Hike Little Monadnock Mountain Rhododendron State Park, NH

Jul 09, 2023 — Little Monadnock Mountain was a final little summit I wanted to grab since I had time to kill before the forecast announced the northeast would receive rainfall that basically put it underwater. This short hike is mostly forested with an occasional rock obstacle and a single tree-obscured view toward Mount Monadnock. The hike begins in Rhododendron State Park, initially sharing the Rhodedendron Loop Trail, where it tunnels through a grove of the plants the trail is named for. A marked junction leads away from the loop, deviating to the northwest toward the summit. Well-marked, I followed the trail as quickly as I could to avoid getting eaten by mosquitoes. With some small exceptions, this is a nearly rockless hike so after miles of rocky trails over the last few days I was excited to be able to move more quickly.

A pleasantly graded ascent led up to a junction on the north ridge of Little Monadnock Mountain. Don't forget to turn around here and look north since it's the only spot with a view, but fortunately a gap in the trees frames Mount Monadnock perfectly. Apparently I missed the memo, but there's a better viewpoint farther north from the junction within a small meadow if you want to take the quick excursion to check it out. The remainder of the hike to the summit is more narrow and slightly more rocky, but the summit of Little Monadnock Mountain is underwhelming, trees and a summit sign the only things to gaze upon.