Mountain · 1 route

Mount Surprise

2,216 ft · New Hampshire

Summit
2,216 ft
Routes
1 way up

Route up Mount Surprise

  1. Carter-Moriah TrailHardabout 3,304 ft of climbing8.6 mi round tripSee the route
Map of the route up Mount Surprise, with each route's start numbered and the summit marked
Carter-Moriah TrailMap © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap contributors

About Mount Surprise

Mount Surprise is a summit of 2,216 feet in the Androscoggin Ranger District of White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire, about 3 miles from the town of Gorham. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Pinkham Notch weather station, at a similar elevation, run to highs around 75°F in July and 74°F in August, with lows in the low 50s. Several trails start close by. Stony Brook is about 1.3 miles away, the Carter-Moriah Trail about 1.5 miles, and the decommissioned Old Trail about 1.4 miles. For an overnight base, Rattle River Shelter sits about 2.5 miles off.

Forecast on Mount Surprise

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 Mount Surprise

How tall is Mount Surprise?

2,216 ft (675 m).

How many routes go to the summit of Mount Surprise?

One: Carter-Moriah Trail.

Mountains nearby

More mountains in New Hampshire

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: May–Sep. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 62–75°F and lows of 39–53°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Pinkham Notch, NH weather station, 8.7 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan26° high6° low
  2. Feb28° high7° low
  3. Mar36° high15° low
  4. Apr49° high27° low
  5. May62° high39° low
  6. Jun70° high48° low
  7. Jul75° high53° low
  8. Aug74° high52° low
  9. Sep68° high45° low
  10. Oct54° high35° low
  11. Nov42° high24° low
  12. Dec31° high14° low

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

Where it is

Nearest town
Gorham, New Hampshire · 3.2 mi

Source: USFS EDW boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Androscoggin Ranger District as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

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

Is Mount Surprise open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in White Mountain National Forest. It doesn't name Mount Surprise, 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 Mount Surprise

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.

  1. Jan

    26° / 6°

    14 wet

  2. Feb

    28° / 7°

    13 wet

  3. Mar

    36° / 15°

    14 wet

  4. Apr

    49° / 27°

    13 wet

  5. May

    62° / 39°

    15 wet

  6. Jun

    70° / 48°

    14 wet

  7. Jul

    75° / 53°

    14 wet

  8. Aug

    74° / 52°

    13 wet

  9. Sep

    68° / 45°

    12 wet

  10. Oct

    54° / 35°

    14 wet

  11. Nov

    42° / 24°

    14 wet

  12. Dec

    31° / 14°

    16 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Pinkham Notch, NH, 8.7 mi away at 2,025 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.