Summit West Trail
Photo: ihamr, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 1.5 mi
- round trip
- 1,021 ft
- climb
- 1,941 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Apr–Oct
- best months
Summit West Trail is a moderate out-and-back hike in New Hampshire, set within the Merrill land unit. The trail is about 2.9 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 1,021 feet, and it reaches a high point of 1,941 feet. The climb is steepest around the 1.2-mile mark, where the grade reaches 28 percent, and the trail starts at about 1,070 feet. The most comfortable months for a visit are typically June through September. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Weare show July highs around 82°F and September highs near 73°F, though that station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the summit run cooler. The trip takes about 1.5 hours. Summit East Trail lies just 0.3 miles away, and Scott's Trail is about 0.6 miles off. For an overnight stay, Spacious Skies Campgrounds - Seven Maples is about 6 miles away, and the Monadnock Region climbing area is roughly 8 miles out.
- Summit East TrailHikingPhoto: ihamr, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)0.3 mi
Scott's TrailHikingPhoto: ihamr, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)0.6 mi- Spacious Skies Campgrounds - Seven MaplesCamping6.2 mi
- Monadnock RegionRock climbing8 mi
- De Pierrefeu BoulderRock climbing8.7 mi
- Edward MacDowell Lake Day Use FacilitiesCamping8.8 mi
- Nubanusit BrookCanoeing8.9 mi
- North Branch RiverCanoeing9.6 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Summit East TrailHiking · Next doorPhoto: ihamr, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Scott's TrailHiking · ~1 min drivePhoto: ihamr, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Wapack TrailHiking · ~14 min drive
Shannon's TrailHiking · ~3 min drivePhoto: ihamr, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- Dutton Brook AccessibletrailHiking · ~2 min drivePhoto: ihamr, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Ski Area Northern View TrailHiking · ~3 min drivePhoto: ihamr, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Lower Link TrailHiking · ~2 min drivePhoto: ihamr, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Bennington TrailHiking · ~3 min drivePhoto: ihamr, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Gregg Accessible TrailHiking · ~2 min drivePhoto: ihamr, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Ted's TrailHiking · ~11 min drivePhoto: Under the same moon..., CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Best time to visit Summit West Trail
Best months: April–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.
Jan
30° / 12°
Feb
34° / 13°
Mar
42° / 22°
Apr
56° / 33°
May
68° / 46°
Jun
77° / 55°
Jul
82° / 60°
Aug
81° / 59°
Sep
73° / 51°
Oct
59° / 38°
Nov
46° / 29°
Dec
36° / 20°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Weare 2 Ne, NH, 9.6 mi away at 805 ft. The station sits about 1,100 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
