Distance: 7.6 miles round trip
Time: 6-8 hours round trip
Difficulty: Sign the Will
Recommended Gear: Hiking Boots or Trail Runners; Trekking Poles
The Beaver Brook Trail on Mt. Moosilauke is a rough, and, if you’re not careful, easy-to-go-for-a-fateful-tumble hike. The physical price of admission is steep with 3,150 feet of elevation gain over cascades of rocks, wood-block steps and metal rungs, all often perilously close to the ravine’s edge, especially when wet. The arduous entrance fee is worth Mother Nature’s show with seemingly endless waterfalls headlined by a spectacular open summit.
![Mt. Moosilauke Beaver Brook Waterfall 1](https://2023.northeasthikes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/4-Moosilauke-Beaver-Brook-Waterfall-1.jpg)
If you’re looking for a fun hike while vacationing in the White Mountains, and the only thing you gleaned from the previous paragraph is “waterfalls,” let’s be clear: the Beaver Brook Trail is NOT for inexperienced hikers. I can certainly appreciate the desire for a little parental payback by wearing kids out on the trail, but if your children view hiking as a disease characterized by blisters and prolonged quarantine from gaming devices, this isn’t the torture test for them. For starters, there’s a lot of this:
![Rocky climb on the Moosilauke Beaver Brook Trail Rocky climb on the Moosilauke Beaver Brook Trail](https://2023.northeasthikes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/12-Moosilauke-Beaver-Brook-Rocky-Steps3.jpg)
Toe-stubbing roots and shin-slicing boulders are just the beginning. The real hazard of the Beaver Brook Trail is the sections of steep, often slick rock traversed via wood blocks and metal rungs.
![Wood-block steps on the Mt. Moosilauke Beaver Brook Trail](https://2023.northeasthikes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/12-Moosilauke-Beaver-Brook-Rocky-Steps4.jpg)
Parents, take note: what this image doesn’t show is the three-story drop just off the trail into Beaver Brook and a pool of shallow water and deep rocks. For the uninitiated who insist on climbing Moosilauke, you’ll find the Glencliff Trail a much safer alternative. If you think I’m goofing, take it from the Dartmouth Outing Club:
![Dartmouth Outing Club C Beaver Brook Sign](https://2023.northeasthikes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/3-Moosilauke-Beaver-Brook-Sign.jpg)
There isn’t a similar sign on the summit for Appalachian Trail NoBos, so let’s consider this your public service announcement: in the case of rain and inclement weather, the best bet is to wait it out at the Beaver Brook Shelter. Springer starters will have 1,794.4 miles beneath their boots (but who’s counting?) at this juncture, so confidence will (rightfully so) be high, especially after the easy Glencliff Trail ascent of Moosilauke; however, for NoBos the Moose comes in like a lamb and exits as the lion. Add to this that you’ll likely have tread-bare boots and an extra 30-40 pounds to assist gravity, and Beaver Brook becomes the poster trail for “better safe than sorry.” It’s hard to reach Katahdin, after all, with a cracked skull.
That should just about cover it for the CYA disclaimers. If you’re a rabid hiker foaming at the mouth from the previous warnings, let’s get down to business, shall we? The trail starts nice and easy with a couple bridge crossings over Beaver Brook.
The early pleasantries are short lived, quickly turning into a steep climb along the Beaver Brook Cascades.
![Moosilauke Beaver Brook Trail Climb Along Waterfalls](https://2023.northeasthikes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/5-Moosilauke-Beaver-Brook-Trail-Climb.jpg)
For the better part of the next mile the trail mirrors the cascades with numerous sections that require the aid of wood-block steps and metal rungs.
![Moosilauke Beaver Brook Trail Stairs](https://2023.northeasthikes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/6-Moosilauke-Beaver-Brook-Trail-Stairs.jpg)
![Moosilauke Beaver Brook Waterfall 3](https://2023.northeasthikes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/8-Moosilauke-Beaver-Brook-Waterfall-3.jpg)
![Moosilauke Beaver Brook Rocky Steps](https://2023.northeasthikes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/9-Moosilauke-Beaver-Brook-Rocky-Steps.jpg)
You may be wondering whether or not to pack trekking poles for this adventure. It’s practically a coin-flip decision…I chose yes and was glad to have the extra stability coming down. That said, there are definitely places where you’ll need to have free hands, so the best bet is to use poles with the wrist straps.
