Moonlight Hike locations, Sat 3/15

With the full moon on Sat March 15, we want to do a moonlight hike. Nothing require crampons or ultra-rugged exploits, just something fun where we can catch moonbeams. (weather permitting). Any suggestions? We can't leave the Boston area until 1 pm on Saturday, so was thinking we'd run up Lonesome Lake to the hut and get there before sundown, then hopefully see the moon across the lake. That's a little less of a hike than I'd like but convenient and with the hut as a base camp of sorts. I figure trails too deep in the woods wouldn't be fun for this.

thanks in advance and we're always open for company too.

We and many others do moonlight hikes and sunrise hikes at Mt Monadnock. Good snow pack now which makes the trail nice. Here is link to my friends photo site of moonlight and sunrise hikes last month. Hope you have good weather where ever you decide to go. Always a fun time. http://monadnockvista.smugmug.com/Hiking Look for sunrise and moonlight light hikes next to date.

Kearsage North in North Conway is almost always broken out has great southerly exposure and 360 degree views from the enclosed fire tower on the top

Barkingcat said:

A tool like The Photographer's Ephemeris can help one suss this out a bit further.

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Thanks for the tip! I think you just helped me score some points with my photographer spouse.

You'll likely want micro's or crampons for a Monadnock trip. It's a favorite spot of mine for sunsets that don't involve the beach. The best spots probably involve lots of gear if you want mountains in the picture. (Madison, Ike, Moosilauke) Kearsarge North may be one of the easier best spots and as mentioned, has a shelter at the top. Some of the smaller peaks around the lakes may be nice too and they offer water, (or now, an open white area) reflecting the moonlight. (Acadia or Camden may offer ocean viewing from hills. There's always the National seashore too..... Views from the top of the dunes.... )

Personally, I think Pawtuckaway South Mountain in Nottingham would be a good one. From the fire tower, there are 360 degree views, and IMO the moon would look awesome from it. Heck, my avatar was taken from the tower. From Reservation Rd, the hike is only about a couple miles roundtrip, but if you want a longer hike, you could park at the lot on Round Pond Rd. (off of Deerfield Rd, which is off of NH 156), walk the gated road to the northern end of the South Ridge Trail, and walk that to the summit. I would say that this route is around 4 miles roundtrip with about 800 feet of gain (including 200 on the way back).

Another great resource for plotting positions of the moon and stars is Google Sky. The time travel feature is great for pinpointing locations at exact times.

Hilltops and mountaintops are always cool, but might be a lot more than you want to bite off. Maybe Kearsarge (the one in Warner) might be cool, and not too much of a hike. Or Webster Slide Mountain (off the AT, just south of Glencliff); never been there at night but the views east should be awesome up until about midnight. Sunapee or Cardigan? Be prepared for cold- really, really cold and windy, wherever you go... And have fun!

Great thoughts all, especially the topography considerations at moonrise which probably makes Lonesome Lake not the best. We'd picked a hotel in the Lincoln NH hotel for the night but I might change it based on above suggestions. And most certainly spikes are in order but we don't have crampons hence I want to avoid tackling something too rigorous for spike use.

As usual this is the go to source for hiking wisdom. Many thanks.

Hey, TwinMom, just wanted to say Hello. How are the boys ? Good luck with the hike.

If you're staying in Lincoln and going out in the evening, you might want to think about Indian Head/ Mt. Pemigewasset. The trails should be well broken-out; it's not too big; and the views will be good if its clear. Have fun!

Mount Avalon in Crawford Notch might be worth a look. It's a relatively easy climb for a great open summit, although parts are steep enough to glissade for a few tenths, so there is some climbing involved. Sounds like the moon would rise right over the southern Presidentials across the notch.

Not the easiest hike ever, but the view of the moon from Franconia Ridge can be pretty nice - this was from Little Haystack:

I was thinking Franconia ridge as well, but more the Old Bridle path. Then you could just go up to some of the lookouts, or to the hut, or to the summit depending on how ambitious one is. If you are up for a longer drive, it is hard to beat Mt. Mansfield sunset ridge for moon lit hike. Something that gets you above tree line quickly.

jrbren said:

I was thinking Franconia ridge as well, but more the Old Bridle path. Then you could just go up to some of the lookouts, or to the hut, or to the summit depending on how ambitious one is.

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On a night with a full moon, you'd have to be up pretty late to see it from the west side of the ridge.

Thanks all. We chose Indian Head but it rained that night til 8 pm. The hubby and I were kind of inclined to go then but we had some first timers with us that evening who weren't keen on starting out that late with headlamps and all. So we enjoyed glimpses of moonlight from (my little personal extravagance) the outdoor hot tub and heated pool at the Indian Head Motel. I can't wait to try out your other suggestions herein on upcoming full moon hikes. Thank you all again.