| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Garfield, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Skookumchuck Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, Garfield Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, July 19, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking area for Garfield Trail was full at 7:45, with vehicles parked along the side of Gale River Road, but still a good amount of room available. Skookumchuck trailhead was surprisingly empty when we got there at 8 - less than half full. No issues at either place - Gale River Road is in good condition for any vehicle. But I did notice that the Old Bridle Path/Falling Waters trailhead was already completely full when I drove past around 7:20 AM. Definitely need to get there very early to get a spot. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Just the two crossings on the lower Garfield Trail, both of which were easy rock hops. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Only a few blowdowns, and they weren't an issue. Drainage was mostly good, but a few sections of Garfield Ridge Trail and the upper Garfield Trail were a little wet. Not as bad as I've seen it in the past though. Trail signs are all in place. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Saw a few. They seemed to be doing okay on the Garfield Ridge scrambles. Those scrambles are the only issues any dog might have - Skookumchuck and Garfield Trail would be easy for them. |
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 | Bugs: |
Interestingly, not an issue today. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
This was a big, strenuous traverse up Skookumchuck, across Garfield Ridge Trail to Garfield, and then down Garfield Trail. The purpose was to finish redlining Garfield Ridge Trail. Skookumchuck is a pleasant trail - a few steeper sections, and the section along Skookumchuck Brook has some mud, but otherwise moderate and dry. It took us about 3 hours to reach the junction with Garfield Ridge Trail. We both knew of Garfield Ridge Trail's reputation, and certainly this section lived up to it, with many steep scrambles descending into the col between Lafayette and Garfield, a few other scrambles going over the PUDs, and then several more scrambles on the steep climb up to Garfield. This section is certainly slow, but we both agreed that it wasn't quite as bad as the section of Garfield Ridge Trail between Mt. Garfield and Galehead Hut. That section is worse than the section we did, but that's like saying that the Ice Gulch isn't as bad as Mahoosuc Notch - it was still pretty darn rough and slow. There were just a few sections in between the scrambles that weren't so bad. But every time I started to think that maybe the trail wasn't so bad after all, I'd get to a steep scramble. There were also plenty of mudpits, but there were generally ways around them. The spur path to Garfield Pond has a whole bunch of blowdowns, and there's nowhere to stand or sit next to the pond since the shore is very muddy.
The view from the summit of Garfield was outstanding, and we enjoyed it for quite a while. Garfield Trail is a nice gradual descent the whole way. While it does seem that the upper half of the trail is a bit rougher and rockier than when I first hiked it in 2016, the gradual grade makes it less of a hassle than it would be otherwise. And the lower half of the trail is generally smoother.
The whole route took us about 9 1/2 hours, including substantial breaks both for lunch at Garfield Pond and at the summit of Garfield. It's 12 miles with 4,100 vertical feet of gain. This is one I'm very glad to have finally gotten done - I've had it planned for over a year. Up to 98.57% complete with redlining, with hopefully just four more trips to go. We did not see any sign of the bear that has been roaming the Pemi, nor did anyone else mention it, so it must have been on the opposite side of the Pemi today.
Thanks so much Beverly for joining me! |
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 | Name: |
GN |
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 | E-Mail: |
ghnaigles@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-07-19 |
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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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