Mount Tripyramid, Waterville Valley NH

• 5-star hikes
• 10 to 12 mile options
• Moderate & Hard | Gain 2,910 to 3,420 feet
• Waterville Valley, NH | White Mountains
. NH 4,000 Footers

A hiker with a dog and a backpack navigates a steep, rocky mountain slide trail flanked by evergreen trees, looking out over a vast, rolling green forest canopy toward a distant mountain range under a partly cloudy sky.

The 4,160 foot Mount Tripyramid gets its name from its three pyramid shaped peaks and offers a genuinely varied set of routes depending on how much of a challenge you are after. The most accessible way to reach all three summits is a counterclockwise loop up the mountain's north side by combining the Pine Bend Brook and Sabbaday Brook Trails.

An out and back on Pine Bend Brook alone is the shortest option, but you might want to lean toward the full loop so you get to walk beside the mossy Sabbaday Brook and pass Sabbaday Falls on the way down. Approaching instead from Waterville Valley to the southwest, the Scaur Ridge and South Slide route comes next in difficulty, followed by the loop that includes both the North and South Slides.

Trail Options Expand KMZ · Google Earth ·

⬤ 4★ Pine Bend Brook O&B 9.4 mi out & back, moderate, gain 3,420 ft
GPX File · AllTrails · Directions* GPX?

⬤ 5★ Pine Bend & Sabbaday Brook Loop 11.1 mi loop, moderate, gain 3,220 ft
GPX File · AllTrails · Directions**

⬤ 5★ Slides Loop 10.7 mi out & back, hard, gain 2,910 ft
GPX File · AllTrails · Directions**

⬤ Scaur Ridge & South Slide [Y] 11.6 mi loop, gain 2,920 ft
GPX File · AllTrails · Directions**

P *Free parking $ **Paid parking Y Yet to review

Two of the three summits are shrouded in trees and provide no views, but Middle Tripyramid has an impressive viewpoint that looks west toward fellow 4,000 foot peaks of Mounts Whiteface and Chocorua. There are still other views to be had on these scenic trails - particularly on the Sabbaday Brook Trail.

The best views however, can be found on the North and South Slides. Although you'll have your eyes glued to the rocky terrain, there's still plenty of time to take in the impressive, unobstructed distant views of New Hampshire's White Mountains as you pause for breath on the hardest sections of the trail. The views towards the Sandwich Range can also be experienced by hiking beyond the peak of South Tripyramid to the top of the South Slide.

A scenic mountain landscape view framed by dense evergreen tree branches and foliage in the foreground, looking out toward two prominent, tree-covered mountain peaks under a clear blue sky.

North and Middle Tripyramids from South Summit's flank.

⬤ 4★ Pine Bend Brook O&B 9.4 mi, 3,420 ft
Shortest route and steepest gain.
This is the shortest way up, though it also packs in the most elevation, so you might prefer to pair it with Sabbaday Brook Trail on the way down rather than doing it as a pure out and back. This narrow trail sets off from the side of the Kancamagus Highway and into forest on a steady moderate grade.

After around two-and-a-half miles the trail turns rockier and steeper, with a handful of easy scrambles before you top out on North Tripyramid. From there the ridgeline trail linking the three peaks is easy to follow, with the occasional scramble along the way. Pine Bend Brook roadside parking is free and rarely fills up.

A hiker wearing a red shirt and a backpack climbs a steep, rugged forest trail filled with moss-covered boulders, tangled roots, and tall trees stretching toward the light.

Tackling the vertical on Pine Bend Brook Trail.

⬤ 5★ Pine Bend & Sabbaday Brook Loop 11.1 mi, 3,220 ft
Trail variety, Sabbaday Falls.
This route brings the most variety, finishing along the mossy and strikingly picturesque Sabbaday Brook. Park at the Pine Bend Brook trailhead and go counterclockwise so the steepest climbing comes first. Coming down Sabbaday Brook Trail has its own moments, particularly a steep slab of rock near the top that you will be glad to be descending rather than climbing, and a couple of potentially wet brook crossings lower down.

Your reward at the end of the trail is the celebrated and spectacular Sabbaday Falls. Closing the loop means a walk along the Kancamagus Highway back to your car, but the wide verges keep it feeling reasonably safe. Parking at the Sabbaday Falls trailhead instead of Pine Bend Brook requires a National Forest fee or equivalent pass, and this lot tends to be busy. Note that our mileage and elevation measurement for this route includes the out-and-back trip to South Tripyramid.

A sunlit, clear stream flows gently through a lush green forest, surrounded by large, moss-covered boulders and dense trees filtering the daylight.

Sabbaday Brook Trail is startlingly picturesque.

⬤ 5★ Slides Loop 10.7 mi, 2,910 ft
Our favorite. Big views, big challenge.
This is our favorite route, combining excellent views with a challenging slide that requires some sustained effort and confidence. Beginning at a trailhead close to the Waterville Valley Resort, the first four miles of trail is a wide gentle approach that gives you plenty of time to warm up. On the way there are a couple of water features we've marked on our map - the Norway Rapids at the end of a short spur trail, and a trailside unnamed waterfall. After a creek crossing the real climbing starts.

You will know you have reached the North Slide once the trees thin out and the spectacular, distant views open up. We'd describe the North Face as difficult, even for seasoned hikers, but not technical. Slopes are consistently around 40 degrees, with occasional slabs of 45 degrees that were enough to make us nervous. In reality there's little danger here providing you tackle this route in dry conditions.

A vast mountain vista viewed from a steep, rugged rock slide on Mount Tripyramid, featuring loose boulders and gravel on a slope bordering a green forest and distant mountain ranges under a clear blue sky.

North Slide is a hard, steep scramble with excellent views.

Our biggest concern would be the possibility of falling rocks dislodged by other hikers, but since we were alone on the North Slide we didn't even have to worry about that. The North Slide is wide. We tried to follow the pink scuff-marks on rocks that indicate a well-used approach, but at some times we just had to eyeball the terrain to figure out the best way up.

After visiting the three summits, descending the South Slide is thankfully a much easier experience, but not without its own challenges. Expect to take your time picking your route around rocky scrambles, while admiring the expansive views across to the Sandwich Mountain Range beyond. The Tripyramids trailhead is large and requires a National Forest fee or equivalent pass.

⬤ Scaur Ridge & South Slide 11.6 mi, 2,920 ft
Avoids the North Slide.
This route covers much the same ground as the Slides Loop but sidesteps the North Slide, instead joining the Pine Bend Brook Trail before heading up to North Tripyramid's summit. You can expect a few moderate scrambles on Pine Bend Brook Trail near the top.

A scenic view featuring evergreen tree branches and berry-bearing bushes in the foreground, overlooking rolling green mountain ranges a bright blue sky. Mt Whiteface is closest, with Mt Chocorua behind.

Middle Tripyramid has the only summit view.

A multi-tiered waterfall cascades over smooth rock formations into a dark pool at Sabbaday Falls in the White Mountains, with a wooden viewing bridge and stairs running along the right side amidst a sunlit green forest.

Sabbaday Falls is an impressive sight near the trailhead.

External links:
Sabbaday Brook Out & Back (11.4 mi 3,220 ft) at AllTrails

Trailspotting nearby:
5★ Mount Whiteface (9-11 mi)
4★ Mount Tecumseh (5-7 mi)
5★ Welch-Dickey Loop (4 mi)
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