White Mt. NF--Mt. Osceola Trail, Livermore

White Mt. NF--Mt. Osceola Trail, Livermore

Livermore, New Hampshire 03251

Mount Osceola (4000Footers) webpage
White Mountain National Forest Official Website

About this Location

Mount Osceola is a 4,315-foot mountain located in Lincoln, New Hampshire in the White Mountains. It is one of 7 mountains in the Sandwich Range. The mountain is named after a Native American Tribe chief.

The views from the summit are not 360 degrees, but still amazing at around 220 degrees of clear views of Mount Washington in the Northeast and most of the rest of the White Mountains. There used to be a fire lookout tower at the summit but was removed in the 1970s. The summit is a large rock slab that is perfect to grab lunch or hang out on!

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

Though this hike is considered easy to moderate, if you choose to hike both Mount Osceola and East Osceola Mountain, the connecting trail between the 2 is more difficult with rock scrambles and areas where a less experienced hiker will need to use their hands, feet (and sometimes butt) to get over and around the rocks). The most challenging part between the two mountains is known as “The Chimney”. It is almost vertical rock climbing, but there is a by-pass trail on the side of it to avoid the rocks.

Features

  • Restrooms on site

  • Wheelchair accessible trail

  • Entrance fee

Content from Mount Osceola (4000Footers) webpage and White Mountain National Forest Official Website

Last updated November 12, 2023