The Trailheads
Appalachia
Most people take the ♦Valley Way Trail to ♦Osgood Trail to the summit. The trailhead is located on RT-2 at the Appalachia parking lot.
You can reach♦Howker Ridge Trail at Appalachia. You take Valley Way to ♦Sylvan Brook Trail.
♦Watson Path also leaves Valley Way higher on the trail. It is not the best way to reach Mt Madison in my opinion.
Dolly Copp Rd
♦Daniel Webster Scout Trail starts off RT16 and down a road past Dolly Copp campground. From what I've read this is a long day.
♦Pine Link starts on Dolly Copp-Pinkham B road which can be reached from RT-2 or RT-16 (Not open in winter.) Pine Link connects with Howker ridge for awhile before heading to Madison Col.
♦Great Gulf on RT16 should also be mentioned as it leads to the ♦Madison Gulf Trail.
THE MOUNTAIN
⊕Mount Madison is one of my favorite mountains. Because of this I've visited it many times in all seasons. This is an exposed place particularly in the winter without shelter close by. Madison Hut is closed. "Please be prepared before you enter this area!" Mount Madison is named for James Madison, the fourth President. I'm not sure why President Monroe got a higher peak than Madison but the Mountain of his name to me is more spectacular. Because it's so close to an AMC hut this is another busy place in summer. In winter the hut is closed but most do Madison as a dayhike, sometimes bagging Adams on the same day. Madison is a great sunrise hike, often it rises above the clouds and you feel like you're on a deserted island surrounded by a sea of gray.
