Hi John,

Thanks for the question about the White Mountains, where I first started hiking and a place that’s near and dear to me. A friend with whom I’ve hiked a lot of miles in the Whites were just talking about how we love getting back there every year for a hike.

The Appalachian Trail through the Whites, or some piece of it, would certainly be highly recommendable. My story “The Best Hikes in the White Mountains” should be helpful to you as you plan your trip.

I can give you a personalized trip plan for the Whites that’s designed for your group’s preferences. If that interests you, see my Custom Trip Planning page to learn how I can help you plan your trip.

Good luck with your planning and have a great trip.

Thanks, Nick. You have a great weekend of hiking.

You are the MAN Michael!! Thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback. Grateful for your insight!

Hi Nick,

Yea, there are many great hikes in the Whites and you should try to check in advance where the foliate is hitting peak color on the dates you’ll be there.

But given that you sound like you’re interested in getting a full White Mountains experience while seeing great color, for longer hikes, I’d suggest looking at the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail-Jewell Trail Loop on Mount Washington (and perhaps extend it to hit Mount Clay, which has a killer view of the Northern Presidentials, and circle back via the Gulfside Trail to the Jewell); the always popular Franconia Ridge, maybe bumping up the distance by combining the Falling Waters Trail with the very cool but little-traveled full Greenleaf Trail; or any loop in the Northern Presidentials that combines Mounts Adams and Madison.

And look at lower hikes that may deliver some of the best color, like the North Moat Mountain-Red Ridge Loop (or a complete Moat Mountain traverse if you can shuttle vehicles or have a bike with you) and, for a shorter hike, the Welch and Dickey Loop is beautiful and I’ve seen spectacular foliage color there.

I hope that helps. Thanks for the question and have a great trip.

Thanks for sharing your endorsement of the Pressie traverse, Eric. I think it’s fantastic. I’m glad you had a chance to do that hike while you were in Boston.