| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Pisgah, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Old Horseshoe Road, Old Horseshoe Connector, Winchester Road, Hubbard Hill Trail, Baker Pond Trail, Pisgah Ridge Trail, Snacks Rock Spur, Reservoir Trail, Parker Trail, Chestnut Hill Trail, Old Chesterfield Road |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, September 19, 2026 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of room at the Horseshoe Road parking lot in Chesterfield. No issues. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All bridged. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
No blowdowns. Signs are all in place, but a few aren't completely obvious. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
A few were buzzing, but they weren't bothersome. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
I found a pair of plastic wraparound glasses on the ground along Pisgah Ridge Trail. They didn't belong to anyone I met on the trail. I left them at the kiosk at the Horseshoe Road trailhead. |
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 | Comments: |
This was an enjoyable loop to explore the interior of Pisgah State Park. The trail sections leading to Hubbard Hill Trail are all along double-track dirt roads that are used as snowmobile trails. Hubbard Hill Trail is also a snowmobile trail, but it had somewhat more vegetation on it. Partway along the trail, there was a sign pointing to the right that said "foot traffic only". It was an interesting section that looked like it was fairly newly constructed, and led back to the snowmobile trail atop a hill (it's basically an alternative to following the snowmobile trail up the hill). The spur to the viewpoint a little bit further on was well signed. Baker Pond Trail is also a snowmobile trail.
When I reached the junction at the north end of Pisgah Ridge Trail, I was relieved to see that it, unlike the trails I had hiked to get there, was a footpath. It turned out to be the only legitimate footpath of the day, and, not surprisingly, was also my favorite trail of the day. Pisgah Ridge Trail winds up, over, and around a series of small ridges, and is quite scenic in many spots. It has some nice viewpoints and some interesting rock formations, and has plenty of ups and downs but none of them go on for too long. Close to the junction with Pisgah Ridge Connector, a spur path announced a destination of "Snacks Rock". This was a narrow and scenic spur, and the other end of the spur led to the Connector, so a short loop can be made here. (This spur looks new, is not mentioned in the SNHTG, and is not included on the current edition of the SNH Redlining Spreadsheet.) The two viewpoints on Mt. Pisgah itself were both very nice, even if the true summit is wooded and unmarked. At the south end of the trail, it goes along Pisgah Reservoir, and there's one spot with a bench where I had lunch.
When I reached the junction with Reservoir Trail, it was clear I was re-entering the world of wide snowmobile trails. Reservoir Trail is wide but still has plenty of twists and turns. Parker Trail is marked as a bicycle route, but seems to be a lesser-used trail, with a few sections that were slightly overgrown and others where the trail had been rerouted off the old woods road. The whole north end of the trail is one of those sections, since it now meets up with Chestnut Hill Trail a bit south of the former junction (which is still visible, but blocked off). Chestnut Hill Trail was another snowmobile trail, similar to Reservoir Trail. Old Chesterfield Road was another easy jaunt, even if it was mostly uphill. It used to be the main road between Chesterfield and Winchester - it made me wonder how the decision had been made to close this road to vehicles. And the final stretch on Old Horseshoe Road was also uphill - who decides to put hiking trailheads at the *top* of a hill?!?
Including my break for lunch, this hike took me about 5 hours and 15 minutes. It was probably between 10 and 11 miles. |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-09-19 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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