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Hiking Trails Under 5 km in New Hampshire

The directory currently contains 304 quality-checked routes matching this guide in New Hampshire. Their average mapped distance is 2.0 km and average recorded ascent is 128 m (420 ft); the longest route in the set is 5.0 km.

This subset represents 78% of the 390 quality-checked routes in New Hampshire. Its average distance is 2.0 km, compared with 5.3 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 128 m (420 ft), versus 260 m (853 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

Every route in this set has a mapped distance of 5 km or less. Time and suitability still depend on ascent, surface and conditions. Within this set, 119 routes (39%) are rated easy, 1 (0%) are rated hard or expert, and 29 (10%) 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

Summit Loop

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

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

0 m

Nelson Crag Trail

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

Return logistics

1 recorded loop

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

Moderate

Hungtington Ravine Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
3.1 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
859 m
Typical duration
1 hr 56 min
  • Mountain
  • Canyon and gorge
Moderate

Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
3.4 km
/ 2.1 mi
Elevation gain
704 m
Typical duration
1 hr 46 min
  • Mountain
  • Canyon and gorge
Kearsarge Fire Tower
Moderate

Kearsarge North Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
4.6 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
808 m
Typical duration
2 hr 10 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
Summit of the 2nd most or perhaps 3rd most frequently climbed mountain on the planet.
Moderate

Smith Summit Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.0 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
234 m
Typical duration
34 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Wapack National Wildlife Refuge. Credit: Matt Poole/USFWS. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/USFWSNortheast Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/USFWSNortheast
Easy

Summit Loop

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
35 m
Typical duration
10 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Moderate

Nelson Crag Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
4.8 km
/ 3.0 mi
Typical duration
1 hr
  • Mountain
Moderate

Liberty Spring Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
4.2 km
/ 2.6 mi
Elevation gain
867 m
Typical duration
2 hr 10 min
  • Mountain
Easy

Little River Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
2.7 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
26 m
Typical duration
36 min
  • River
  • Waymarked route
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

Six Husbands Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
3.0 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
15 m
Typical duration
39 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

Marlboro Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
3.1 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
561 m
Typical duration
1 hr 29 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Frankenstein Cliff Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
3.1 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
51 m
Typical duration
43 min
  • Coastal
Conway Scenic Railway, Arethusa Falls Trail, Hart's Location, New Hampshire, United States
Moderate

Arethusa Falls Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
2.0 km
/ 1.2 mi
Typical duration
25 min
  • Waterfall
Moderate

Cascade Link

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
2.1 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
10 m
Typical duration
27 min
  • Waterfall
Moderate

Cliff Walk

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
257 m
Typical duration
53 min
  • Coastal
Moderate

Cave Mountain Path

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
145 m
Typical duration
20 min
  • Mountain
  • Cave
Harris Hill Ski Jump and Retreat Tower From Wantastiquet
Moderate

Wantastiquet Mountain Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
3.1 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
331 m
Typical duration
1 hr 8 min
  • Mountain
Pemigewasset River, Flume Gorge, Lincoln
Moderate

Flume Gorge Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
3.2 km
/ 2.0 mi
Elevation gain
163 m
Typical duration
54 min
  • Canyon and gorge
Moderate

Middle Mountain Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.5 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
93 m
Typical duration
27 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

Monte Rosa

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
114 m
Typical duration
17 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

Mountain Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
3.9 km
/ 2.4 mi
Elevation gain
32 m
Typical duration
52 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

Boulder Loop Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Typical duration
30 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Beech Loop

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
9 m
Typical duration
10 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Blue Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Typical duration
13 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Stadium Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Typical duration
14 min
  • Waymarked route
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
Moderate

Alpine Garden Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
2.7 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
92 m
Typical duration
42 min
  • Alpine meadow
Moderate

Chandler Brook Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.2 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
28 m
Typical duration
18 min
  • River
Bemis Falls, Arethusa Falls Trail, Hart's Location
Moderate

Bemis Brook Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
111 m
Typical duration
19 min
  • River
Moderate

Brook Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
2.5 km
/ 1.6 mi
Elevation gain
268 m
Typical duration
56 min
  • River
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Mossy Brook Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
0.4 km
/ 0.3 mi
Typical duration
5 min
  • River
Pemigewasset River, Lincoln Woods Trail
Easy

Lincoln Woods Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
4.7 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
88 m
Typical duration
1 hr 6 min
  • Forest
Hiking Flume Slide Trail - 2010.06.27
Moderate

Flume Slide Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
4.7 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
778 m
Typical duration
2 hr 8 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

Avalon Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
4.0 km
/ 2.5 mi
Elevation gain
742 m
Typical duration
1 hr 57 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

Neville Ridge Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
18 m
Typical duration
17 min
  • Mountain
Easy

Old Mountain Road

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
63 m
Typical duration
36 min
  • Mountain
Easy

Ridge Loop

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
11 m
Typical duration
7 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

Wamsutta Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
669 m
Typical duration
1 hr 29 min
Moderate

Dublin Trai

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
3.5 km
/ 2.2 mi
Elevation gain
515 m
Typical duration
1 hr 30 min
Moderate

Lion Head Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
2.1 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
604 m
Typical duration
1 hr 20 min
Moderate

Marlboro Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
3.1 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
561 m
Typical duration
1 hr 29 min
Moderate

White Dot Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
534 m
Typical duration
1 hr 23 min
Moderate

Sphinx Trail

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.9 mi
Typical duration
17 min
Horse Island
Easy

Big Island Trail Loop

New Hampshire · United States

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
41 m
Typical duration
32 min
  • Waymarked route

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
Hungtington Ravine TrailNew Hampshire3.1 km859 m1 hr 56 minModerateJune to October
Ammonoosuc Ravine TrailNew Hampshire3.4 km704 m1 hr 46 minModerateApril to October
Kearsarge North TrailNew Hampshire4.6 km808 m2 hr 10 minModerateApril to October
Smith Summit TrailNew Hampshire1.0 km234 m34 minModerateApril to October
Summit LoopNew Hampshire0.5 km35 m10 minEasyApril to October
Nelson Crag TrailNew Hampshire4.8 km0 m1 hrModerateJune to October
Liberty Spring TrailNew Hampshire4.2 km867 m2 hr 10 minModerateApril to October
Little River TrailNew Hampshire2.7 km26 m36 minEasyApril to October
Arethusa-Ripley Falls TrailNew Hampshire3.8 km204 m1 hr 6 minModerateApril to October
Six Husbands TrailNew Hampshire3.0 km15 m39 minModerateJune to October

Hungtington Ravine Trail, Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, Kearsarge North 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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