Elevation gain: 1045'
Trails used: Tarleton Road Trail, Neville Peak Trail, bushwhack.
Desi and I wanted to get out and enjoy the sun and nice weather on Sunday so after looking around a bit online, I found the perfect hike: not too long, a nice decent hike and it has views.
Neville Peak is a subpeak off of Nottingham Mountain and is located in Epsom, New Hampshire. Nottingham Mountain is located in Deerfield, New Hampshire and is the highest point in Deerfield and also the highest peak in Rockingham County. There are various ATV trails around this peak, as well as snowmobile trails down low. So its possible that you could do Nottingham Mountain without doing a bushwhack (which is more fun, anyways). Here is a map and information on the trails in the Epsom Town Forest.
The gate on Tarleton Road was open but we parked just up the road behind a snowbank. It was also quite muddy so it would have been a sketchy ride to the parking area.
An old foundation for the Tarleton homestead. When you see this, make sure you make the turn onto the snowmobile trail for the Neville Peak Trail.
The orange/red flagged Neville Peak Trail starts off pretty level, then starts to gain elevation. Its never too steep though so its nice for families with kids.
A neat little wooden bridge over this wet area along the Neville Peak Trail. It looks like it is possibly a recent addition as the wood still looked new.
Nice woods walking on the way to Neville Peak. The trail was adorned with flagging so it was fairly easy to follow and there was very little snow and ice to worry about.
Hiking up just below the summit area for Neville Peak. This was the most snow we encountered for the whole hike and it is weird as it is in the open and most of the hike up is in the woods where the sunshine isn't as prevalent.
Neville Peak is a nice little area to sit and it has nice views to boot. Bonus: there are tons of blueberry bushes up here on both peaks.
Plymouth Mountain, Carr Mountain, Stinson Mountain and Mount Moosilaukee from the ledges on Neville Peak.
Mount Cardigan from the ledges on Neville Peak.
Mount Kinsman (far left), Franconia Ridge, Mount Osceola, Sandwich Mountain, and the Belknap Range from the ledges on Neville Peak. Even Mount Washington (not pictured) could be seen from here.
I decided to make my way over to Nottingham Mountain via a combination of ATV trails and doing an open woods bushwhack. This is a sampling of some of the woods through here.
Some ledges just below the summit area of Nottingham Mountain with slight views looking into eastern New Hampshire and Maine.
A cairn near the summit area for Nottingham Mountain (elevation 1345'). There is an old chimney in the area but I didn't stay long due to the ATV brigade on the summit.
Views of Saddlbeback Mountain in Northwood, New Hampshire from some more ledges.
A nice birch glade I hiked through as I was heading back to Neville Peak. Its always awesome to find woods like this on a bushwhack.
The start of the Neville Peak Trail, which branches off of a snowmobile trail.
A nice hike indeed. The trail could use a little TLC with some real blazing but overall it is a nice woods walk. The views from Neville Peak are indeed very nice and a good place to sit and have a picnic. Nottingham Mountain isn't a must do, unless you are trying to complete the New Hampshire County Highpoins. Otherwise, do it if you want or stop on Neville Peak. Either way, it was a nice day to be out.
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