South Uncanoonuc Mt, Goffstown NH

• 3-star hike
• 3 mile options
• Moderate | Gain 740 to 890 feet
• Goffstown, NH | Merrimack Region
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View of a large body of water surrounded by dense greenery with hints of autumnal colors. Several small land masses are visible within the water, and a hill or mountain with structures at the top is prominent in the background. The sky is partly cloudy, creating a tranquil natural setting.

Spot the old incline railway route up the left side of South Uncanoonuc.

The twin peaks of the Uncanoonuc Mountains are instantly recognizable to many around Goffstown and Manchester. Today folk might be surprised to know they were once regarded as a vacation destination complete with hotel, summer homes and an incline railway that operated from 1907 until a fire took it out of service in 1941. Hiking up the incline railway grade now yields few clues of the mountain's past, though we were able to identify a couple of old rail spikes at the side of the trail and found a concrete trough at the summit of the incline which once housed the pulley wheels. There are also occasional dilapidated old buildings which have been abandoned to the elements.

There has been no time for nature to reclaim the mountain however, as South Uncanoonuc Mountain's expansive domed summit is now home to a large array of communication towers, masts, dishes and other peculiar but presumably necessary objects. Even the former fire lookout tower (1926-1981) appears to have been repurposed as mounting for radio and microwave equipment.
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3★ Link Trail to Summit 2.9 mi part-loop, moderate, gain 740 ft
AllTrails · GPX File · Directions

3★ Link Trail to Summit & Incline Loop 3.0 mi part-loop, moderate, gain 900 ft
AllTrails · GPX File · Directions

We'd recommend hiking South Uncanoonuc over its northern neighbor mainly for the views. On the Summit Trail that loops around the southern flanks of the mountain there are expansive views towards the golf-ball shaped radomes of New Boston's Space Force station, Manchester's avenues and streets, and also distant tall buildings of Boston, 51 miles away yet visible on clear days. The Walker Trail links the Summit Trail to the Incline Trail on the North side of the mountain and has several more viewpoints to the North, including one of the adjacent North Uncanoonuc Mountain with its own trails and its own Trailspotting article which is linked at the bottom of this page.

Because Mountain Base next to Uncanoonuc lake has trailhead parking only for Goffstown residents, our map instead features two hikes to the summit from the Mountain Road trailhead parking lot, utilizing the pleasant and mostly flat, half-mile long Link Trail to reach the mountain.

Split view with two scenes: on the left, a person in a blue shirt and beige pants hiking uphill on a rocky forest path; on the right, an old wooden cabin in disrepair among trees, with visible damage and a broken window, suggesting abandonment.

Hiking up the Incline | Not the AirBNB you expected?

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Link Trail to Summit
This out and back is the quickest route to the summit that doesn't start at Mountain Base. Our route encompasses a full circuit of the wide domed peak to take in all the viewpoints that the mountain has to offer. Summit trail gets knobbly at times with all the rocks and roots, but it smooths out again at the top.

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Link Trail to Summit & Incline Loop 3★
Where the Link Trail meets with Summit Trail, take a left and head downhill towards mountain base and Uncanoonuc Lake. Pick up the Incline Trail and proceed on a relentless yet short (less than half a mile) climb up this ballast path. The route we've laid out doesn't include the viewpoints on Walker Trail, but we marked them as points of interest in case you want a quick side trip to check them out.

We mentioned that Mountain Base is an alternative trailhead, but due to parking limitations we can't recommend it even though the routes from here are shorter. We've noticed out-of-towners routinely using this trailhead to access both the Incline Trail (1.6mi & 660ft) and Incline & Summit Loop (1.7mi & 650ft) but this isn't something we'd endorse. For information purposes, driving directions to the restricted Mountain Base trailhead at Uncanoonuc Lake are located here.

Scenic view of a forested landscape with lush greenery. The foreground features various shrubs and small trees, with a mix of deciduous and coniferous trees. The middle ground is dominated by dense woodland, leading to rolling hills in the background under a clear blue sky.

The Summit & Walker Trails loop the mountaintop with many panoramic views.

Communication facility with two scenes: on the left, a dirt road leading to a building with antennas and a tall tower structure behind it, surrounded by trees; on the right, satellite dishes with one large dish in the foreground and another smaller dish and tower in the background against a clear sky.

Communications hardware crowds the expansive domed summit. Even reusing a former fire tower!

Four separate pictures from an old postcard related to an Incline Railway . Top left: a single rail car on an inclined track with a forested mountainous backdrop. Top right: a building at the summit with people outside, overlooking a panoramic view. Bottom left: another building along the railway’s base, surrounded by trees. Bottom right: two rail cars passing each other on adjacent tracks on a steep incline with dense foliage around.”

Gallery of picture postcards from the Uncanoonuc Incline Railway.

Tangents:
• Official: PDF Map
• Public Maps at AllTrails: Incline, Summit, Link Trail
• Facebook Group: Follow or Comment on this article

Trailspotting Nearby
3★ North Uncanoonuc Mountain (1-3 mi) · 4★ Goffstown & Piscataquog Rail Trails (6 mi) · 3★ Pulpit Rock & Joppa Hill (2-8 mi) · Show Map

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