Fall Foliage Season At Mount Major In Alton, NH

One of my favorite hikes in New Hampshire is fairly easy to climb and has the best view of Lake Winnipesaukee: Mount Major! My favorite season to climb it is October, especially when the leaves are at peak color.

According to the foliage tracker, peak color arrives October 8th in the Lakes Region!

The Summit of Mount Major via Katie Killourhy

I'm telling you, it’s one of those quintessential New Hampshire views that makes you stop, take a deep breath and think, this is why I love living here. I’ve hiked Mount Major in Alton at least a handful of times, and somehow, the view never gets old.

I find myself coming back to it again and again. It’s a popular trail, but once you reach the summit, it’s easy to understand why so many people make the trek.

Trail Finder breaks it down perfectly: "The Main Trail, blazed in blue, follows an old logging road before turning sharply left and climbing steeply to the summit. The Mt. Major Brook Trail begins at the junction where the Main Trail turns left. It climbs moderately to the intersection with the Belknap Range Trail. Turning left again here brings you to the summit. The Boulder Loop Trail climbs the south side of the mountain past brooks, boulders and ledges."

No matter what trail you take, there’s something about seeing those brilliant reds, oranges and yellows wrapped around Lake Winnipesaukee that makes you want to park it and soak it all in for a while... So don't forget to pack a snack or lunch.

As someone who lives for New Hampshire’s fall scenery, you HAVE to add this hike to your fall foliage activity list... especially if you've never been!

Don't have anyone to go with? Take your furry friend along!

A local on Trip Advisor said, "Simply stunning October day! Took the yellow Brook trail up and down, easiest and brook runs parallel to the trail. Lots of people and lots of dogs. After everyone cancelled, I decided to go it alone with my faithful Golden! Super happy that I did. A must hike, especially for dogs!"

And another said, "Mount Major is one of my favorite hikes! There are three trails (blue, orange and yellow) that are all conveniently accessed from the same parking lot. We took the blue trail up which is the steepest (1.5-2hrs) and yellow trail down (30-45mins) which took about 3hrs. I highly recommend this hike. The scenery at the top is amazing! You see all of Lake Winnipesaukee and its islands, boats, mountain range, etc. Simply spectacular."

You don’t need to be an experienced mountain climber for this hike and trust me, once you see that view, you’ll understand why people (like myself) keep coming back.