![Moosilauke Beaver Brook Waterfall 4](https://2023.northeasthikes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/11-Moosilauke-Beaver-Brook-Waterfall-4.jpg)
Plan to hike the Beaver Brook Trail in late spring, early summer to get the best flow on the cascades. The key is to not go too early in the spring when there will still be ice on the steep sections. This will certainly vary from year to year, but Memorial Day weekend is a good starting point for the earliest target date.
![Moosilauke Beaver Brook Waterfall 5](https://2023.northeasthikes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/13-Moosilauke-Beaver-Brook-Waterfall-5.jpg)
![Moosilauke Beaver Brook Rocky Steps 5](https://2023.northeasthikes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/14-Moosilauke-Beaver-Brook-Rocky-Steps5.jpg)
![Moosilauke Beaver Brook Rocky Steps 6](https://2023.northeasthikes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/21-Moosilauke-Beaver-Brook-Rocky-Steps-6.jpg)
It’s hard to believe due to the slow going and the easy-to-stop-and-stare waterfalls, but the intersection with the Beaver Brook Shelter side path is only 1.5 miles into the hike. Thru hikers may want to look for any excuse to stay here, especially in good weather, as the shelter view is one of the best in the Northeast. The privy isn’t too shabby, either.
![Beaver Brook Shelter Privy](https://2023.northeasthikes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/16-Beaver-Brook-Shelter-Privy.jpg)
The climb from the shelter is moderate at first but then levels out for some easy stretches.
Mentally it’s easy to think the climb is nearly over once into these flat spots, but there’s still 2.3 miles from the shelter trail to the summit. In between there are two other trail intersections and a little up and down as the route passes over Mt. Blue. Eventually the trail breaks free from the treeline and climbs to the open summit. There are several trails that merge near the summit, so take care in low visibility to make sure you’re oriented in the right direction.
![Beaver Brook Summit Approach](https://2023.northeasthikes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/18-Beaver-Brook-Summit-Approach.jpg)
![Moosilauke Summit Rock Fort](https://2023.northeasthikes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/13-Moosilauke-Summit-Rock-Fort.jpg)
![Temp Moosilauke Summit Sign](https://2023.northeasthikes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/19-Temp-Moosilauke-Summit-Sign.jpg)
Directions
Take I-93 to Exit 32 and follow Route 112 west. The trailhead parking lot will be on the left, approximately 6 miles up Route 112 from the intersection with Route 3. You’ll know you’re close when you pass the Lost River Gorge and Boulder Caves. There is a $3 per day fee to park in the lot.
I want to point out departure should be plenty early, so you don’t run out of daylight coming down. I left a little late and almost ended up in the waterfall. Leave yourself a little extra time to get down those slick blocks of wood!!
Really!!
great info,thank you. Do you know what the mileage/time frame would be, to hike up Beaver Brook and come down the Gorge brook trail?
Did this trail once with my then gf, once with my dog and she gave up at about 3200′, once with a couple of friends who couldn’t do all of the cascades, but it still wasn’t as demanding as Tripyramid…
Did this trail last weekend. Full on winter conditions. Sub zero temperatures at the summit with a good breeze. Crampons make the ascent and decent a bit less scary than a wet summer day. A great winter hike without the usual weekend crowds for the experienced winter hiker/climber. Highly recommended.
I too am eyeing a winter ascent of the Beaver Brook. Still working on dates, but it’s good to get a report from someone who has done it recently. Thanks!
Stumbled on this trail when my daughter and I got confused and decided to give it a go anyway. It was November and no micro-spikes. I cracked up at the comment, “This is one of those hikes that you tell your mother about after the fact” as I was the mother in this case. What was harder than the hike was watching my daughter taking pictures precariously close to the cascades. (well, in her defense, the trail was precariously close to the cascades!) Great hike, just beautiful, and exhilarating. And a little scary.
First 4000′ of the season completed May 2, 2022 – Be aware significant ice and snow remain on most of the rail from about 3/4 a mile in right to the tree line. Micro spikes a MUST, for the next couple weeks or so.