North and South Twin mountain sit at the North end of the Pemigiwasset Wilderness. They both feature incredible views of NH’s White Mountains, and are most often combined together in a day hike.
North Twin Mountain
Height: 4,760 feet (1,450.8 meters)
Distance: 8.6 Miles round trip (13.84 km)
Elevation Gain: 2,896 feet (882.7 meters)
Duration: 4-6 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
South Twin Mountain
Height: 4,902 feet
Distance: 11.2 Miles Round Trip
Elevation Gain: 3,002 feet
Duration: 5-8 hours
Difficulty: Strenuous
Trails
The North Twin Trail takes you from the end of Haystack road to the summit of North Twin. Within the first couple miles, you will cross a river three times. This means you should be prepared if the rivers may be high, as passing can be very difficult during high water.
At the summit of North Twin, the trail switches to the North Twin Spur, which connects the summits of North and South Twin.
Haystack road can be closed sometimes. If this is the case, prepare to add 4.5 miles roundtrip to your hike.
North and South Twin Trail Map
Map Courtesy of 4000footers.com
River Crossings
Hiking the Twins requires 3 river crossings which can be very difficult in high water. Consider avoiding during snowmelt or heavy rain periods. It is possible to avoid 2 river crossings via older trails that stay on one side of the river, however 1 is always required.
Parking and Directions
The parking lot is located at the trailhead for North Twin Mountain at the end of Haystack road in
Weather Forecast
Bethlehem, NH
Tonight
Clear, with a low around 24. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 50. West wind 5 to 15 mph.
Saturday Night
A chance of rain showers after 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. South wind 15 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Sunday
A chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 53. Southwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Sunday Night
Scattered rain showers before 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42. West wind around 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Monday
Partly sunny, with a high near 53.
Monday Night
Scattered rain showers after 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
The Summit Views
Both North Twin, and South Twin have fantastic views. The summit of south twin has two rocky viewpoints that allow you to see all of the Pemi Wilderness, South Twin and even to the East. South Twin offers 360 degree views with a rocky summit. Both are spectacular.
Max DesMarais is the founder of hikingandfishing.com. He has a passion for the outdoors and making outdoor education and adventure more accessible. Max is a published author for various outdoor adventure, travel, and marketing websites. He is an experienced hiker, backpacker, fly fisherman, backcountry skier, trail runner, and spends his free time in the outdoors. These adventures allow him to test gear, learn new skills, and experience new places so that he can educate others. Max grew up hiking all around New Hampshire and New England. He became obsessed with the New Hampshire mountains, and the NH 48, where he guided hikes and trail runs in the White Mountains. Since moving out west, Max has continued climbed all of the Colorado 14ers, is always testing gear, learning skills, gaining experience, and building his endurance for outdoor sports. You can read more about his experience here: hikingandfishing/about