Trails / New Hampshire / Pemigewasset Wilderness

Zealand to Guyot and the Bonds

Zealand Notch and the Bonds, White Mountain National Forest (Zealand Road, Bethlehem)

Check before you go. Check before you go: the classic Bonds traverse ends on the Lincoln Woods Trail, which the Forest Service closed from June 15 through November 2026 for riverbank restoration (Kancamagus Highway to the Osseo Trail junction). Until it reopens, plan an out-and-back from Zealand. Since May 1, 2026, a hard-sided, IGBC-certified bear canister is required for overnight camping in the Pemigewasset Wilderness (Order R9-22-26-03); the Forest Service says Guyot is not technically inside the wilderness and to use its bear box there. Zealand Falls Hut's 2026 full-service season ended Oct. 17; AMC lists a self-service season from Oct. 21, 2026, to May 30, 2027, so confirm hut services and water with AMC before you go. Zealand Road was listed as open on the Forest Service's 2026 road-status page; it is a seasonal road, so confirm before late-fall trips.

The Bonds rise in the middle of the Pemigewasset Wilderness, and the AMC’s Guyot campsite sits just below them. From the Zealand trailhead, the Twinway climbs past Zealand Falls Hut and over Zealand Mountain to Mount Guyot, where a short descent reaches the campsite below Mount Bond.

With the Lincoln Woods Trail closed through November 2026, this page describes the trip as an out-and-back from Zealand, with the traverse as the option once Lincoln Woods reopens.

The hike

Hike New England’s 2009 mile table starts on the Zealand Trail, which crosses the Zealand River and a zigzag bridge over a beaver swamp. The Woodstock Inn Brewery’s hiking blog calls the first 2.5 miles easy old logging roads. At about mile 2.5, the trail passes Zealand Pond and reaches the Twinway, with Zealand Falls and Zealand Falls Hut a few tenths of a mile beyond. SectionHiker says anyone can stop at the hut during the day to refill water, buy snacks, or use the facilities.

The Twinway climbs to the Zeacliff outlook (about mile 3.9 to 4.2, depending on the source), with a short spur to Zeacliff Pond. The summit of Zealand Mountain (about mile 5.7, on a 0.1-mile spur) has no views, according to the brewery blog, but bald Mount Guyot (about mile 7) has 360-degree views. The Bondcliff Trail then leads to the spur for the Guyot campsite at about mile 7.9.

From camp, Hike New England went out and back to West Bond, about a mile round trip; the brewery blog’s author watched the sunset there. The next morning, Mount Bond is 0.9 mile from camp and Bondcliff 2.1 miles; SectionHiker warns about the cliff edge in fog or high wind. SectionHiker calls the descent from Bond steep and boulder-choked and says Bondcliff’s open ledges get very hot in summer.

On the out-and-back, return over Guyot and the Twinway to Zealand. When the Lincoln Woods Trail is open, the traverse continues down the Bondcliff Trail to the Wilderness Trail and Lincoln Woods, 11.2 miles from the campsite in Hike New England’s table, past the long footbridge at Franconia Brook.

This route shares Guyot and the Bonds with the Pemi Loop. Zealand Notch and the Ethan Pond Trail are covered on the Ethan Pond and Zealand Notch page.

Tips

Fill water at Zealand Falls Hut when it is open; the brewery blog calls it the last place to refill without a filter.
Avoid weekends and holidays if you can. SectionHiker commenters say Guyot fills fast and there is little other camping or water nearby.
Carry a bear canister for any wilderness camping, and use the bear box at Guyot.
Watch the weather before heading onto Bond and Bondcliff.

Camping

No permit is needed. Wilderness groups are limited to 10 people. In the Pemigewasset Wilderness, camping and wood or charcoal fires are banned within 200 feet of any trail except at designated sites, and camping is banned in the alpine zone (trees under 8 feet) unless there are two feet of snow. Forest Protection Areas also ban camping within a quarter mile of huts and shelters except at designated sites.

AMC’s Guyot campsite, off the Bondcliff Trail between Mount Guyot and Mount Bond, has 4 small and 2 group platforms, a communal shelter, a spring, and metal food boxes. It is first come, first served, can’t be reserved, and has a caretaker and fee in season. Zealand Falls Hut takes reservations; AMC listed a 2026 self-service season of May 8 to 31 and full service from June 4 to Oct. 17; its hut page now lists self-service from Oct. 21, 2026, to May 30, 2027, and full service from June 3 to Oct. 16, 2027.

Inside Intel: SectionHiker recommends staying at Guyot because it has the only reliable water for some distance. The Woodstock Inn Brewery blog’s author slept in the shelter to skip carrying a tent but found the snoring and movement hard to sleep through, and says she would likely bring a tent or hammock next time. She also suggests asking the caretaker for advice.

Trail facts

Distance: About 15.8 miles round trip to Guyot campsite, plus side trips; 20.9 miles as a traverse to Lincoln Woods
Route type: Out and back (traverse when Lincoln Woods reopens)
Difficulty: Strenuous
Campsites: Guyot shelter and tentsite (about mile 7.9); Zealand Falls Hut by reservation (about mile 2.7)
Water: Zealand River and Pond, Whitewall Brook, Zealand Falls Hut in season, Guyot spring
Permits: None
Food storage: Bear box at Guyot; bear canister required elsewhere in the wilderness
Dogs: Allowed at AMC platforms leashed or under voice command, not in shelters (AMC)
Trailhead: Zealand trailhead at the end of Zealand Road
Last verified: October 17, 2026

The Lowdown

The boulder-choked descent from Mount Bond:

From Zealand, day one climbs about 4,000 feet over Zealand Mountain to Guyot, and one guide calls the descent from Mount Bond steep and boulder-choked. See how to adjust your poles for climbs and descents like these.

See the 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.