| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
West Royce Mountain, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Highwater Trail, Wild River Road, Burnt Mill Brook Trail, Royce Trail, Laughing Lion Trail, road walk |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, June 13, 2026 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
We got the last spot in the Highwater Trail lot. No one else was parked at the Laughing Lion Trailhead. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Wild River ford at the site of the Forest Road 52 bridge was just under knee deep. All other crossings were hoppable |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trails are all generally in good shape! There is minimal blazing on the Burnt Mill Brook Trail. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Great for dogs |
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 | Bugs: |
blackflies were somewhat annoying at times |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
It had been a couple years since I had hiked in the White Mountains, so yesterday we headed to Evans Notch in the White Mountain National Forest to hike West Royce Mountain. Although I've been up East Royce multiple times, I had never been up the taller West Royce. Even though our hike started and ended in Maine, the summit and much of the ascent were in New Hampshire.
After leaving a car at the Laughing Lion Trailhead for our descent, we parked at the Highwater Trailhead, near the Wild River. Our hike started on the Highwater Trail along the north bank of the river. This trails was unexpectedly enjoyable, with impressively large white pines along the trail for quite a way. We following the trail until reaching the site of the former Forest Road 52 bridge at 3.2 miles. Here, we forded the river to the south bank.
We then followed the Wild River Road (closed to vehicles since 2023) a short distance to the Burnt Mill Brook Trail. This minimally used trail provide a pleasant ascent up to the col between East and West Royce. It followed a beautiful brook for most of the way with lots of cascades. And, even though it got rather steep near the end, the footbed was generally soft with minimal erosion.
After reaching the Royce Trail, were climbed the steep switchbacks to the summit ridge of West Royce. This rather rugged summit ridge had beautiful spruce-fir forest and good views from multiple viewpoints. After checking out the fire tower footings and eating lunch in the shade (It was a hot day!), we spent a little time at the best viewpoint, enjoying the views to the south and east.
We descended the Royce Trail to the Laughing Lion Trail, which is both a very enjoyable trail and an interestingly named one. Somewhere in the last couple miles of our hike, we realized that the other set of car keys had been left in the car at the Highwater Trailhead! This unexpectedly added a 5 mile road walk back to the trailhead we had started at, but at least it was all downhill!
It was good to be back in the Whites, and we were surprised to only see two other groups of people on such a beautiful day! |
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 | Name: |
Sam Shirley |
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 | E-Mail: |
newenglandskier13@aol.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-06-14 |
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 | Link: |
 https://walkingmaineswildside.blogspot.com/2026/06/west-royce-mountain-nh-6132026.html |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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