The Wapack Trail
Hike Statistics
Total Distance: 21.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 3,935 feet
Hiking Time: 2 Days
Difficulty: Moderate
Season: Spring
Hiking this peak in winter? Click here!
Hike date: 05/23/2020-05/23/2020
Description: The Wapack Trail is a 21.5 mile trail that runs from Greenfield, NH to Ashburnham, MA. The trail climbs over many small peaks with the first being North Pack Monadnock Mountain, then Pack Monadnock Mountain, Temple Mountain, Barrett Mountain, New Ipswich Mountain, Pratt Mountain and the final being Mount Watatic. This trail will take you across rock slabs, through beautiful fields, into lush forest and even some short road walks through town so that you really get a wide range of experiences! With minimal elevation gain and excellent views, we recommend this hike as a warmup backpacking trip after a winter hiatus or a great option for a first-time backpacker!
Trails Used: The Wapack Trail!
Trail Summary: We made this trail a backpacking trip by staying at Windblown Cross Country Ski Area. We did this hike SOBO (north to south) so our first day of hiking was 14.5 miles and the second day was only 7 miles. Note that the route we will describe is a traverse, so you will need to have two cars (one for each trailhead) or use some sort of shuttle service.
Our hike began at the North Pack Monadnock trailhead in Greenfield, NH. The first mile lets you get warmed up where we walked through some forest and gained about 500 feet in the first mile where we were able to get used to our heavy packs. Then, in only half a mile but with about 400 feet of elevation gain, going up some rock slab, we reached the summit of North Pack Monadnock. The summit is marked with a MASSIVE carin and a sign indicating that we were at 2,278 feet. We then began the 2 mile journey over to our next peak, Pack Monadnock! We descended about 400 feet and enjoyed some flat land before making the 500 feet push up to Pack Monadnock. Right below the summit, there is a sign for Joanna Bass Bross Memorial Scenic Outlook. We recommend stopping here because this was not as busy as the actual summit. Since there is an autoroad up to the summit, it was quite crowded, but we were able to find a secluded spot to enjoy a snack.
Note: At the point of the hike you have entered Miller State Park which requires a $4 per person day use fee that the rangers strictly enforce. You can pay via cash or via credit card by using their website. We did not realize this in our planning and failed to bring cash, so we spent a lot of time fussing with our reception in order to pay online.
At this point we had made it through most of our elevation gain for the day and it was time for a big descent! We descended about 700 feet over 1.25 miles. The trail was nicely maintained and the majority of this descent was via carved rock stairs. Once we made it down to the Miller State Park parking lot on Wilton Road, we crossed the street and began our next ascent. We climbed up a gravel road for 0.8 miles until the trail went back into the woods. Over the next 3.7 miles we had a lot of up and down over some small peaks including Holt Peak, Temple Mountain, and Burton Peak. This section of the trail was easy to maneuver because it was basically a wide dirr path. There were some limited viewpoints along the way so we stopped at every opportunity! Once we had reached the Sharon Trail head we had gone 8.70 miles and gained 1975 feet of elevation! At the trailhead, turn left and head down Temple Road. You will see some yellow markers on the telephone poles indicating that the trail resumes about 0.4 miles down the road.
To be honest, the next portion of the trail was less than desirable. Over the course of 2.5 miles we only gained about 300 feet of elevation. We hiked through a neighborhood, a dirt road where some construction was taking place, and a long muddy trail. Finally, the trail turned right indicating the we were only a half mile away from our next intersection! We crossed Turnpike Road and followed the signs to Windblown Cross Country Ski Area to find where we would be camping.
Per the directions on our reservation, we entered the Waxing Shed to find a map of the ski area. We noticed that our shelter, Valley View, was about a half mile away on the other side of the ski area. We followed well-marked “to shelter” red signs that took us to our shelter.
Geared up and ready for a fun weekend!
