Hike Report for Mount Chocorua
Mount Chocorua is located in New Hampshire, United States. It has an elevation of 1060 meters above sea level. It is located at the following coordinates: (43.9542, -71.2734).
This hike report was written by Laura, about a hike on Saturday, October 9, 2010.
Hike Report
I was a little nervous to hike Chocorua, because while I do enjoy the outdoors, and nature, and hiking, I hadn't built up the stamina that some hikers have, so I was worried it might be too much. It definitely wasn't easy, and was probably the biggest I'd hiked to date, but overall I enjoyed it, and the benefits were worth it!
One of my favorite parts of this hike was Champney falls, which is a little detour about an hour into the hike. This would be a nice destination in itself for someone who is not in shape to hit the summit. The waterfalls were beautiful, and it's a nice peaceful spot to sit and take a break.
When I think back on this hike, I divide it into 3 parts in my mind. Stage 1 is in the woods, and has some steep portions with some rocks and roots to look out for, but as mentioned before, does contain a lovely waterfall.
Stage 2 for me is when it gets to the "switchbacks" which is maybe half way through the hike, though my memory is a bit foggy on that point. In this section, the trail seems more straightforward, but the elevation gain is a lot steadier.
Stage 3, the last hour or so, is arriving out of the woods onto the bare rock. This part is probably less than an hour, but it is a very different hike than in the woods because you're walking on rock and may need to to some scrambling before reaching the actual summit. The way is clearly marked with blazes, still, which is very helpful.
The actual summit itself is a decent-sized rock, but if you go on a day that is very busy, it may be a bit crowded, but there is plenty of space to spread out just below the summit and see the wonderful views just as well. And the views really are lovely. There are plenty of spaces to sit or lay down and just relax.
Overall this hike takes 6 to 7 hours, not including time on the summit, so it is a full day as far as I'm concerned. I don't think I would want to take young kids that would need to be carried, but older kids could handle it if they work up to it.
This is a great summer hike, but also very lovely in the autumn during foliage season.
One of my favorite parts of this hike was Champney falls, which is a little detour about an hour into the hike. This would be a nice destination in itself for someone who is not in shape to hit the summit. The waterfalls were beautiful, and it's a nice peaceful spot to sit and take a break.
When I think back on this hike, I divide it into 3 parts in my mind. Stage 1 is in the woods, and has some steep portions with some rocks and roots to look out for, but as mentioned before, does contain a lovely waterfall.
Stage 2 for me is when it gets to the "switchbacks" which is maybe half way through the hike, though my memory is a bit foggy on that point. In this section, the trail seems more straightforward, but the elevation gain is a lot steadier.
Stage 3, the last hour or so, is arriving out of the woods onto the bare rock. This part is probably less than an hour, but it is a very different hike than in the woods because you're walking on rock and may need to to some scrambling before reaching the actual summit. The way is clearly marked with blazes, still, which is very helpful.
The actual summit itself is a decent-sized rock, but if you go on a day that is very busy, it may be a bit crowded, but there is plenty of space to spread out just below the summit and see the wonderful views just as well. And the views really are lovely. There are plenty of spaces to sit or lay down and just relax.
Overall this hike takes 6 to 7 hours, not including time on the summit, so it is a full day as far as I'm concerned. I don't think I would want to take young kids that would need to be carried, but older kids could handle it if they work up to it.
This is a great summer hike, but also very lovely in the autumn during foliage season.
Difficulty
This is not an easy hike, as it is almost 8 miles, and parts are steep and involve some scrambling. If you don't hike on a regular basis, I wouldn't attempt this unless you are in relatively good shape, or have done some smaller mountains comfortably within a few months of doing this. Be sure to bring plenty of water.
Statistics
This hike took somewhere around 6.5 hours for me. Like I said, I'm not a pro, but I had done some smaller mountains before this one so I was in decent shape for it. I believe this hike is roughly 8 miles, round trip.
