How to Hike 2 NH4000 Footers in a Day: Mt Tom & Mt Field

Hike distance: 7.4 miles

Elevation Gain: 2,950 ft elevation gain.

Prominence: 351 ft Mt Tom; 1,701 ft Mt Field

TrailsNH Hiking Difficulty Calculator: 209 – Moderately Strenuous

Click here for a review of prominence and its role in mountain topography

Click here to navigate to the TrailsNH website for a description of the hiking difficulty calculator

To expand our collection of NH 4000-footers, we embarked on the Mt Tom - Mt Field & Mt Avalon loop trail. Although only Mt Tom and Mt Field are classified as 4000-footers, Mt Avalon is part of the loop due to its remarkable summit views.

TRANSPARENCY STATEMENT: Hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire is always enjoyable, but we tackled this trail primarily to mark off two of the 4000-foot peaks. Wooded summits aren't my preferred hiking spots since I look for a rewarding view, which only Mt. Avalon provided. In my opinion, there are numerous other trails in NH that offer an equal or superior hiking experience.

From the parking lot we had a clear view of two of the mountains we'd summit today, Mt Avalon (left) and Mt Tom (right).

The Avalon Trail starts just behind the railroad track of the Crawford Depot Station. Known also as the Maine Central Passenger Railway Station, Crawford Depot is a historic passenger railroad station located at the summit of Crawford Notch in the Bretton Woods region of Carroll, New Hampshire. Constructed in 1891, it stands as a testament to the railroad's significance in the area's history as a tourist attraction.

The Avalon Trail ascended at a moderate pace through a wooded region, occasionally crossing Crawford Brook as it spread over rocky slabs.

I must say, this might be one of the best long exposure photos I've captured during a hike.

What would a hike in New Hampshire be without walking on eroded paths and stepping over exposed roots?

After about 0.8 miles, the trail divided, and we took the A-Z trail that branched off to the right. Following a moderate climb for half a mile, a series of switchbacks and rock stairs led to quick elevation increases.

At the next junction, we turned right to follow the Mt Tom Spur trail.

Navigating more rock and log stairs as we approached the summit.

At the top of the stairs, the path led to a small clearing where the summit cairn was visible. Standing at 4,051 feet above sea level, Mt Tom is the lowest peak in the Willey Range. The forested summit blocked any views of the nearby mountains.

After exploring and taking a few photos, we took the spur trail back to the junction and then followed the Wiley Range trail toward Mt Field.

There were limited views on the trail, a common theme throughout this hike.

Moss blanketed every surface, giving the surroundings a green hue.

As we neared the summit, the trail ascended sharply.

We paid tribute to a great travel blogger (@TheDetourEffect) at the Mt Field summit cairn. At 4,331 feet, Mt. Field is the highest peak in the Willey Range. This mountain is named after Darby Field, who in 1642 led the first recorded ascent of Mt. Washington, the tallest mountain (6,228 ft) in New England.

Although there were limited views from the summit we were able to see Mt Tom (center) in a clearing.

From Mt Field, it took just 30 minutes to hike to Mt Avalon. This minor summit, standing at 3,442 feet, is frequently part of the Mt Tom and Field loop hike because it offers the best unobstructed views in the Willey Range.

We followed a rocky ledge to a vista.

At last, the views and rewards of hiking two additional NH 4000-foot peaks.

The impressive ridge of the Southern Presidentials with Mt. Washington (center) and Mt Clay and Mt Jefferson to the left.

While researching this hike I found an interesting post by The Hiking Geek that described the difference between mountain trails in New Hampshire versus California.

'Having done most of my hiking in California, I am still surprised at steepness and narrowness of some NH trails; if the trails in CA were 4 lane freeways across the open desert, NH trails would be rocky single tracks in hills of Los Angeles. Trails that are of similar condition in CA would typically be considered class 2 or unmaintained trails.'

As a frequent hiker in California, this helps explain why I sometimes describe hiking in New Hampshire as a 'soul sucking' experience.