Black Mountain Cutoff Trail
- 0.5 mi
- round trip
- 277 ft
- climb
- 2,671 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Sep
- best months
Black Mountain Cutoff Trail is a short, out-and-back cross-country ski route in the Saco Ranger District of White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire. It covers about 0.9 miles and rises from roughly 2,450 feet to 2,671 feet, with the steepest grade, about 22%, coming within the first fifth of the trail. The Forest Service manages the land. Winter is the natural season for cross-country skiing here. Typical averages from the Pinkham Notch weather station, about 6 miles away and several hundred feet lower, put January highs near 26°F with lows around 6°F, while February is similar at about 28°F and 7°F. Black Mountain Cabin sits just 0.1 mile from the trail. East Pasture Trail is 0.2 miles away, and the Black Mountain Ski Trail lies about a mile off. Carter Notch Road is roughly 1.4 miles away for another option.
Black Mountain CabinCampingPhoto: Recreation.gov (RIDB) / public domain0.1 mi- East Pasture TrailCross-country skiing0.2 mi
- Black Mountain Ski TrailCross-country skiing1 mi
- Carter Notch RoadCross-country skiing1.4 mi
- Eagle Mtn Cliff(Jackson)Rock climbing2.7 mi
- El WallRock climbing2.9 mi
Doublehead CabinCampingPhoto: Recreation.gov (RIDB) / public domain2.9 mi- Ellis RiverRiver fishing3.7 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Best time to visit Black Mountain Cutoff Trail
Best months: September. 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
26° / 6°
14 wet
Feb
28° / 7°
13 wet
Mar
36° / 15°
14 wet
Apr
49° / 27°
13 wet
May
62° / 39°
15 wet
Jun
70° / 48°
14 wet
Jul
75° / 53°
14 wet
Aug
74° / 52°
13 wet
Sep
68° / 45°
12 wet
Oct
54° / 35°
14 wet
Nov
42° / 24°
14 wet
Dec
31° / 14°
16 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Pinkham Notch, NH, 5.8 mi away at 2,025 ft. The station sits about 600 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
