We’ve had a decent stretch of nice weather this week after the long stretch of rain from last week. I took advantage of the blue skies and checked out Pinnacle Hill in Hooksett, NH at lunchtime this past Monday. (Link to a map of the area…not a trail map)
Pinnacle Hill is located very close to I93 and stands 485 feet high. The trailhead is located on Pinnacle Street off from Route 3A and is marked with a sign that reads “Pinnacle Park”. There were a couple of memorials at the trailhead as well; one on a rock and one as a bench.
From the trailhead, I headed north and quickly found myself in a forest of pine trees and birch trees. The trail was pretty wide and clear. Soon I hit a junction where a sign pointed to the summit (left). The trail then started to ascend gently and I came to another junction where you could climb by a switchback or go straight up a steep section. I decided on the steep section and figured I’d do the switchback when descending.
The trail became more rocky and filled with roots. There were lots of junctions where breakoff trails snaked around the woods, but they always seemed to connect back with the main trail. When I got near the top, I could see large granite cliffs that the trail was circling around and it reminded me of features you typically see in the Whites.
The top was partially wooded, but covered with a granite floor. There were great views to the east over to the Merrimack River. I also found 3 steel hooks buried in the granite which were most likely used as guidewire anchors for a tower of some sort.
This was definitely a great little hike and perfect length for a lunchtime jaunt. I think I’m going to definitely revisit Pinnacle Hill and check out the other trails as well as it seems there’s a viewpoint I may have missed to the north. Stay tuned for that trip report this summer
An old image of the observation tower on Pinnacle Hill, courtesy of
Shelter near the top
Stone Wall
More Trip Reports on Pinnacle Hill
