MT HALE 4,054

Pemigewassett Wilderness

Bill and Stanley on the snowy summit of Mount Hale

Mt Hale is located on the edge of Zealand Valley. This is a beautiful area with beaver ponds and several interesting peaks. The much smaller Sugarloafs are nearby, a good loop hike for families.
THE TRAILHEADS
Most popular route is ♦Hale Brook Trail to the summit. This is a moderate to easy hike with switchbacks and no rough parts ideal for families. Trailhead is located on Zealand Road off RT-302. This road is closed in winter and is being used as a logging road. Do not attempt to travel this road by car even if the gate is open. Rangers regularly patrol this road.

Another route would be to take ♦Lend-A-Hand Trail from Zealand Hut to the summit and back or down Hale Brook. This would involve a rather long dusty road walk back to Zealand Trailhead. Lend-A-Hand is one of my favorites but watch out for aggressive Spruce Grouse which live here:)

♦Firewardens Trail is an old route which has been abandoned for many years and recently re-discovered. The trailhead is on the North Twin Trail off Haystack road. More information on this can be found "HERE"
THE MOUNTAIN
Mt Hale is named for Reverend Edward Everett Hale, who wrote: “The Man Without a Country." Hale has a tree fringed summit with views that are shrinking as the trees grow. There is a huge cairn on top so if you stand on top of tottering stones you can get great views. When I climbed it the first time in the mid-90's I didn't see more than a couple of hikers, it's become popular so expect to see a dozen or more people on top on most summer weekends. In winter it's a longer hike as Zealand road is closed. Some use the open Zealand Hut in winter as a base for Mts Hale, Zealand and the Bonds.

Here's a Trip Report

And a Spring hike

And a Winter hike

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