Mount Hale's Summit as seen from Twinway near Zeacliff
Mount Hale is a mostly wooded summit with no good views. The summit itself is bare but surrounded by trees obstructing what would be terrific views. There used to be a fire tower on the summit that has long since been taken down. There is a pile of rocks on the summit which in the winter you can climb to the top and get some great views. Mount Hale is a great hike for beginners.
Trails I've Hiked
-Hale Brook Trail: 2.2 miles, elevation gain of 2,300 feet. The Hale Brook Trail is the main way up to the Wooded summit of Mount Hale. It has easy to moderate grades with decent footing the whole way. There are no views from the trail but it does travel through a nice birch forest. However, after fall foliage and the leaves fall views to the north through the trees are pretty good as Mount Washington can be seen looming in the distance!
-Lend-a-Hand Trail: 2.7 miles, elevation gain of 1,300 feet. The Lend-a-hand trail runs from the Twinway just above the Zealand Falls Hut to the summit of Mount Hale. It has moderate grades and ok footing the whole way with many bog bridges over wet sections, it is one of the best blazed trails in the White Mountains.
-Mount Hale Trail (Fire Warden's Trail): 2.5 miles, elevation gain of 1,800 feet. The Mount Hale Trail has been abandoned for many many years but is still well traveled and easily followed and in my opinion a more enjoyable hike up to the summit of Mount Hale than the Hale Brook Trail. It was the old Fire warden's trail when there used to be a fire tower on the summit of Mount Hale. It passes through some of the finest Birch Glades in all of the White Mountains and is a must hike during peak foliage. It is located off of the North Twin Trail between the second and third crossings on the herd path that bypasses those two crossings. The beginning of this defunct trail is not marked and will be hard to find unless you know where it is. Here's a hint...look for the strongest skinny little tree oddly out of place in the herd path and bang a left up a small embankment and you'll find yourself on the old Mount Hale Fire Warden's Trail!
Trip Reports:
October 30th, 2016: Up and down North Twin Trail, Herd Path, Mount Hale Trail (Fire Wardens)
July 3rd, 2016: Up and down North Twin Trail, Herd Path, Mount Hale Trail (Fire Wardens)
March 20th, 2016: Across Lil' River Herd Path, North Twin Trail, lil' River Bypass, up Mount Hale Trail (AKA Fire Warden's), Down Lend-A-Hand, Up Twinway, North Twin Spur, down North Twin Trail and Lil' River Herd Path
February 6th, 2016: Up Zealand Road, Hale Brook Trail, down Lend-a-Hand Trail, up and down Twinway, down Zealand Trail and Zealand Road
April 11th, 2015: Up and down Herd Path, North Twin Trail, Herd Path, Mount Hale Trail (Fire Wardens)
January 30th, 2015: Up and down Herd Path, North Twin Trail, Herd Path, Mount Hale Trail (Fire Wardens)
December 7th, 2014: Herd Path, North Twin Trail, Herd Path, Mount Hale Trail (Fire Wardens), Lend-A-Hand Trail, Twinway to Zeacliff Out n' Back
November 30th, 2014: Up and down Herd Path, North Twin Trail, Herd Path, Mount Hale Trail (Fire Wardens)
September 26th, 2014: Up and down Hale Brook Trai (RUN NH48)
August 18th, 2013: Up and down Hale Brook Trail
May 27th, 2013: Up North Twin Trail and North Twin Spur trail to North and South Twin Summit, through the Twinway to Zealand Summit, up Lend-A-Hand Trail to Mount Hale Summit, down defunct Mount Hale Fire Warden's Trail
January 19th, 2013: Across logging roads and North Twin Trail, up Mount Hale Fire Warden's Trail, down Hale Brook Trail, out Zealand Road and Route 302
September 23rd, 2012: Up and down Hale Brook Trail
December 22nd, 2011: Up and down Zealand Road and Hale Brook Trail
December 23rd, 2010: Up Zealand Road, Hale Brook Trail, down Lend-a-Hand Trail, up and down Twinway, down Zealand Trail and Zealand Road
September 4th, 2010: Up Mount Hale Fire Warden's Trail, down Lend-A-Hand Trail, Up Twinway, over North Twin Spur Trail, down North Twin Trail
August 7th, 2010: Up North Twin Trail and North Twin Spur trail to North and South Twin Summit, through the Twinway to Zealand Summit, up Lend-A-Hand Trail to Mount Hale Summit, down defunct Mount Hale Fire Warden's Trail
May 1st, 2010 : Zealand Road to Zealand Trail up Twinway to Zeland summit, down Twinway to Lend-a-Hand Trail to Hale summit, and down Hale Brook Trail and Zealand Road back to car on Route 302 Winter Parking lot
October 17th, 2009: Mount Hale via Hancock Notch, Cedar Brook, Thoreau Falls, Ethan Pond, Zeacliff, Twinway to Zealand Mountain, down Twinway, up Lend-A-Hand and down Hale Brook Trail
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