Dry River Trail

Dry River Trail is a 9.6-mile long-distance hike in New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest, cut to a point-to-point day-or-backpacking length. The route enters the Presidential Range–Dry River Wilderness and runs from Route 302 near Crawford Notch to Lakes of the Clouds Hut (about 5,012 ft).

Expect sustained backcountry travel with heavy route-finding pressure: the trail is remote, described as unblazed/unreliable in places, and frequently altered by past floods, hurricanes, and avalanches—so you’ll see reroutes and sections where the tread isn’t obvious.

The opening stretch follows the Dry River closely for roughly the first 6.5 miles, including a suspension bridge around 2 miles in. This first river-tracking section tends to be less steep than what comes after, but it still features repeated water obstacles.

Past the Dry River Shelter #3 (mile post 6.3), the route starts gaining elevation again toward Oakes Gulf and up to the Lakes of the Clouds Hut area. From there, the terrain transitions from valley travel into the steeper, more demanding upper approach context.

Stream crossings are a defining feature across the route, not just a one-off obstacle. Plan for multiple challenging crossings and expect that conditions can make them harder (including cases where a crossing becomes a deep ford).

Camping centers on Dry River Shelter #3: it’s a three-sided lean-to at mile 6.3, with additional tenting described along the valley and near river junction areas. Lakes of the Clouds Hut is the commonly named endpoint for this line, and access requires fee/reservation handling for the hut itself.

More information: Conditions, Conditions, Visitor information