Mount Chocorua via Piper Trail
The most photographed peak in New Hampshire, with a bare granite summit cone.
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Length
- 8.8 mi
- Elevation Gain
- 2,700 ft
- Duration
- 5–7
- Best Season
- May–Oct
- Permit
- Not required
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Features
- Bare rock summit, 360° views
About the trail
Mount Chocorua (3,490 ft) isn't the tallest peak in the Whites, but its dramatic bare-rock summit rising above Chocorua Lake makes it arguably the region's most iconic. The Piper Trail climbs gradually through hardwoods and conifers, then steepens onto open ledges for the final push. The 360° summit view takes in the Sandwich Range, the Presidentials, and a patchwork of lakes to the south.
Trailhead map & directions
Turn-by-turn route
- Park at the Piper Trail trailhead off Route 16 in Tamworth ($5 day-use fee).
- Follow the trail along the Chocorua River through hardwood forest.
- Pass the Camp Penacook shelter at 2.6 miles.
- Climb steeply through conifers to the open ledges.
- Scramble the bare rock cone to the summit (4.4 miles).
- Return via the same route, or loop down via the Liberty Trail.
Parking
Piper Trail lot on Route 16. Self-pay fee station. Fills by 8 AM on fall weekends.
Tips from the trail
- The summit cone is bare rock — descend with care when wet.
- Avoid in thunderstorms; there is no shelter above treeline.
- Sunrise from the summit is unforgettable if you can manage a headlamp start.
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