Trip report from hiking Mount Tom NH.
Mount Tom ranks number 40 on the New Hampshire 48 4,000 footers list, at an elevation of 4,051 ft. Mount Tom has a vertical prominence of 331 ft and a peak isolation of .85 miles. Mount Field is the next highest peak.
A hiking buddy and I bagged the Mount Tom peak as part of a full-day traverse that started at the Kedron Flume Trail at 9 am. The traverse included summiting Mount Willey and Mount Field along the Willey Range Trail.
The hike up New Hampshire’s Mount Tom is uneventful and quick. It’s a spur of the Willey Range or Avalon trail and an up and back, meaning from the summit; there are new intersecting trails.
The trail conditions are fine and well kept. In prep for the hike, I read that this trail had fallen into disrepair, but that was not our experience.
There are one or two challenging sections on this spur, but it was an easy hike up for the most part.
No Views Hiking Mount Tom NH
This is not the hike to plan if you seek wonderful views as a reward for finishing the hike. Due to the nature of this trail and summit being fully below tree-line and surrounded by old-growth forest, there are no clearings or overlooks to be had.
But if you are working your way through the New Hampshire 48 4000-footers list, you’ll need to plan a trek up this little mountain eventually. I recommend doing the route outlined above; you get 3 unimpressive summits out of the way in one day, as well as get a chance to hike the really cool Kedron Flume Trail to start your day. You’ll need to spot a car at both sides of the trail, but if you are can’t do that for some reason, the road walk back to the start is less than 1 mile. However, I don’t recommend you do that; the walk is along the winding and steep Rt 302 and maybe not the safest.
