Mahoosuc Notch / by Greg Westrich

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You regularly hear that the notch is the hardest mile on the Appalachian Trail. It’s not. It may be the most unusual though. Mahoosuc Notch is a narrow cleft between Mahoosuc Arm and Fulling Mill Mountain. The floor of the notch is full of irregular boulders that have fallen from the cliffs. Most are bus to house sized.

To hike through this jumble of rock, you have to climb over, under, and through. Several gaps are narrow enough that you have to remove you pack. Climb too high off the route and you’ll find yourself standing at the edge of a nasty abyss. Get too low in the rocks and you’ll find pools of ice even in July and August.

I’ve only hiked Mahoosuc Notch once—on my Maine thru-hike with my wife. None of my photos really capture the fun of it.

The trick is to take your time and enjoy the scrambling. Try to actually hike it and it will be the hardest mile you ever hiked.

You can’t get to Mahoosuc Notch from Grafton Notch anymore. York Pond Road becomes an ATV trail about two miles in. The only way to get to the Mahoosuc Notch Trailhead is to drive to Berlin, New Hampshire and take Success Pond Road all the way to the trailhead. This is a long way around.

Notch Trail is a moderate 2.2 miles to the west end of Mahoosuc Notch.