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New Hampshire trails · Wildcat Ridge

Wildcat Ridge

A 4.1-mile out-and-back in New Hampshire, with 2,451 ft of climbing. Reaches Wildcat Mountain and other pass/summit/waterfall destinations. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service.

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Length
4.1 mi
Elevation gain
2,451 ft
Difficulty
Hard
Max grade
60%
Steepest mile
+1,718 ft
Tread at ≥10% grade
2.9 mi
Shape
out-and-back
Managed by
U.S. Forest Service

Elevation profile

1,945 – 4,396 ft1234

Most of the climbing sits in the first third — 67% of the ascent, between mile 0.0 and mile 1.4. It gives back about 1,426 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.

Reaches

Heads up

Stream ford: expect at least one unbridged crossing.
Terrain graded T2 (SAC scale).

Getting there

GLEN BOULDER access — parking nearby. 44.24563, -71.25366 · directions

Daylight at the trailhead

On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 5:36 a.m., the sun rises at 6:06 a.m. and sets at 7:23 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:53 p.m. (EDT) — 13 h 17 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 8.2-mile round trip takes roughly 5 h 30 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 11:36 a.m. — 7 h 47 min before sunset.

Loop options

Nearby trails