Copplecrown 10-7-07
Copple Crown Mountain 1868'
6 Miles 1100' Elevation gain
Kevin, Judy and Emma
You probably never heard of this one, I hadn't. It is not in the White Mountains and lies in the towns of Brookfield and New Durham, near Lake Winnepesaukee. Take Governor's Road off of Rte. 109 and turn onto Moose Mountain Road. Bear left at the fork and follow the gravel road to the parking are where you see the sign for the Ellis R. Hatch Wildlife Management Area. The gravel road to the right leads 1.3 miles to a kiosk on the left. Ignore the logging roads on the left you'll spot along the way until you get to the kiosk.
We made the mistake of following one of the logging swaths up a very steep incline until it just ended in the woods, about a half mile from the road. I should have known better that the marks on the trees were not blazes, for the signs of logging were everywhere. I guess I thought that they had logged along the trail and we would come across a place where the true trail veered off into the woods along a much narrower path. It didn't help that some really nice person had used a box-cutter to remove the map from the signpost at the trailhead. Anyway, we retraced our steps and followed along the gravel road again until we came to the kiosk, where the trail we were looking for began. This is very well marked, having been re-done recently by an Eagle Scout.
The trail winds through deciduous trees until it begins to climb, then the forest slowly turns over to conifers as you rise up towards the summit. Just below the summit the trail splits and the right fork leads to the summit while the left fork leads to an outlook facing south. We pushed to the summit first where there was a good northerly view to parts of Lake Winnepesaukee, Rattlesnake Island, the Belknap Range to their west and further to the north Lake Wentworth and the Sandwich Range while further east rose the Ossipee Range with Mount Washington as a backdrop. Nice list for a little hill with views in one direction.
After a quick drink and a snack we worked our way over to the "East Peak" where there is a very nice outlook from a steep cliff looking south across gentle, rolling hills. Along the trail we passed by rocky outcrops that I'm sure give the hill its name as they resemble a crown, ringing the summit. I had my late lunch here as the sun began its descent towards the horizon, bringing out the fall colors on the hillsides. Very nice! A good little hike if you're looking for a way to spend an afternoon in the area. Thanks to the Lakes Region Conservation Area for purchasing this land and maintaining a trail to the summit of this hill.
Read More6 Miles 1100' Elevation gain
Kevin, Judy and Emma
You probably never heard of this one, I hadn't. It is not in the White Mountains and lies in the towns of Brookfield and New Durham, near Lake Winnepesaukee. Take Governor's Road off of Rte. 109 and turn onto Moose Mountain Road. Bear left at the fork and follow the gravel road to the parking are where you see the sign for the Ellis R. Hatch Wildlife Management Area. The gravel road to the right leads 1.3 miles to a kiosk on the left. Ignore the logging roads on the left you'll spot along the way until you get to the kiosk.
We made the mistake of following one of the logging swaths up a very steep incline until it just ended in the woods, about a half mile from the road. I should have known better that the marks on the trees were not blazes, for the signs of logging were everywhere. I guess I thought that they had logged along the trail and we would come across a place where the true trail veered off into the woods along a much narrower path. It didn't help that some really nice person had used a box-cutter to remove the map from the signpost at the trailhead. Anyway, we retraced our steps and followed along the gravel road again until we came to the kiosk, where the trail we were looking for began. This is very well marked, having been re-done recently by an Eagle Scout.
The trail winds through deciduous trees until it begins to climb, then the forest slowly turns over to conifers as you rise up towards the summit. Just below the summit the trail splits and the right fork leads to the summit while the left fork leads to an outlook facing south. We pushed to the summit first where there was a good northerly view to parts of Lake Winnepesaukee, Rattlesnake Island, the Belknap Range to their west and further to the north Lake Wentworth and the Sandwich Range while further east rose the Ossipee Range with Mount Washington as a backdrop. Nice list for a little hill with views in one direction.
After a quick drink and a snack we worked our way over to the "East Peak" where there is a very nice outlook from a steep cliff looking south across gentle, rolling hills. Along the trail we passed by rocky outcrops that I'm sure give the hill its name as they resemble a crown, ringing the summit. I had my late lunch here as the sun began its descent towards the horizon, bringing out the fall colors on the hillsides. Very nice! A good little hike if you're looking for a way to spend an afternoon in the area. Thanks to the Lakes Region Conservation Area for purchasing this land and maintaining a trail to the summit of this hill.
