Mount Paugus, Albany NH

• 4-star hikes
• 7 to 8 mile options
• Moderate | Gain 2,200 to 2,700 feet
• Albany, NH | White Mountains
. 52WAV

A person wearing a red polo shirt, dark pants, a baseball cap, and a backpack stands atop a large rock on a mountain summit ledge. They are turned to the side, taking in the scenic view of a vast forest of evergreen trees and distant mountain peaks under a clear blue sky.

Paugus South Peak views of Passaconaway & Whiteface.

Mount Paugus sits quietly in the shadow of its more famous neighbor, Mount Chocorua, and tends to get overlooked by hikers heading for bigger names in the Sandwich Range. That's a shame, because this loop turns out to be one of the most enjoyable hikes you can experience in the area.

We chose a looping trail that begins on the side of Route 113A and combines Big Rock Cave Trail, Old Paugus Trail and a section of Lawrence Trail before returning down Cabin Trail. Starting out counterclockwise on Big Rock Cave Trail the going is surprisingly easy. The lower elevations are gentle and largely free of rocks - more of a pleasant forest stroll than a mountain climb. Before things get more serious, make a point of stopping at Big Rock Cave. It's formed from massive mansion-sized granite monoliths that tumbled down the mountainside long ago and formed a human-sized talus cave beneath.

Trail Options Expand KMZ · Google Earth ·

⬤ 4★ Cabin Trail & Big Rock Cave Loop 7.8 mi loop, moderate, gain 2,700 ft
GPX File · AllTrails · Directions GPX?

⬤ Kelley Trail & Old Mast Rd Loop [Y] 8.1 mi loop, gain 2,480 ft
GPX File · AllTrails · Directions

⬤ Bolles & Bee Line Loop [Y] 6.8 mi loop, gain 2,200 ft
GPX File · AllTrails · Directions

P Free parking Y Yet to review

The trail stays mellow for a good while longer before the terrain finally steepens and turns rocky. Along the way you'll pass a rocky slide up a gully full of fallen trees that looks more intimidating than it actually is, partly because halfway up the trail takes a sharp right and thankfully detours away. An occasional moderately steep granite cap and a couple of modest scrambles remain to be tackled before you close in on the summit, but nothing to elevate this trail into a 'hard' category.

Mount Paugus' wide, domed South Peak is ringed with trees and offers only partial views, but walk just a short way to the south down its granite face, and unobstructed views reveal themselves. Perhaps the most impressive views are westward toward the pointed Mt Passaconaway. Distant views south also reveal the Belknap Mountains and rolling hills in between.

A wooden trail sign post set in a dense, sunlit forest with two weathered wooden direction boards mounted on it. The top sign reads 'CABIN TRAIL' with left-pointing blue arrows for 'WHITIN BROOK TRAIL 1.9' and 'LAWRENCE TRAIL 2.4'. The lower sign reads 'BIG ROCK CAVE TRAIL' with right-pointing blue arrows for 'BIG ROCK CAVE 1.5', 'WHITIN BROOK TRAIL 1.7', and 'OLD PAUGUS TRAIL 2.1'. Bright sunlight filters through the green canopy of tall deciduous trees surrounding the junction.

Counterclockwise up Big Rock Cave Trail first.

Worth noting is that Mount Paugus' actual summit isn't connected to any maintained trail. Some hikers like to bushwhack over for the bragging rights, but we opted to stay on trail this time around. We've marked the true summit on our map in case you're curious, and most people who do visit it approach from the west side of South Peak, where the trail passes closest.

Though a counterclockwise route of the Big Rock Cave and Cabin Trail loop is preferred to tackle the steeper climbs on the way up, coming back down the Lawrence Trail section does require some care. Loose, fine glacial till makes footfalls on the steepest trail angles a little uncertain. Once you're back on the Cabin Trail portion, things settle down again into an easy, uneventful walk back toward the trailhead.

We haven't yet hiked the Kelley Trail or Bolles Trail routes up Mount Paugus, but thanks to OpenStreetMap we're able to show both on our map and provide GPX downloads. Descriptions we've made above about the approaches to Mount Paugus' summit apply to both of these overlapping routes.

A hiker wearing an orange shirt and backpack stands at the entrance of a dark, triangular cave opening formed beneath giant, angled granite boulders on Mt. Paugus. The massive, rugged rock formations tower over the hiker, surrounded by lush green leafy foliage and slender tree trunks filtering bright sunlight from above.

Investigating the Big Rock cave.

A pre-summit viewpoint on the Old Paugus Trail.

A expansive panoramic view from a rocky ledge on Mt. Paugus looking out across a dense evergreen treetop canopy toward the prominent peaks of Mt. Whiteface and Mt. Passaconaway in the distance under a pale blue sky with wispy clouds.

Better Whiteface & Passaconaway views just below the summit.

A high-angle vista looking out through tall, slender pine trees over a vast, forested mountain slope that stretches toward distant blue hills and a large lake under a clear, pale blue sky.

Distand southern views towards NH's Lake Region.

Trailspotting nearby:
5★ Mt Chocorua (7-10 mi)
4★ Mts Whiteface & Passaconaway (9-11 mi)
4★ Mt Israel (4 mi)
Show Area Map

Trailspotting free offline maps:
MAP PACK White Mountains Region
MAP PACK NH 52 With A View

Best hiking trails and rail trails in New Hampshire

Best Trails of New Hampshire
See our favorite hiking trails and rail trails for each region of New Hampshire.

New Hampshire Fire Towers
Discover our map of fire towers and the trails to find them.

NH 52 With A View
Routes to the supreme 52 New Hampshire peak views.