This is what the river crossings along the trail are like
Making our way across the river trying to stay dry
Limited views (due to clouds) from the outlook on North Twin
We were blown away by the quality of the shelter! It included a covered portion with a picnic table, a built-in out house, lots of seating on the sunny porch (where we set up our tents), a large fire pit with lots of cut wood! There was a stream flowing very close to the shelter which we were able to filter and drink. The shelter was a bit more expensive than we like to pay for backcountry accommodations at $20 per person, but the quality was well worth it. Also, most of the Wapack Trail is on private land or state-owned land where camping is prohibited so this is really the only option, but we highly recommend it! You can make reservations for Windblown here.
Junction at the summit of South Twin
Enjoying this sign since it was the only views we were able to get at the summit of South Twin! We will be back on a clear day
Even though day 2 was substantially less in mileage than day 1, we knew that we were going to be sore in the morning! Our hiking has been limited due to quarantine so we really pushed ourselves on this hike!
Galehead Hut in the distance as we descend down Twinway
Galehead Hut - a great spot to rest and have lunch!
Some views from right outside the hut
You may think that since the Garfield Ride Trail is a Ridge Trail that it would be easy, but it’s not! There is a lot of minor elevation gain and loss along the way (what we call PUD - pointless up and down). Since we were carrying heavy packs, it took a lot out of us but we pushed on. The first 0.6 miles is relatively flat to the junction with the Gale River Trail. After that junction, it’s another 1.6 miles to the junction with the Franconia Brook Trail. There’s about 450 feet of elevation in this section and it took us about an hour and 15 minutes. This is the trail we would be taking to get to our campsite for the night, but first we had to summit Mount Garfield. From this junction, it’s 0.7 miles to the summit but it is very steep, ascending nearly 1,000 feet in that distance! The first 0.2 miles of the trail are moderate, but then you reach a very steep section with one part that is very wet and basically like climbing up a waterfall. After that, the trail continues to ascend steeply all the way to the summit. Mount Garfield’s summit is exposed, offering amazing 360 degree views, but unfortunately it was cloudy when we were up there. After hanging out on the summit for a bit, we retraced our steps down back to the junction with Franconia Brook Trail. Be very cautious if you descend this way, especially on the section with the water! If you’re doing just Mount Garfield, the best way to descend would be the Garfield Trail.
Enjoying clouded views (again) from the exposed summit of Mount Garfield
At this point, we were ready for descent only and to set up camp for the night and relax. We had 2.2 miles to get to the 13 Falls Tentsite, dropping 1,250 feet in that period. It took us about an hour and a half to get down. This trail is not traveled very often, so it was a bit thick and tough to follow at times. The descent was very moderate with not too many steep sections, though the trail was extremely wet and muddy. When we arrived to the 13 Falls Tentsite, all of the sites were full so we set up camp in a flat area in the woods. We cooked dinner, filtered water from the river, and went to bed early. We were woken up around 9:00 PM by a severe thunderstorm that brought downpours - we anticipated this, so it’s a good thing we slept with our packs in the tent and our boots under the rainfly!
After waking up, packing up camp, and eating breakfast, it was time to hit the trail to grab Owl’s Head. We knew there were storms in the forecast, so we started hiking at 5:30 AM. From 13 Falls, we had 3.5 miles to get to the base of Owl’s Head. We had to cross the Franconia Brook after leaving the Tentsite, but the water was low enough that it wasn’t an issue. The first portion of the trail was easy/moderate as it gains elevation slightly before dropping back down. At times, the trail can be a bit hard to follow due to the amount of water present. It’s a very wet and muddy trail, so be prepared to get dirty! The trail ascends roughly 1,000 feet before descending roughly 600 feet to reach the junction with Owl’s Head Path. This is technically an unmaintained trail, but the start is marked by cairns (though it may not always be). There is also a warning sign about leaving your pack due to bear activity, so keep an eye out for that.
