| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Watatic, Pratt Mountain, New Ipswich Mountain, Barrett Mountain, MA |
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 | Trails: |
Wapack Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, March 30, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Room for maybe 6-8 cars in the Wapack Trail parking area on Route 123/124 in New Ipswich. Mt. Watatic Trailhead off Route 119 was totally full when we arrived, and the shoulders of Route 119 have No Parking signs, so we parked on the shoulder of Old Pierce Road on the other side of Route 119. A line of vehicles did the same. This road is dirt with many deep potholes. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Only a few tiny streams that were easily rock-hopped. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A few blowdowns, including one massive one on the section going around Binney Pond whose trunk and branches completely block the trail and you have to scramble over. Most of the trail was wet and muddy, with long sections of mud and standing and running water. Signage is generally good, though many of the side trails are unsigned. The trail is well blazed with yellow triangles. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
No issues. Be prepared for them to get muddy though. |
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 | Bugs: |
None. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
This hike began in Massachusetts and ended in New Hampshire. Therefore, I am posting it in both the Massachusetts and New Hampshire categories.
The section going up Watatic was wide and rough, and in many places had a "choose your own adventure" vibe with lots of diverging and rejoining paths. Watch carefully for the yellow triangles in a few places. There was avoidable ice in some parts of the climb, but nothing that made us even think of putting on spikes. The view from the summit of Watatic was superb, and we could easily see Boston along with the much-closer Wachusett Mountain's ski slopes. Finding the continuation of the northbound Wapack Trail from Watatic was straightforward. One section of the descent was somewhat icy, but it didn't go on for too long. The flatter, woods road sections of trail were frequently very wet and muddy. The trail was easy to follow through the turns on and off of Binney Hill Road, and we signed in to the hiker log at the kiosk at Binney Hill Road. The section going around Binney Pond was pleasant, and the crossing of the pond's outlet brook was easy on the rocks (according to the Southern NH Hiking Guide, this is not always the case). The climb up Pratt Mountain was the steepest climb of the day - about 500 vertical feet with no real break, and after a few miles of mostly flat or descending trail, it will certainly warm you back up. The outlook just off the trail most of the way up is superb - highly recommend checking it out. Right around the summit of Pratt, we finally got our first good view to the west - Monadnock loomed in the foregound, while we could see three ski resorts in the background (I'm pretty sure they were Mount Snow, Stratton, and Bromley). The ups and downs along the ridge to New Ipswich Mountain and Barrett Mountain were smaller than the climb up Pratt, and the ridge walk had several ledgy sections. This area was quite scenic. The section of Wapack Trail that skirts around the Windblown resort was less scenic - mostly on logging roads that were wet and muddy. But the turns in this section were all marked well.
Very windy day, but it did warm up in the afternoon (that steep climb up Pratt certainly helped). Definitely an enjoyable hike! |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-03-30 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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