Backpacking Mt Parker Journey Plan

Mt Parker is a 3004 ft mountain within the Presidential-Dry River Wilderness with expansive views of Mt Washington and the Southern Presidential Vary. It’s additionally on the 52-With-a-View Peakbagging Listing, which many New Hampshire hikers gravitate to after they’ve accomplished a spherical of the White Mountain 4000 footers and need to discover extra of the White Mountain Nationwide Forest. Whereas many individuals day hike the 8 miles to Parker and again, it additionally units up a pleasing one-night backpacking journey to the Mt Langdon Campsite (former web site of a lean-to since eliminated), only a half-mile off the Mt Parker route. Wild and distant, the Mt Langdon Campsite additionally gives an excellent place for newbie backpackers to observe campsite choice, hanging a bear bag, and filtering stream water earlier than endeavor journeys into the extra distant Wilderness Areas of New Hampshire and Maines’ backcountry areas.

Score/Problem

**/2 out of 5

Distance/Elevation Achieve

8.6 miles w/3000′ of cumulative elevation acquire

Advisable Period

1 night time

Season

July through October

Permits Required

None.

Rules

Backcountry Tenting Rules for the White Mountain Nationwide Forest.

Most of this route passes by means of the Presidential-Dry River Wilderness Space. Please observe all wilderness space restrictions. 

Trailhead Instructions

Mt Langdon Path Head (GPS: 44.097062, -71.285705). Parking is obtainable for 3 automobiles on the trailhead with overflow parking throughout the road subsequent to the Saco River Bridge.

Path Sequence

The route follows the next trails in sequence. Check with the AMC Crawford Notch Map which is the very best waterproof map out there for this area. Extra detailed path descriptions may be discovered within the AMC White Mountain Information (2022 ed), which is taken into account the mountain climbing bible for the area. Take images of the pages utilizing your cellphone for straightforward reference, as an alternative of carrying all the e-book with you on hikes.

• Mt Langdon Path 2.5 miles
• Mt Parker Path – 1.4 miles
• Mt Parker Path – 1.4 miles (again)
• Mt Langdon Path – 0.4 miles
• Mt Langdon Path – 0.4 miles (again)
• Mt Langdon Path – 2.5 miles (again)

Scenic Highlights

The next checklist gives cumulate distances on the route to every view or landmark

• Presidential-Dry River Wilderness Boundary – 1.0 miles
• Oak Ridge – 2.2 miles
• Mt Parker Viewpoint – 3.9 miles
• Mt Langdon Campsite and Lean-to – 5.7 miles

Tenting

Mt Langdon Campsite (free) w/ an outhouse. This was the positioning of an outdated lean too which was eliminated in 2023. The campsite doesn’t have well-defined tent pads or platforms and is fairly wild, however makes an excellent place to observe establishing a tent in an unprepared web site.

Water

There is just one water supply between the Mt Langdon Trailhead and Mt Parker and that may be a small stream 1.0 mile up the path on the 1st Presidential-Dry River Wilderness signal you’ll encounter. Whereas the hike out to Mt Parker and again to the campsite is just 3.9 miles, you don’t need to underestimate the elevation acquire which is 2550′. Whereas the climb to Mt Parker is gradual, it’s almost steady and I’d suggest carrying 2 and even 3 liters to get you again to the brook on the campsite in good spirits. Filtering or purifying the water in that brook is very beneficial. If the campsite brook is operating dry or very low, comply with it in a northeasterly route and you need to discover extra water inside 1 / 4 of a mile.

For those who hike within the White Mountains, I additionally suggest buying the FarOut White Mountain Nationwide Forest Smartphone App (IOS, Android) which is a GPS information to the key trails, trailheads, shelters, campsites, views, and water sources within the White Mountains Nationwide Forest. I exploit it on a regular basis and it’s far more correct than utilizing the maps bundled with the Gaia Smartphone App.

