Lyndeborough Mountain doesn't get enough credit. When researching the mountain, I barely found anything on it. The mountain itself is referred to as Lyndeborough Mountain, but the two peaks are called The Pinnacle (1,640') and Rose Mountain (1,720'). Both peaks together offer quite an enjoyable hike.
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| Mt.Monadnock from The Pinnacle. |
The trailhead is hard to find, and there's barely any sign of it being there. You can find parking on Mountain Road, and the trail is wide as it follows a stonewall. You'll know you're at the right spot when you see a sign restricting motorized vehicles. There's sparse yellow-blazing. We soon came to a sign saying Helen's Trail, and it had a map of the trails.
The trail climbs shortly to the summit area of The Pinnacle. The forest is open and plentiful in underbrush. There are sparse views looking south from here. The view looking north is better, and Mt.Monadnock, Rose Mountain, and Mt.Kearsarge in the north.
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| Mt.Kearsarge from The Pinnacle. The minor summit over the flat hill to the left is Smarts Mountain, which is 63 miles away. |
The trail between Rose Mountain and The Pinnacle isn't blazed, but it's very easy to follow, as it's a solitary ski mobile trail. The trail crosses few brooks and ledges, and it's a pleasant hike. On the ascent to Rose Mountain, we passed an old rusty car and other remnants.
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| Remnants of a rusty car alongside the trail. |
More and more ledges appeared as we neared the summit. The summit began to open up as we saw a large cairn atop the mountain. Looking back down the trail gave us a view of the Wapack Range and Mt.Wachusett.
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| Looking back down the trail. Bella is having a good time. |
We headed over to an open ledge with chairs made of rocks! A large cairn also sat atop this ledge. From here we saw Mt.Monadnock, in center shot. This mountain would be a great place for sunset!
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| Mt.Monadnock from Rose Mountain. |
After spending some time laying in the stone chairs (which were quite comfortable), I headed down to a lower ledge with a grand view looking north. I was able to locate Osgood Hill, Skatutakee Mountain, Bald Mountain, and Crotched Mountain. A nearby ledge also offered a view looking all the way out to Belknap Mountain.
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| The view from Rose Mountain with Crotched Mountain to the right. |
The entire summit area is open and covered in shrubs and ledge. Many stone chairs and large cairns pepper the summit area. The hike back was pleasant and calming. We took the opposite side of Helen's Trail on the way back (the trail loops around The Pinnacle).
GALLERY
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| The true summit of The Pinnacle. |
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| Looking south from The Pinnacle. |
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| The forest atop The Pinnacle. |
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| The Pack Monadnocks from The Pinnacle. |
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| A view from The Pinnacle. Rose Mountain is to the left while Crotched Mountain is in center shot. |
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| Bella ascending Rose Mountain. |
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| The highpoint of Rose Mountain. Mind the bugs! |
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| A wider shot of Mt.Monadnock from Rose Mountain. |
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| Temple Mountain in the Wapack Range. |
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| The large cairn with chairs to the left. |
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| Crotched Mountain from the second ledge. |
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| Crotched Mountain |
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| The skyline of distant peaks from Rose Mountain. |
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| Belknap Mountain from Rose Mountain. |
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| Mt.Chocorua, at 75 miles away! |
The hike was good, and obscure, as there's very little info on it. The views are incredible, and many notable peaks can be seen such as Mt.Monadnock, Mt.Kearsarge, Belknap Mountain, and Mt.Chocorua. Lyndeborough Mountain is worth a trip, and it's rather calming on a weekday. I don't know how the mountain is on a weekend, but I doubt it gets that busy. If you're looking for a easy and quiet experience with great views, I would highly recommend this one.
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