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Trail Name: Brook 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.
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Brook Trail – Description
The Brook Trail (blazed yellow) is the most direct hiking trail from the Gunstock Mountain Resort to the summit of GunstockMtn. It is rather steep and rough in places. Start from the south side of the parking area, following a gravel service road to the left of the prominent Panorama chair lift. In 80 yd. there is a kiosk with a yellow blaze and a stone fireplace, both on the left. Continue another 20 yd. up the road, then bear left onto a grassy ski trail. Follow the ski trail for 90 yd., then bear left of fit into the woods (sign, yellow blazes). The trail immediately crosses a brook, follows its bank, and crosses another ski trail. After re-entering the woods, it crosses and quickly re-crosses a brook, and soon begins to climb away from the brook as it ascends in the valley. At 0.5 mi. it crosses another ski trail and climbs, steeply at times, passing through a ski glade where care is required to follow the trail, until it meets a stone wall. It turns left along the wall, and soon reaches another ski trail at 1.2 mi. It crosses this trail and ascends along the left edge to the junction with yet another ski trail, which it immediately crosses, entering the woods over snowmaking pipes. It then climbs to a junction with the Saddle Trail at 1.5 mi., where it turns right. From here it is a segment of the Belknap Range Trail. The trail scrambles up a short steep section, then turns left and climbs more gradually, passing two memorial stones and a picnic table and soon climbs a jumble of rocks to reach a ski trail just below the summit. Descending, look for a sign on the right side of the ski trail 30 yd. below (southeast) the Skier Services building.
Distance from the Gunstock Resort parking lot (930’):
- to Gunstock Mt summit (2250 ft.): 1.7 mi. (2.7 km.), 1300 ft., 1 hr. 30 min.
Trail Name: Saddle 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.
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Saddle Trail – Description
This very short white-blazed trail, also a segment in the Belknap Range Trail, connects the col between BelknapMtn. and GunstockMtn. with the Brook Trail. Leaving the junction with the Overlook Trail and the Blue Trail in the col, it crosses the flat sag and climbs moderately to the junction where the Brook Trail enters on the right.
Distance from the Gunstock-Belknap col:
- to Brook Trail junction (2000 ft.): 0.1 mi. (0.2 km.), 100 ft., 5 min.