Mount Paugus: 1/16/2016

Mileage: 9.2 miles
Elevation gain: 2920 feet
Trails used: Gordon Path, Old Mast Road, Lawrence Trail, Kelly Trail.
Highlight(s): register on the summit of Mount Paugus, views from the ledges on Mount Paugus-South Peak.


The hike for this Saturday was actually meant to be a longer hike; head over to Mount Paugus, backtrack and hit Square Ledge and then back to the car. We knew it was going to be a cold winter day and we made it to the Ferncroft parking area with winds and falling snow, which was somewhat heavy. There were several cars already there and a few more pulled up as we began the hike.

Mount Paugus is located in Albany, New Hampshire and also in the Sandwich Range Wilderness. There are no trails that go to the wooded,view-less summit of Mount Paugus so it requires a combination of trails and a bushwhack to reach its high point.


Mount Paugus is on the New Hampshire Two Hundred Highest List and New Hampshire 3K List. Mount Paugus-South Peak is on the New Hampshire 52 With a View (52WAV).

We parked at the Ferncroft trailhead parking area and took the Gordon Path a short distance, and then taking the Old Mast Road up. There was recent foot traffic so the going was easy.

Walking along the Old Mast Road, which was easy to follow.

We are about to cross into the Sandwich Range Wilderness.

At the junction of the Walden Trail/Lawrence Trail/Old Mast Road/Square Ledge Trail. We would turn right and head down the Lawrence Trail which had not seen much foo traffic recently and had a light layer of fresh snow.

We made the mistake of losing the re-routed Lawrence Trail and following the old trail that goes up rather steeply. We ended up in thick, steep woods and these wet plateau areas so we bushwhacked back down to the trail.

The views looking towards Mount Passaconaway as we near the place where we would start the bushwhack to the summit of Mount Paugus along the Lawrence Trail.

The jar register on the main summit of Mount Paugus (elevation: 3198 feet). 

As we made our way back down to the Lawrence Trail, and onward to Mount Paugus-South Peak, we got this view of Mount Chocorua before the clouds surrounded it.

Moose rubbings/gnawing on a section of trees as we bushwhack towards the  Lawrence Trail.

Heading back along the Lawrence Trail was just as tough as it was going up to Mount Paugus. The light snow covered sections of ice that made footing sketchy.

We decided to take the Kelly Trail back down instead of the way we came in. The Kelly Trail runs along a small brook for almost the whole length, and we descended along a ravine. Footing was not bad, although ice still made its appearance.

We made it to the last section of the walk out on the Gordon Path and back to the car.

The snow came down for a better part of the day and even as we neared the end of the hike, the sun still tried peaking out for a few minutes. Our desire to continue on to Square Ledge petered out pretty much once we were done with the bushwhack to Mount Paugus, as the off course mishap made for a wetter day. We managed to make the best of the conditions, and although there were no views from Mount Paugus-South Peak, we still had a good day outdoors.