| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Sandwich Dome, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Algonquin Trail, Sandwich Mountain Trail, Smarts Brook Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, May 27, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of parking at the Smarts Brook trailhead at 7:30 AM. Sandwich Notch Road lived up to its billing as steep, rough, narrow, and with small washouts in places - I was very glad I now have a Forester, and it handled the road well with slow and careful driving. A high-clearance vehicle is definitely needed for Sandwich Notch Road - no way I would've taken my old Corolla on that road. Room for a few cars at the Algonquin trailhead. There's a sign for it - watch for that. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All are small and easily rock-hopped. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Several blowdowns on these trails, not too surprising since this hike is mostly in the Sandwich Range Wilderness. A couple of them on Sandwich Mountain Trail (above the junction with Smarts Brook) had herd paths around them. The herd paths are rough and may not be entirely obvious. Several wet areas on the middle part of Smarts Brook Trail - trails were dry elsewhere. Signs are all in place, but a few tenths from the bottom on Smarts Brook, the dirt road stays straight while an obvious and almost-as-wide old road bears right. There are no signs at this junction, and it's not clear where the trail goes. Either way will get you back down as long as you follow all the other signs though. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
We met a few hikers who brought dogs up Algonquin Trail, and they said the dogs needed some assistance on some of the steep rock scrambles. They shouldn't have any issues on Smarts Brook. |
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 | Bugs: |
They were out at the beginning and for the first mile of Algonquin, which is very gradual and goes near a marsh. Once we started climbing, they gradually died down, and there were very few of them on Black Mountain and along the ridge to Sandwich Dome. As we descended the valley of Smarts Brook, they came out again. Recommend good bug spray for this hike. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing. |
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 | Comments: |
This was a very enjoyable hike! Algonquin Trail starts out easy, but when it starts climbing, it *really* starts climbing. It's an extremely scenic trail with a lot going on - ledgy, mossy areas, rock scrambles, beautiful views, and ridge walking. If its trailhead was more accessible, I bet it would be a lot more popular - we saw only one other person on it. Views from the outlooks were incredible. When we got to the summit of Sandwich Dome, we were alone for about 5 minutes, and then a steady stream of hikers arrived who had come up the mountain from all sides. The descent down to the junction with Smarts Brook Trail featured several annoying blowdowns, including a couple that required bushwhacking around. We continued passing a steady stream of hikers heading up. This section has only a few very small patches of snow and ice left - all are easily avoidable, and most are under blowdowns or have debris covering them.
Smarts Brook Trail was a long but generally pleasant descent. The switchbacks in the upper part are fairly gradual and have mostly good footing. There are a few rocky stretches and a few wet stretches, but nothing horrible. We saw only a few other people heading up, and a larger group heading down. On the dirt road sections near the bottom, we joked that they should allow cars to drive up it - it was certainly no worse than Sandwich Notch Road!
This hike took ups about 6:20, and that was with a substantial break at the summit (where the views were excellent - plenty of snow seen on Mt. Washington, but none anywhere else). Thanks so much Kwi, Scott, and Larry for joining me! |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-05-27 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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