Winter Hiking Mount Jackson (4,052')

HIKE STATISTICS

Total Distance: 5.2 miles

Elevation Gain: 2,175 feet

Hiking Time: 3 hours and 45 minutes

Difficulty: Moderate

Curious to learn more about this peak during the summer time when there is no snow? Click here!

Want to feel what it is like to experience this peak? Watch our vlog which you can find here!

HIKE DATE: 03/15/2020

Description: Mount Jackson is a part of the southern Presidential Range and has excellent views of the surrounding Presidentials from its ledgy summit. In the winter, Mount Jackson makes for a short hike and a steady climb to the summit which is just above treeline where you can enjoy panoramic views.

Trails Used: Ascend via Webster-Jackson Trail then take the Jackson Branch to the summit of Mount Jackson. Descend by turning around and going back the same way you came up.

Trail Summary: The trailhead for this hike is on Route 302 in Crawford Notch near the AMC Highland Center and Crawford Depot. There is a parking lot right off the road directly across from the trailhead. We were able to park in the lot since there was minimal snow on the ground, but if it were more snowy we would advise parking either along the road (if it is safe) or parking at the Highland Center and walking to the trailhead.

The trail starts on the eastern side of Route 302 and is marked with a sign that indicates the Webster-Jackson Trail. Because the recent conditions have been cold and this is a popular trail, we wore spikes right from the start and kept them on the whole day. We also carried ice axes with us just in case we ran into any major icy sections on the trail (which we didn’t). After entering the woods at the trail sign, you’ll come to a side path in 0.1 miles for Elephant Head. We didn’t go up here, but it is a rocky ledge that has some nice views of Crawford Notch. The main trail continues and is a bit interesting as the lower portion of it alternates between mostly flat sections and steep sections. We found the steep sections on the lower half of the trail were icier than the trail higher up. In another 0.5 miles, there will be another side path that leads to Bugle Cliff, which we also didn’t visit this time. We have heard that there are supposed to be nice views from the ledges up there. The main trail continues to climb moderately on gradual grades, with some sections where minor descents are required. After another 0.8 miles from the junction with Bugle Cliff, you’ll reach the point where the trail divides - left for the Mount Jackson Branch and right for the Mount Webster Branch. To this point, you’ll have gained about 950 feet in elevation so far. Some people choose to do a loop by ascending Mount Jackson then heading over to Mount Webster (or vice versa) before descending back to this junction. While we chose to ascend just Mount Jackson for this winter hike, we have done the loop in the summer time which you can learn more about here.

The Mount Jackson Branch starts its ascent gradually before becoming more moderate as you approach the Silver Cascade Brook. Around 0.5 miles from the junction, you’ll rapidly cross three branches of the Brook, which still had snow bridges during our trip here. As you near the summit, the trail becomes steeper, climbing over a number of ledges. It is never too steep though, as it felt more like a steady grind higher. As we noticed the trees getting shorter, we changed into dry layers and put on our face protection gear before the final push above treeline to the summit. The ledges below the summit will require some scrambling to get to the open summit of Mount Jackson. We had no issues getting up there in just our spikes. When we got to the summit, it was completely socked in. As we started to head back down, the sky began to clear and we got some really nice views north towards the Presidential’s and west towards Crawford Notch. From the previous junction to the summit, the Mount Jackson Branch runs for 1.2 miles and gains 1,250 feet in elevation. This is a great winter hike as it is never overly difficult and the summit views are phenomenal. Winter #16 for us!