White Mt. NF--Tunnel Brook Trail, Benton

White Mt. NF--Tunnel Brook Trail, Benton

Benton, New Hampshire 03785

Official Website
White Mountain National Forest Official Website

About this Location

The Tunnel Brook Trail follows a deep valley between Mount Clough and Mount Moosilauke. There are various beaver meadows at the height of land revealing the western flanks of Mount Moosilauke and the eastern slides on Mount Clough.

The Tunnel Brook Trailhead is located just off Long Pond Road in the village of Glencliff. There is limited parking for a few cars. Additional parking is located north on Long Pond Road 0.1 of a mile at the Blueberry Mountain Trailhead.

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 Tunnel 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 13, 2023