Though the summit may not offer any views, Zeacliff is one of the most outstanding views in New Hampshire. The hike up is well worth it, and you even get the bonus waterfall and ponds on the way up. Total trip from Zealand road to summit and back: 11.2
Height: 4,260 feet
Distance: 11.2 miles round trip
Rating: Difficult
Elevation Gain: 2,467 feet
Hike Time: 5-8 Hours
Zealand Trail
This trail is relatively flat for 2.3 miles heading towards Beaver Ponds and Zealand Falls. Well traveled by many who are doing a short hike to the falls, to stay at the Zealand Falls Hut, or those who are peaking or continuing on elsewhere. It follows along the river for quite some time offering great river views. It would be classified as an easy trail. For .2 miles it gets a bit steep heading upwards past the falls, and the hut with some small river crossings.
Zeacliff looking at Carrigain
Trail Map
Trail Map Zealand Mountain Courtesy of 4000footers.com (always one of the best pre-hike reads)
http://4000footers.com/zealand.shtml
Zealand Falls
The falls are absolutely gorgeous, both from the bottom and the top. In the fall they also have great foliage. Come after some heavy rain, and it is awesome to see a heavy flow of water.
Zealand Falls Hut
All of the AMC huts are awesome, but this one not only has a waterfall 50 feet away, but is also relatively easy to access. Only around 2.5 miles from the parking lot with minimal elevation gain makes it one of the easiest to access in the Whites.
Twinway Trail
This connects Zeacliff to the summit, and continuous on to Mount Guyot and beyond. It gives easy access to the Twins or the Bonds from their. This is a pretty easy and flat trail with some bumps mixed in throughout. (1.3 miles from the hut to Zeacliff and another 1.6 miles from Zeacliff to the summit.)
Zealand Cliff
The views say enough. Good lunch spot too.
Panoramic photo from Zeacliff
Summit
Pretty much no views here. Completely surrounded by trees. It is a little .1 mile cutoff from the Twinway trail. If you don’t care about the summit, there is at least a cool summit sign.
Directions
Nearby Hikes
Some may enjoy adding in Mount Hale to the mix, especially if you are trying to efficiently bag some peaks. The most efficient way to do so would be to take the Lend-A-Hand Trail either from the parking lot about a mile before the Zealand parking lot. This will add only a little over a mile of walking on the road on top of the 4.9 miles of trail to hit Mount Hale.
Weather Forecast
Bethlehem, NH
Overnight
Areas of fog. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. Northwest wind around 15 mph.
Friday
Areas of fog before 10am, then a slight chance of rain showers between 10am and 11am, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between 11am and noon, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between noon and 2pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 58. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Friday Night
A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9pm. Mostly clear, with a low around 48. North wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 63. East wind 0 to 5 mph.
Saturday Night
Scattered rain showers after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 53. Southwest wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Sunday
Scattered rain showers before 7am, then rain between 7am and 1pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely. Cloudy, with a high near 59. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Sunday Night
Scattered showers and thunderstorms before 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Additional Pictures
Mount Washington from Zeacliff
Views from Zeacliff
Zealand Notch
View from Zeacliff
View Southeast from Zeacliff
Views from the path through Beaver Pond
Beaver Pond Wooden Path
Check out a nearby hike: Arethusa and Ripley Falls
Max DesMarais is the founder of Hiking & Fishing. He has a passion for the outdoors and sharing experiences with others. Max is a published author for various outdoor websites and digital marketing websites. You can read more about him here: hikingandfishing/about
