Trails / New Hampshire / Moosilauke and the Upper Valley

Appalachian Trail: Mount Moosilauke (Glencliff to Kinsman Notch)

White Mountain National Forest (NH 25 at Glencliff to NH 112 at Kinsman Notch)

Mount Moosilauke is the southwesternmost 4,000-footer in the White Mountains, according to Dartmouth, and Trail Finder says it has the largest alpine area in the range outside the Presidentials. The Appalachian Trail crosses its bald summit between the village of Glencliff and Kinsman Notch, with a shelter low on each side.

The Dartmouth Outing Club maintains the trail and shelters here. Dartmouth Library says the club has maintained more than 50 miles of the AT, from Hanover to Moosilauke, since 1929; Dartmouth’s Outdoor Programs page says “over seventy miles.”

The hike

Northbound from NH 25 in Glencliff, the AT (here called the Town Line Trail) reaches the side trail to Jeffers Brook Shelter in about 1.1 miles, according to Campflare. SectionHiker’s 2008 report describes the shelter as new and set in a hemlock glade.

The trail then joins the Glencliff Trail. Trail Finder says the Glencliff trailhead is about 1.3 miles up High Street from NH 25 and that the AT joins the trail a tenth of a mile in. At about 2.6 miles up the Glencliff Trail, a 0.2-mile spur leads right to South Peak (4,523 feet), and the AT turns left along the Carriage Road for 0.9 mile to the summit. Hike New England describes 360-degree views from the top, including Franconia Ridge and the Connecticut River valley, and an old crumbled foundation that offers some shelter on cold days. Jason Durham’s 2024 thru-hike account notes that crews have lined the path with stones across the bald to protect the plants.

Northbound hikers descend the Beaver Brook Trail. Its upper section passes just below Mount Blue and the Asquam Ridge Trail junction, then reaches the 80-yard spur to Beaver Brook Shelter (3,750 feet), 1.5 miles above the road. Below the shelter, the trail drops steeply beside Beaver Brook Cascades on hand rungs and railroad-tie steps. Hiking Project calls the first mile above the road about a 34 percent grade with no switchbacks.

Loop option: SectionHiker’s 18.6-mile Tunnel Brook Loop circles the mountain from Ravine Lodge Road, using the Hurricane, Glencliff, Tunnel Brook, Benton, and Carriage Road trails, with dispersed camping allowed 200 feet off the Tunnel Brook and Benton Trails.

North of Kinsman Notch, the AT continues along Kinsman Ridge. South of Glencliff, it heads toward Hanover; see Hanover to Glencliff.

Tips

Go up the cascades, not down, if you can. Hike New England says the descent requires care and slow movement.
Treat all water, and carry extra above the shelters.
Stay on the marked path above treeline; SectionHiker says Moosilauke is often windy.
Pay the Forest Service day-use fee at the Beaver Brook trailhead; it is self-service.

Camping

No permit is needed. The Forest Service lists the Appalachian Trail corridor from the summit of Mount Moosilauke to the Connecticut River as a Forest Protection Area where camping is banned within 200 feet of the trail except at designated sites. Camping is also banned in the alpine zone unless there are two feet of snow, and within a quarter mile of shelters and trailheads except at designated sites. SectionHiker adds that camping is prohibited on Moosilauke east of the AT on Dartmouth-owned land, except at lean-tos.

Beaver Brook Shelter sits at 3,750 feet on the northern flank of Asquam Ridge, 1.5 miles from NH 112 (Forest Service). Campflare lists room for about 8 in the shelter, 3 overflow tent sites, and a composting privy. Jeffers Brook Shelter sleeps up to 10, with a privy and Jeffers Brook in front (Campflare). Both are free and first come, first served.

Inside Intel: Hike New England calls Beaver Brook Shelter a common overnight stop for AT thru-hikers, on a short spur to the right of the trail. Hiking Project notes the shelter, built by the Dartmouth Outing Club, has views of the Franconia and Kinsman ridges.

Trail facts

Distance: About 9.3 miles, NH 25 to Kinsman Notch
Route type: Point to point
Difficulty: Strenuous
Campsites: Jeffers Brook Shelter (about 1.1 miles from NH 25), Beaver Brook Shelter (1.5 miles from NH 112)
Water: Jeffers Brook; small, possibly unreliable stream at Beaver Brook Shelter; little on the mountain
Permits: None
Food storage: Store food properly; the Forest Service lists canisters, food lockers, or a 12-foot hang as options outside wilderness areas
Dogs: Permitted on Moosilauke’s trails (Trail Finder)
Trailheads: AT crossing of NH 25 or the Glencliff Trail on High Street, Glencliff; Beaver Brook Trailhead, NH 112, Kinsman Notch
Last verified: October 11, 2026

The Lowdown

Beaver Brook's hand rungs on Moosilauke:

Below Beaver Brook Shelter the AT drops steeply beside the cascades on hand rungs and railroad-tie steps, about a 34 percent grade with no switchbacks. See how poles can help on a descent like that.

Get the trekking pole tips →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.