| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Red Ridge Peak, Middle Moat Mountain, South Moat Mountain, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Moat Mountain Trail, Red Ridge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, October 28, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The southern trailhead of Moat Mountain Trail (on Passaconaway Road) was almost full when I arrived around 8:25. It has a large pothole near the entrance. After seeing that, I was concerned that the Diana's Baths trailhead on West Side Road would be packed, but there were actually plenty of open spaces when we got there. Both were more crowded in the afternoon, with the southern trailhead having overflowed a little bit onto Passaconaway Road. (Of course, the Diana's Baths parking area cannot overflow since parking is strictly prohibited along West Side Road.) |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The first crossing on Red Ridge Trail, right at the lower junction with Moat Mountain Trail, is the widest, but it has a line of stepping-stones that allowed us to stay dry. The crossing of Moat Brook on Red Ridge Trail, just before the trail gets steep, is narrower but requires stepping on two slightly submerged (though flat) rocks. Neither was a big deal for any of us. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The lower Red Ridge Trail has its share of mud, but there was also plenty of evidence of trail maintenance to prevent the mud from being even worse - a water channel beside the trail in parts, and sections with stepping-stones through the mud. No major blowdowns that I can remember, and signs are all in place. There are cairns and occasional blazes to show the way up the open rock sections of Red Ridge Trail, but they're not always obvious, so watch for them carefully. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw several, including one with booties on its feet (not a bad idea!). Make sure they're comfortable with open rock and some short scrambles. |
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 | Bugs: |
Despite the unseasonably warm day, bugs were not an issue. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
A pair of walking sticks were lying on the ground at the southern Moat Mountain trailhead. We left them there. |
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 | Comments: |
Really fun hike on what could possibly be the last warm, summerlike day of the year. Despite the many cars at the Diana's Baths trailhead, very few people were at the Baths themselves, which had fairly low water but were still beautiful. Lots of mud from the Baths to the junction with Red Ridge Trail, and then on the lower part of Red Ridge Trail as well. The lower section of Red Ridge Trail has easy grades and is quite pleasant, and was also very quiet and peaceful this morning. The section paralleling Moat Brook rises at an easy to moderate pace and is very nice, and then as soon as the trail crosses the brook, shit immediately gets real. The trail becomes quite steep and soon reaches a nice viewpoint - the first of many, many viewpoints on this amazing trail. Many of the rocks and ledges in this section are wet and slippery, so be very careful, especially when the ledges are near dropoffs. The trail continues to climb moderately past several more viewpoints, and including lots of ledge steps and some short scrambles, until reaching the magnificent open ledge section of the trail. We took this section at a leisurely pace to enjoy the views. Following the trail involved a little bit of care, but IMO there are enough cairns to stay on the trail. The trail continued to be rough and rocky up to the upper junction with Moat Mountain Trail. We saw one person on the lower Red Ridge Trail, and then started to see more as we approached the top.
Moat Mountain Trail over to Middle and South Moat is a nice ridge walk, with Middle Moat in particular having a lot of open ledgy areas with spectacular views. We passed a whole bunch of people doing traverses in this section. The descent down from South Moat required care and caution - there was a lot of loose rock in the upper section, and the middle section had more loose rock along with lots of fallen leaves and some slippery ledges in places. That section was long and was one of the slowest parts of the hike. After making the right turn at the bottom of the big descent and beginning the traverse across the lower slope, the trail was easier, and fallen leaves were mostly not an issue.
This was a very enjoyable day in Conway. Thanks Eben and Caroline for joining me! |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-10-28 |
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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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