Mountain · 3 routes

Little Deer Hill

1,076 ft · Maine

Summit
1,076 ft
Routes
3 ways up
Season
Year-round

Routes up Little Deer Hill

  1. Deer Hills TrailModerateabout 2,128 ft of climbing4.9 mi round tripSee the route
  2. DEER HILL TRAILModerateabout 2,134 ft of climbing5.0 mi round tripSee the route
  3. Deer Hills BypassModerateabout 1,630 ft of climbing2.5 mi round tripSee the route
Compare the routes
Deer Hills TrailDEER HILL TRAILDeer Hills Bypass
ClimbingAbout 2,128 ftAbout 2,134 ftAbout 1,630 ft
Round trip4.9 mi5.0 mi2.5 mi
DifficultyModerateModerateModerate
TerrainHikeHikeHike
Season——Year-round
Map of the 3 routes up Little Deer Hill, with each route's start numbered and the summit marked
Deer Hills TrailDEER HILL TRAILDeer Hills BypassMap © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap contributors

About Little Deer Hill

Little Deer Hill is a summit of 1,076 feet in the Saco Ranger District of White Mountain National Forest in western Maine. The nearest town is Gorham, New Hampshire, about 15 miles away. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical July highs reach about 79°F with lows near 57°F, based on averages from a nearby weather station at Bethel. That station sits a few hundred feet lower than the summit, so temperatures on top run a little cooler. Several trails start within half a mile, including the Deer Hills Bypass and Deer Hill Trail. Climbers can head to Shell Pond Bouldering, about 1.4 miles away, and Cold River campground is about 2 miles off.

Forecast on Little Deer Hill

Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.

Questions about Little Deer Hill

How tall is Little Deer Hill?

1,076 ft (328 m).

How many routes go to the summit of Little Deer Hill?

3: Deer Hills Trail, DEER HILL TRAIL and Deer Hills Bypass.

What is the shortest route up Little Deer Hill?

Deer Hills Bypass, about 2.5 mi round trip.

When is the best time to climb Little Deer Hill?

Year-round.

Mountains nearby

More mountains in Maine

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: May–Sep. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 65–79°F and lows of 42–57°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Bethel 6 Sse, ME weather station, 13 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan28° high8° low
  2. Feb31° high11° low
  3. Mar40° high19° low
  4. Apr52° high31° low
  5. May65° high42° low
  6. Jun74° high51° low
  7. Jul79° high57° low
  8. Aug78° high56° low
  9. Sep71° high47° low
  10. Oct57° high37° low
  11. Nov45° high27° low
  12. Dec34° high17° low

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Nearest town
Gorham, New Hampshire · 15 mi

Source: USFS EDW boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for White Mountain National Forest as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)

Is Little Deer Hill open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in White Mountain National Forest. It doesn't name Little Deer Hill, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · White Mountain National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Little Deer Hill

Best months: May–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

  1. Jan

    28° / 8°

  2. Feb

    31° / 11°

  3. Mar

    40° / 19°

  4. Apr

    52° / 31°

  5. May

    65° / 42°

  6. Jun

    74° / 51°

  7. Jul

    79° / 57°

  8. Aug

    78° / 56°

  9. Sep

    71° / 47°

  10. Oct

    57° / 37°

  11. Nov

    45° / 27°

  12. Dec

    34° / 17°

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bethel 6 Sse, ME, 13.3 mi away at 790 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.