A Hike to Tin Mountain (Jackson, NH)

Tin Mountain (2,031 ft. elevation) is located in Jackson, NH and lies at the center of a 228 acre parcel of property owned by the Tin Mountain Conservation Center.  This was my first time hiking at this location.  A trail map is at the following link: http://www.tinmountain.org/wp-content/uploads/fieldstationmap.pdf

Judging from their map, I anticipated that this hike would be relatively short, and that was fine with me.  Although I'm a hiking enthusiast, I often prefer to spend only a portion of my day outdoors, and then have the rest of the day free for other activities.

Major destinations at this facility include: a small but attractive pond; the summit of Tin Mountain; plus an access shaft and pits from first known tin mines in North America.  On this particular hike I visited the pond and the summit of Tin Mountain.  However, I skipped doing a visit to the tin mines since I felt this could be better appreciated later in the year once the ground cover of snow is gone.

The trek to the pond is relatively short and probably is well within the capabilities of hikers of all age groups.  Regarding the hike to the summit of Tin Mountain, it also fits the category of short.  However, some might find it challenging since it involves a steep climb.  I roughly calculate that there is about a 650 ft elevation gain in a little less than a mile.

The remainder of this report will consist of a few photos taken on this hike.

Being unable to find an official name for this pond located on the Tin Mountain Conservation property,  I'll simply dub it as "Tin Mountain Pond".  This view is looking northeasterly across the pond with South Doublehead on the horizon.

Northeasterly view across "Tin Mountain Pond" with South Doublehead on horizon

From a ledge near Tin Mountain's summit there's a BIG view southward that includes the Moats; many peaks in the Sandwich Range; and a wide assortment of other peaks such as Mt. Tremont, Bartlett Haystack, etc.

Vista seen from ledge near Tin Mountain's summit

A zoomed view of the Moats from a ledge near Tin Mountain's summit

Along the Tin Mountain Loop Trail, there is a limited, partially obstructed view of the Presidential Range.

Limited, partially obstructed view of Presidential Range from Tin Mountain Loop Trail

There are tree-obstructed views of the Doubleheads from the summit area, and at various points along the Tin Mountain Loop Trail.

Tree-obstructed view of the Doubleheads from spot near Tin Mountain's summit

The woods at Tin Mountain Conservation Center are nice.  Although the tree shown in the photo is no longer among the living, it has a certain beauty, and still contributes to the forest's ecosystem.

Tree is no longer living, but has beauty, and still contributes to  forest's ecosystem

While descending Tin Mountain at late afternoon, there was a very pleasant southwesterly view.

Pleasant southwesterly view while descending Tin Mountain at late afternoon

The signage at the Tin Mountain Conservation Center is simple, and perhaps a bit unconventional!  Overall, the signage and blazing do a good job of leading you to where you want to go.  However, there are a few confusing spots, and therefore it would be a good idea to print out a copy of their online map to take with you on your hike.

Signage at Tin Mountain Conservation Center is simple, and bit unconventional

To sum it up, it can honestly be stated that hiking at this location exceeded my expectations.  More time than anticipated was spent here since the overall ambiance and views prompted me to adopt a leisurely pace.  During the summertime tourist season, this hike might be less pleasant.  But on this particular winter day, it was very enjoyable.