaches the shore and whether swimming is allowed must be checked locally. Within this set, 7 routes (26%) are rated easy, 0 (0%) are rated hard or expert, and 2 (7%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

0.5 km

Falls Trail

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

0 m

Falls Trail

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

2 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

Arethusa Falls, Arethusa Falls Trail, Hart's Location
Moderate

Arethusa-Ripley Falls Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
3.8 km
/ 2.4 mi
Elevation gain
204 m
Typical duration
1 hr 6 min
  • Waterfall
  • Lake
Moderate

Cascade Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.7 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
61 m
Typical duration
26 min
  • Waterfall
  • Lake
Easy

Falls Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Typical duration
7 min
  • Waterfall
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Star Lake Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
273 m
Typical duration
41 min
  • Lake
Easy

Lake Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.8 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
15 m
Typical duration
23 min
  • Lake
Moderate

Brook Walk

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
40 m
Typical duration
17 min
  • Lake
  • River
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Shannon Brook Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
178 m
Typical duration
44 min
  • Lake
  • River
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Bald Knob Cut-Off

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.5 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
202 m
Typical duration
37 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Oak Ridge Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.9 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
92 m
Typical duration
32 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
Moderate

Thoreau Falls Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
7.7 km
/ 4.8 mi
Elevation gain
36 m
Typical duration
1 hr 40 min
  • Waterfall
  • Lake
Moderate

Turtleback Mountain Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
8.0 km
/ 4.9 mi
Elevation gain
434 m
Typical duration
2 hr 19 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
Moderate

Faraway Mountain Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
4.6 km
/ 2.8 mi
Elevation gain
337 m
Typical duration
1 hr 28 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
Moderate

High Ridge Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
8.4 km
/ 5.2 mi
Elevation gain
172 m
Typical duration
2 hr 1 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
Moderate

Oak Ridge Cutoff

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
216 m
Typical duration
39 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
Moderate

Faraway Mountain Connector

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
0.4 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
70 m
Typical duration
12 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
Moderate

Bald Knob Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
44 m
Typical duration
18 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Lower Bridle Path

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
140 m
Typical duration
30 min
  • Lake
Easy

Walker Reserve Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
21 m
Typical duration
18 min
  • Lake
  • Wildlife watching
Easy

Pond Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
22 m
Typical duration
9 min
  • Lake
Moderate

Settlement Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
51 m
Typical duration
24 min
  • Lake
Moderate

Mount Roberts Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
3.8 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
415 m
Typical duration
1 hr 25 min
  • Lake
Easy

Black Snout Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
132 m
Typical duration
42 min
  • Lake
Easy

Cold Spring Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
2.0 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
133 m
Typical duration
37 min
  • Lake
Moderate

Upper Bridle Path

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.2 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
8 m
Typical duration
16 min
  • Lake
Moderate

4th Connecticut Lake Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
2.0 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
125 m
Typical duration
36 min
  • Lake
Moderate

Lake Francis State Park

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
5.6 km
/ 3.5 mi
Elevation gain
59 m
Typical duration
1 hr 15 min
  • Lake

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Arethusa-Ripley Falls TrailNew Hampshire3.8 km204 m1 hr 6 minModerateApril to October
Cascade TrailNew Hampshire1.7 km61 m26 minModerateApril to October
Falls TrailNew Hampshire0.5 km0 m7 minEasyApril to October
Star Lake TrailNew Hampshire1.3 km273 m41 minModerateJune to October
Turtleback Mountain Summit TrailNew Hampshire0.7 km39 m12 minEasyApril to October
Lake TrailNew Hampshire1.8 km15 m23 minEasyApril to October
Brook WalkNew Hampshire1.1 km40 m17 minModerateApril to October
Shannon Brook TrailNew Hampshire2.3 km178 m44 minModerateApril to October
Bald Knob Cut-OffNew Hampshire1.5 km202 m37 minModerateApril to October
Oak Ridge TrailNew Hampshire1.9 km92 m32 minModerateApril to October

Arethusa-Ripley Falls Trail, Star Lake Trail, Falls Trail currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

Frequently asked questions

Plan with more confidence

All planning articles →

Choosing a route

How to choose a hike beyond the difficulty label

Compare distance, climbing, route shape and missing information to build a shortlist that fits your day.

Read article →

Understanding the map

Read an elevation profile without misreading the climb

Understand total ascent, net height change, profile scale and the section breakdown on each mapped route.

Read article →

Planning your day

Build a hiking time plan with room for your own pace

Separate moving time, climbing allowance and stops, then explore how changing your assumptions changes the plan.

Read article →

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