WELCH (2,605') & DICKEY (2,734') LOOP
Hike Statistics
Total Distance: 4.4 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,800 feet
Hiking Time: 5 hours, 10 minutes
Difficulty: Moderate
Season: Fall
Hiking this peak in winter? Click here!
Hike date: 10/03/2020
Description: Welch and Dickey make for an excellent short hike with high rewards in terms of panoramic views. From the summit of Welch, you can see Mount Tecumseh, the Tripyramids, Sandwich Dome, and countless other peaks. From the summit of Dickey, you get similar views, but the Kinsman and Franconia Ridges are also visible in the distance.
Trails Used: Ascend via the Welch-Dickey Loop Trail over Welch and on to Dickey. Descend down Dickey continuing on the Loop Trail.
Trail Summary: The trailhead for this hike is at the end of Orris Road (note that the parking lot is a fee area). This is a very popular hike, so when we got to the trailhead around 10 AM on a nice fall day during prime foliage time, we knew the parking was going to be flowing down the side of the road. We ended up having to park about half a mile away from the trailhead! Though both peaks can be hiked individually, it makes the most sense to do them together (especially if you’re pursuing the 52 WAV) since they’re right next to each other. While you can do the loop in either direction, it’s strongly recommended to go counter clockwise. Doing this allows you to ascend the steep ledges up to Welch first and then descend gradually down from Dickey.
We were really excited for this hike because we knew we’d get awesome views of the surrounding peaks and the foliage! From the parking area, we started up the loop towards Welch. The trail is beautifully maintained, with lots of rock steps and easy to moderate grades. After about 1.3 miles, you’re going to reach a large area of slab with views towards Sandwich Dome, Jennings Peak, and the Tripyramids. You can also look up behind you and see the summit of Welch, a short but steep climb away! We chilled out here for a bit taking in the views and foliage.
After the viewpoint, the trail climbs through a mix of scrub and slab, some of which is pretty steep and exposed! We had a lot of fun scrambling our way up and over these ledges, but it was a serious quad and calf workout! About half way up, there’s a massive section of slab that you’ve got to go straight up. You’ll definitely want to use caution on this section if things are wet or icy; a slip here wouldn’t be too good! There’s a bit more slab and then soon you’ll reach the summit of Welch! We had our snacks on a ledge just below the summit since it was so busy up top. From the summit, you can see Dickey right in front of you, which you’ll be visiting soon. The views are similar to the viewpoint from earlier, with the Tripyramids, Jennings Peak, and Sandwich Dome clearly visible. You can even see far in the distance into the Belknaps! After relaxing at the summit for a bit, it was off to Dickey!
Getting ready to start our counter clockwise loop!
This trail is very nicely maintained with rock steps
The view from the ledge! Luckily the clouds cleared later
Looking up towards the summit of Welch from the ledge
Taking a breather from all the hiking up steep slab
Near the top of the large section of exposed slab; great views here!
A tight section of the trail!
More slab as we make the final push towards the summit
Reaching the summit after more slab! Nice views to the south too
The Tripyramids (left) and Jennings Peak / Sandwich Dome (right) from Welch
From the summit of Welch, it’s a quick but steep descent into the col between the two peaks. There’s a large cairn in the col, which we thought was really interesting because we haven’t seen that many times before in a col between peaks. The climb up to Dickey is pretty steep and rugged, and there’s one section that was a pretty crazy scramble (see photo below). The final section of slab heading up to Dickey has awesome views looking back towards Welch and of all the surrounding peaks (similar to the views from Welch). The views from the actual summit of Dickey are a bit more limited than Welch due to the trees, but you can see towards Kinsman Ridge and Franconia Ridge farther north.
The descent down from Dickey starts by crossing many open ledges and a huge piece of slab. From this slab, there’s great views of several smaller peaks, such as Mount Kearsarge, Mount Cardigan, Stinson, and Smarts. You’ll continue heading down slab for a bit, though it’s not nearly as steep as the slab coming up Welch. Soon, you’ll reach the lower slab of Dickey which is open and has a steep drop off (you can also see this area from both summits). The foliage was beautiful here (probably the best spot of the whole day), as we were nice and close to the trees. You can also see back up towards Dickey and Welch. After this section it’s back into the woods and a nice moderate hike down the mountain. When you hit the junction, take a left here and it’s a quick 0.1 miles to the trailhead. We had such a great time enjoying the foliage, soaking up the sun, and just being outside on this hike and would highly recommend you check it out!
Looking towards the large ledge on Dickey… we’ll be there later!
Getting ready to head into the col and on towards Dickey
It’s a quick steep descent off of Welch into the col between the two peaks
One of the trickier scrambles on the way up to Dickey
Surprise! Even more steep slab just below the summit of Dickey
Looking back towards Welch with Sandwich Dome visible
Looking towards the Tripyramids and Sandwich Dome again. Great foliage!
Some smaller peaks are visible on the way down, like Cardigan and Kearsarge
More slab as you head down Dickey… Hug the top of this section here!
The ledge we were looking at earlier! The leaves were incredible from here
We were so glad we got to enjoy the foliage! And the sky cleared too!
A nice moderate descent down Dickey once you’re back in the trees
Alternative routes:
We have not yet done any alternative routes to the summits of Welch & Dickey. This page will be updated once we have!
Hiking Welch & Dickey in the winter
We have not yet climbed Welch & Dickey 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.