mt welch & mt dickey, nh

Route:
Summits of Mts. Welch (2605 feet) and Dickey (2734 feet) via the Welch-Dickey Loop Trail. Start at Trailhead parking lot off of Orris Road off of Mad River Road north of NH-49. The intersection of Upper Mad River Road and NH-49 is about 5.6 miles east of I-93 Exit 28. Signs mark the route to the trailhead once on Upper Mad River Road. Exit the parking lot and follow the trail for about 50 feet then take the right fork in the trail to first ascend Welch then Dickey before returning to the trailhead. This popular hike offers tremendous views and some significant rock face scrambling for modest effort. The loop is about 4.4 miles with 1800 feet of total elevation gain. The portion of the loop between the trailhead and the Welch summit has many exposed rock faces and is much easier to ascend than descend---especially in wet conditions.
+ june 2001 views | from the porch at 1850' and the welch summit |.

Maps / More Info:
The trails can be found on the AMC White Mountain Guide Map #4, "Moosilauke-Kinsman" (J5 - K6) and the "Waterville Valley" USGS 1:24,000 topographic map.

GPS Coordinates:

43.90378°N, 71.58923°W, 1025 feet	Welch-Dickey Loop Trailhead
43.91906°N, 71.57596°W, 2605 feet	Mt. Welch summit
43.92297°N, 71.57927°W, 2734 feet	Mt. Dickey summit

Pros:
Absolutely great hike in the fall--it is amazing from middle to late September. This is a fun hike and a great one to start with if you haven't been out in a while. Many hiking groups on this route include kids who seem to love it. There are several fine outlooks including a porch at about 1800 feet on the Welch ascent, the Welch summit, and another open rock face part way down Dickey.

Cons:
Did I mention how popular this is? It can be like a highway on a summer weekend or even weekdays. The trail is exposed in several areas and can be unpleasant in raining weather and dangerous in thunderstorms. While the many crampon scratches in the rock faces attest to the efforts, this trail is dangerous in icy conditions as it is very exposed and the rock faces are often smooth and sloping.

Note:
This information has been thoughtfully prepared and is believed to be correct, but any use of the trail information found here is at the reader's own risk. Hiking can be dangerous and requires preparation, appropriate skills, and proper equipment.