The Path starts out moderately before it reaches a steep slide. The slide itself is steep and rough, with lots of loose rock and smooth slab. Be careful as you ascend it. Looking back while on the slide provides nice views of the Franconia Range. After the slide, you are back in the forest but sill climbing steadily. After 0.8 miles, the path reaches the ridge and continues for another 0.2 on relatively flat terrain to the wooded summit cairn. This portion of the trail is not as well worn since the old summit cairn used to be at the 0.8 miles, so expect some dense forest growth. The Owl’s Head path ascends about 1,400 feet in the mile from the junction and took us about an hour and 15 minutes to climb. On the way down, hikers have two options: retrace your steps by going down the slide back to the Lincoln Brook Trail or you can take the Brutus Bushwhack which avoids the descent down the slide. We opted to take the Brutus bushwhack because we could feel a storm coming and did not want to be on the exposed slide. From the summit, backtrack about 0.5 miles on the Path until you see a large rock with a small cairn on it. This marks the start of the Brutus bushwhack. It is easy to miss, so be sure to keep an eye out for it on your way up so you remember where it is. Though it is a bushwhack, there is a herd path that has formed from the number of people who have used it. We got slightly off trail when we started due to some blowdowns, but we were able to find the path again luckily. Once we found it, it was easy to follow all the way down back to the Lincoln Brook Trail. While we were descending, the skies opened up on us and it began downpouring. This made the bushwhack route very muddy and slippery, resulting in us falling numerous times. Had it been dry, the descent would not have been bad at all as the footing is good and the elevation loss is gradual. We heard some of the loudest thunder ever while bushwhacking, which was honestly pretty scary.
We set up camp in the woods near the 13 Falls Tentsite
Bear sign and cairn that mark the start of Owl’s Head Path
Enjoying (haha) the wooded summit of Owl’s Head… Big storm rolling in at this point
Back on the Lincoln Brook Trail, this portion of the trail was basically flat all the way. There were a few river crossings, but they were easy to cross. At this point, it was raining and storming so hard, that we were hiking very fast. We were completely drenched, even with waterproof gear on, so we gunned it out of there. We planned to use the Black Pond Bushwhack to avoid the two biggest river crossings, which we knew were going to be extremely difficult and dangerous to cross, especially with all the rain. The bushwhack is very easy to find as it is basically a trail at this point due to how many people use it. I had both the Brutus and Black Pond bushwhacks marked on my GPS, so it was easy for us to know when to look out for them. But, if you don’t have a GPS, look for the big wide open area. Here you will want to turn right off the trail and away from the water and you will be following a herd path through the woods. It’s about a mile long and eventually connects with the Black Pond Trail. Again, this bushwhack was very easy to follow. On the Black Pond Trail, it’s another 0.8 miles until the junction with the Lincoln Woods Trail. It was flat and easy terrain, so we cruised through it. At the junction with the Lincoln Woods Trail, we had 2.6 miles until we were back at the car. This trail is notoriously wide and flat, and it is a grind to hike it after 20+ miles. We hiked as fast as we could and finally got back to our car where we changed into dry clothes and went straight to McDonald’s for food. All in all, this traverse was 25.5 miles with 7,300 feet of elevation and lots of rain! Nonetheless, it was a fun time in the woods and we highly recommend this route!
Alternative routes:
We have not yet done any alternative routes to the summit of Mount Garfield. This page will be updated once we have!
Hiking Mount Garfield in the winter
We have not yet climbed Mount Garfield in the winter, but once we do, we will update this page with our full report!
Questions? Comments? Want to share your take on this hike? Get in touch with us using the contact page!
As experienced hikers, we always make sure that we are hiking with The Ten Essentials which include navigation, a headlamp, sun protection, first aid, a knife, shelter, extra food, water and clothes. Overtime, we have discovered some items that we always bring on our hikes and consider them to be our personal, expanded ten essentials.