North Twin Trail

North Twin Trail is a long out-and-back hike in the White Mountain National Forest near Bethlehem, New Hampshire, climbing to North Twin Mountain (4,761 ft). The route is about 10.9 miles round-trip and gains roughly 3,667 ft to the summit.

Start at the end of Haystack Road (Bethlehem) and follow the North Twin Trail up from the Little River valley. The opening stretch includes about the first two miles along an old railroad grade with the Little River nearby.

Expect the first half to feel more gradual, then the effort turns steep as you get higher. The last 2+ miles climb more sharply into the upper reaches toward North Twin’s summit area.

Little River crossings are a central logistical factor on this trail: there are three official crossings on the North Twin Trail. Some hikers use herd paths to bypass the first two crossings, which can be harder to manage after rainfall.

A common move is to continue beyond North Twin on the North Twin Spur toward South Twin Mountain; from North Twin, the spur adds about 1.2 miles to reach South Twin’s summit. This makes it easy to turn a North Twin day hike into a two-summit outing by following the spur after summiting.

The trail’s difficulty is rooted in steep sustained climbing plus water crossings on the Little River, so pacing matters. Plan for extra time around the crossings and the final steep push to the summit.

More information: Conditions, Hiking North Twin Mountain in January - SectionHiker.com, Hike North Twin Mountain - 4000Footer.com