Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / New Hampshire / North Country

Kilkenny Ridge Trail

White Mountain National Forest, Kilkenny section (Stark to Jefferson)

The Kilkenny Ridge Trail runs north to south through the least-visited corner of the White Mountain National Forest, from South Pond in Stark to Route 2 in Jefferson, over Rogers Ledge, Mt. Cabot, the Weeks, Mt. Waumbek, and Mt. Starr King. New England Trail Finder says the ridge is known more for “quiet wooded trails and scenic mountain ponds” than for big views. The trail also carries the Cohos Trail through the Kilkenny.

On a 2010 solo trip, SectionHiker’s Philip Werner saw only two other hikers all weekend and opened his report: “The North Country of New Hampshire does not disappoint.”

The hike

SectionHiker’s trip plan starts at the South Pond Recreation Area and takes a side trip into Devil’s Hopyard, a short spur reached at mile 1.3. Rogers Ledge comes at about 5.3 miles. SectionHiker describes it as “a large south-facing cliff with a huge view of the Pliny Range,” and Go East gives its height as 2,966 feet.

Unknown Pond is next, at about mile 8. SectionHiker calls it “a pretty place to camp and a great place to watch the sunset over The Horn.” From there the trail climbs past the side trail to The Horn and The Bulge (9.7 miles) to the summit of Mt. Cabot (10.8), with the old fire warden’s cabin just beyond (11.2). Go East calls Unknown Pond “the last reliable water source between here and the south side of Cabot,” and SectionHiker found The Horn’s summit ledge a “difficult solo scramble.”

South of Cabot, the trail crosses Bunnell Notch and the York Pond Trail junction at Willard Notch, then climbs over North Weeks (16.9), South Weeks (19.3), Mt. Waumbek (22.2), and Mt. Starr King (23.2) before dropping 3.6 miles on the Starr King Trail to Route 2. On his 2010 trip, which went the opposite way, SectionHiker found the ridge dry for about 8 miles after Starr King, except for one small stream after North Weeks, and drank 8 to 9 liters on a hot day. He found the trail overgrown, with blowdowns, ferns, and hidden boulders, and quoted a 1987 guidebook: “Those who expect to find their trails groomed and manicured are doomed to disappointment.”

Shorter overnights reach the ridge from the east. Trail Finder lists the Mill Brook Trail, 3.6 miles from the Berlin Fish Hatchery on York Pond Road to the Rogers Ledge tentsite, and the Unknown Pond Trail, 3.2 miles to the pond; it notes the hatchery gate closes at 4 p.m. and says not to park beyond it.

SectionHiker’s author says the route is almost entirely below treeline. Reader comments on the trip plan say it works in either direction.

Tips

Camping

SectionHiker lists three free options. Rogers Ledge tentsite has four tent pads and an outhouse. Unknown Pond tentsite has six designated spaces, including a group site, an outhouse, and reliable water, and “camping is only permitted at the designated campsite and not within 0.25 miles of the pond or along its shore.” The Forest Service brochure confirms that Unknown Pond is a quarter-mile Forest Protection Area. The Mt. Cabot fire warden’s cabin is first come, first served for up to eight people, according to the Cohos Trail Association; Go East says camping is technically not allowed near the cabin. Elsewhere, the Forest Service’s general rule is to camp at least 200 feet from trails and water.

Inside Intel: SectionHiker recommends Unknown Pond for its sunset view of The Horn and calls the Cabot cabin “not exactly super clean inside,” advising against sleeping there unless necessary. Go East notes that Rogers Ledge tentsite has nearby water.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Six pads at Unknown Pond:

Camping at Unknown Pond is limited to its designated spaces, so a pad that handles bumpy forest ground earns its weight. See which sleeping pads testers recommend.

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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.