On the Path

Mt Langdon Path

Go between the boulders marking the start of the Mt Langdon Path subsequent to the trailhead car parking zone. There’s a fenced-off gravesite belonging to Dr. Leonard M. Eudy (1843-1877) in your speedy proper simply to the appropriate of the boulders which is value a quick go to. Dr. Eudy served in a regiment of New Hampshire Volunteers in the course of the Civil Battle and later went to medical faculty at Harvard. When he lived in Barlett, smallpox broke out in one of many lumber camps and he took cost to struggle the epidemic. He contracted the illness himself and didn’t survive. The grave marker says “He gave his life for the individuals of Bartlett”. Extra information right here: https://www.bartletthistory.org/bartletthi…/cemeteries.html

Return to the path and proceed away from the trailhead lot following an outdated dust highway which progressively narrows because it climbs uphill, passing the Cave Mountain Path in your left after 0.3 miles. The path shouldn’t be blazed however it’s straightforward to comply with for those who hold going straight and comply with the crushed path, bypassing the facet trails and logging cuts that fork off the path for the primary mile till you attain the Presidential-Dry River Wilderness signal. Most of the mountain climbing trails within the White Mountain Nationwide Forest are frivolously blazed, notably in Wilderness Areas, so view this as a observe session for future use. For those who see massive crimson blotches pained on timber on this space, they aren’t blazes however non-public property boundary markers, one other frequent observe within the area.

After 1 mile, you move the Wilderness Boundary signal and cross a small stream. The path continues to be unblazed however is much more apparent than earlier than to comply with. There are a number of very small stream crossings after this level earlier than you start the ascent up Oak Ridge, passing by means of open forest.

While you attain the highest of Oak Ridge you’ll descend a number of hundred toes to the Oak Ridge-Mt Parker Col, passing one other Wilderness Space signal in your left on the backside of the hill. The descent from the highest of Oak Ridge to the col passes by means of a really nice hall of Oak and Beech timber, that really feel like they’ve been planted to mark the edges of the path.

At 2.5 miles you’ll come to the junction of the Mt Parker Path and the Mt Langdon Path. You’ll proceed straight at this level headed towards Mt Parker. You’ll return to the junction after summiting Mt Parker to hike to the Mt Langdon Campsite which is just 0.4 miles away, to the east.

After leaving the junction, the Mt Parker path climbs, at instances relentlessly, to the rocky summit of Mt Parker, the place you’re handled to marvelous views of Mt Washington and lesser peaks on the horizon. The overall elevation acquire required to climb Mt Parker (from the Langdon Tr Trailhead) is 2550′, which exceeds the quantity of climbing required to summit most of the White Mountain 4,000 footers. Save a few of your lunch and water to hang around right here and soak within the views. The subsequent phase of the journey is generally downhill and can course of far more shortly.

Retrace your steps (south) again to the Mt Parker – Mt Langton Path junction you handed by means of earlier than and make a left onto the Mt Langdon Path in the direction of the campsite. You’ll be heading to the southeast in your compass. This path can be unblazed and is usually a bit tough to comply with very early within the season earlier than hikers have trampled the leaf litter masking the path from the earlier Autumn, or after mid-October, after the leaves have fallen. The path to the campsite is just 0.4 miles lengthy and passes the campsite outhouse.

The campsite can be the positioning of the Mt Langdon – Mt Stanton Path Junction. For those who proceed on the Mt Stanton Path for about 100 yards you come to a shallow brook which is the campsite water supply. For those who resolve to sleep on the campsite, there’s a firepit in entrance and huge rocks the place you may sit. For those who introduced a tent or shelter of your personal,  there are many pre-existing campsites and timber surrounding the campsite the place you may arrange a tent, tarp, or hammock. This campsite is frivolously used, regardless of its proximity to a 52-with-a-view peak. I’ve camped right here a number of instances and by no means seen one other individual.

The subsequent morning, retrace your steps (west) again to the Langdon/Parker path Junction and switch left to hike again up Oak Ridge. This time will probably be a lot simpler because you solely have to achieve 350′ of elevation. From there, it’s downhill all the way in which again to the Mt Langdon Trailhead.

Up to date June 2023.

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