Hiking on North & South Bald Face Mountain

Pack lunch and wear a good pair of hiking boots, because with almost 4,000 feet of vertical climb, a gorge to explore and two rocky summits, the Baldface Mountain Loop offers a lot of adventure. On the eastern edge of the White Mountains, North and South Baldface are right over the Maine border in Carroll County, New Hampshire. Hiking in the area can be technically difficult; according to Backpacker Magazine, the full loop hike including the ascents to both summits, earns the Baldface a 7-out-of-10 difficulty rating.

  1. Getting There

    • The Baldface Circle Trailhead is on NH Route 113, 2½ miles north of the Maine state line at Route 113-B. Head north from Portsmouth, Maine, on the Spaulding Turnpike and join NH Route 113 in Conway, New Hampshire. Turn sharp left on 113 North in Fryeburg, Maine (not well-marked). About 20 miles north along 113 you'll find a small parking lot on the left-hand side of the road, just after a large brown sign. The trailhead is farther north on the opposite side of the road. Note that Route 113 through Evans Notch, near East Royce, is not plowed in winter.

    Baldface Mountain Loop

    • Named for the bare faces of its rocky ledges, at 3,566 feet Baldface Mountain is considered one of New Hampshire's 48 "4,000-footers." Alternately called the "Circle Trail," the 9.8-mile Baldface Loop splits at Emerald Pond, moving east over both summits before returning to the trailhead. At the Emerald Pond split, less-experienced hikers can elect to turn left on Slippery Brook Trail to Baldface Knob Trail. This detour avoids the technically demanding ledges east of South Baldface and, after crossing Knob Trail's scenic blueberry ledges, rejoins the traditional Loop.

    South Summit

    • Turning left on the Loop at Emerald Pond, experienced hikers climb uphill to a ridge that connects with an old logging trail. Here, a half-mile detour leads to Chandler Gorge, after which the trail circles a knob to Baldface Shelter. A technical 900-foot ascent up open rock cliffs then leads to a ridge at the junction with Baldface Knob Trail. A final half-mile up more-gradual ledges leads to South Baldface summit at 3,547 feet.

    North Summit

    • From South Summit, the trail continues 1.2 miles to North Baldface, both the highest point of the traditional Loop and its midpoint. The North Summit approach consists of five rocky humps made up of open ledges and scrub brush. After summitting at 3,566 feet, descend North Baldface down a steep drop into scrub brush. A series of mixed ledges then flatten out over the course of a mile and rejoin the Loop at Bicknell Ridge Trail.

    Off The Trail

    • In addition to Slippery Brook Trail and the Chandler Gorge detour, hikers can take the Eagle Cascade Link instead of Bicknell Ridge when climbing the North Summit. Further north, the Meander Ridge Trail adds two miles to the Baldface Loop before reaching Route 113. To the west, long approaches are possible from the Wild River Trail by Eagle Link. Several campsites, shelters and huts are available on Baldface Mountain and maintained by the U.S. Forest Service. For more information on backcountry camping, contact the White Mountain National Forest's Saco Ranger District (see Resources).