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Trail Name: White Trail
Gilford, NH
Trail Description: Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide. 3rd Edition. 2010. Compiled and Edited by Gene Daniell and Steven D. Smith. Appalachian Mountain Club Books. Boston, MA. __________________________________________________________________________________________
White Trail – Description
This white-blazed trail ascends to the summit of Belknap Mtn. via the Belknap-Piper col. It begins on the Belknap Carriage Rd. about 0.1 mi. below the upper Carriage Road parking area, just below the highest bridge. It ascends 0.4 mi. to a point about 50 yd. below the pass between Belknap and Piper, where the orange-blazed Old Piper Trail continues straight to the pass and then turns right to Piper Mtn. The White Trail turns left here and winds to an outlook to the south and west just off the trail on the right at 0.6 mi. Here the trail turns sharply left and soon reaches an excellent outlook to the southeast overlooking Moulton Ravine, Manning and Upper/ Lower Suncook lakes. This vista is considered by many as one of the best views of the entire Belknap Range). The White Trail turns left here, then soon swings right and climbs steadily, passing through some beautiful, shady coniferous woods, to the junction with the East Gilford Trail, which enters from the right on the ledges at 1.2 mi. The two trails, which also coincide with the Belknap Range Trail in this segment, ascend together (now blazed white and yellow) at an easy grade, leading north. They soon swing right on a relocation around a communications tower, then rejoin the original route and follow it under a powerline to the summit and its fire tower. Descending, the White Trail and East Gilford Trail begin at the summit ledge on the south side of the fire tower.
Distances from the upper Carriage Rd. parking lot (1670’):
- To Old Piper Trail (1800’): 0.5 mi. (0.8 km), 150 ft. (rev. 50 ft.), 20 min.
- To Belknap summit (2382’): 1.4 mi. (2.3 km), 750 ft., 1hr. 5 min.