Great trail. You work for this one as the incline starts the minute you hit the trail. Very few flat spots . First couple of miles are soft trail, pine needles, small rocks and few roots. Then comes the granite slabs, tougher inclines and Mt. Surprise. Enjoy the views from this beautiful spot. More granite slabs are ahead with a couple of small scrambles. The final mile is a mix of mud, rocks and roots but the peak is worth every step. It's a very small peak but the views of the Presidential Range and other mountain tops are breathtaking. We got there just as the clouds were starting to roll in. All trails said it was 9.1 miles but we clocked it at 10 miles from the Bangor St. Parking area.
Checked this off as #15 of my NH48 last weekend. For a 4ker, by far one of the easiest. Factoring in an hour spent on the summit, my total time round trip was still under 7 hours. As for the trail itself, I found it quite annoying. Towards the top I almost felt sea sick because of how many up and down sections there are! Unfortunately there are up and downs on the decent too. When I actually saw the real summit for the first time going up I almost didn't believe it because of how many times my hopes were crushed before. Definitely head the warnings about not doing this trail when it is wet or icy! Those rock slabs are quite steep. I wish the summit were a tad bigger and that the views were actually 360 degrees, but I will admit for what you can see it's pretty nice.
The trailhead to Moriah off Baxter road is in a residential neighborhood without a lot of parking. Easy to find with GPS. The hike up to Moriah is beautiful with a great view from Mt Surprise and the summit.
Only room enough for two or three vehicles. Do not park within 15 feet of the fire hydrant. There are painted marks on the road. There is overflow parking a short distance back up the road, where the power lines pass through. A path from there into the woods may be used as an alternate route to Carter-Moriah Trail, but it is probably no shorter than just walking along the road to get to the actual trailhead. The path turns into an old road. Go steeply uphill, then take the right fork.
While the parking lots at the trail head is a packed, the hike is worth it. The trail is not too difficult for this novice hiker. Plenty of granite slopes towards the top, excellent views from mount surprise at the half way point. The top of the mountain boasts 360 degree views of the white mountians, but i experienced cloud cover and wind. I camped overnight at the top. 9 mile round trip with a 40 lb bag late october. Dress accordingly.
Absolutely loved this hike, extremely challenging so be prepared.
Logging road to Mt Surprise then a slab walk up to the Moriah rise...a little strenuous...but nice views on Mt Moriah
A fine trailhead, though it's in a residential neighborhood and there is limited space.
Decent little lot about .15 miles from the trailhead. At the end of a dead end road, but clearly marked and easy to find. Show up early if you want a good spot!
Fine hike, challenging but not over the top. Great hike for dogs and great views of the presidential at the top
