The Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail begins along a path through the woods, passing by the Base Station facilities on the left, then meeting up with the Ammonoosuc River. The trail follows the river up easy grades for 2 miles until it crosses the outlet of Gem Pool, an emerald colored pool at the bottom of a cascade. Past Gem Pool, the trail becomes quite steep and rough, with many stone steps on this arduous ascent. A quarter-mile past Gem Pool there is a side path down to a spectacular viewpoint at the foot of the gorge.
The main trail continues to ascend steeply, climbing ledges that are slippery at times, and utilizing a ladder to get up one ledge. There are additional viewpoints of cascades before the grade eases and then continues up ledges, the ledges becoming more frequent and the scrub smaller and more sparse. After emerging entirely from the scrub, the trail follows cairns up rock slabs to Crawford Path and the Lakes of the Clouds Hut.
From the junction by the hut, the route uses a 0.1-mile of the Crawford Path/Appalachian Trail to the south to reach the Mount Monroe Loop.
The Mount Monroe Loop climbs sharply from the AT, then follows the northeast ridge to the summit of Mount Monroe (elevation 5,372 feet) 0.3 miles from the AT. The summit is very exposed, making for excellent views, but also making for potentially dangerous conditions in bad weather.
LAKES OF THE CLOUDS HUT
This AMC hut is located by the Appalachian Trail's junction with the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail, about a half mile below the summit of Mount Monroe. Originally built in 1915, the hut has since been greatly enlarged, and can accommodate 90 guests in its bunkrooms. Meals are available for overnight guests, and limited drinks and snacks are available for purchase by day visitors. Reservations are highly recommended.
HIKE SAFE
Before you hike, know the hiker responsibility code and be prepared:
Visit the hikeSafe website to learn more!
These trails are managed by the White Mountain National Forest and maintained by the Appalachian Mountain Club. For more information about the trails, visit the Forest Service trail page, or contact:
From US-302 (Crawford Notch Road) in the Town of Carroll, head east on Base Station Road, which is 0.7 miles northwest of the Mount Washington Resort, and 4.5 miles east of US-3. Go 5.5 miles on Base Station Road to the WMNF parking lot on the right, before reaching the Cog Base Station.
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