White Mt. NF--Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, Gorham

White Mt. NF--Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, Gorham

Gorham, New Hampshire 03581

Official Website
White Mountain National Forest Official Website

About this Location

The Nineteen Mile Brook Trail follows the Nineteen Mile Brook for most of its length, offering views of cascades and pools along the way. The trail also leads to the Carter Notch Hut which has a panoramic view of Carter Dome and Wildcat Mountains, as well as two glacial ponds. The trail is 7.5 miles round trip and gains about 2000 feet in elevation. It is suitable for hikers of all levels but be prepared for some rocky and steep sections near the end. The best time to hike this trail is from May to October when the weather is mild and the wildflowers are blooming.

About White Mountain National Forest

See all hotspots at White Mountain National Forest

In the decades prior to 1911, the unregulated logging practices of private timber companies in the White Mountains had resulted in a damaged landscape susceptible to both fire and flood. Fires had burned thousands of acres, and flash floods affected the water power necessary to the mills of major industrial centers downstream, such as Manchester, New Hampshire, and Lowell, Massachusetts. Concerns over losses to industry, business, and tourism, and the growing conservation movement led to citizen action. The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) and Society for Protection of New Hampshire Forests (SPNHF) spearheaded an effort to ensure the permanent protection of the White Mountains from further depredation. After years of lobbying and intense public pressure, Senator John Weeks of Massachusetts, a native of Lancaster, New Hampshire, introduced legislation that became known as the Weeks Act. The Weeks Act was passed by Congress in 1911, appropriating 9 million dollars to purchase 6 million acres of land in the Eastern U.S. In turn, this led to the creation of the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) in 1918, and twenty-one other national forests throughout the north and southeast. Many of the groups who were instrumental in the passage of the Weeks Act, including the SPNHF and the AMC, are still active today, and the WMNF has grown from 7,000 acres to almost 800,000. Today, the reforested mountains and hillsides supply forest products and provide magnificent recreational opportunities while maintaining healthy watersheds and ecosystems.

Notable Trails

The AllTrails website has a description and map of a hike on the Nineteen Mile Brook Trail.

Features

  • Restrooms on site

  • Wheelchair accessible trail

  • Entrance fee

Content from Official Website and White Mountain National Forest Official Website

Last updated November 22, 2023