White Horse Ledge LbNA #11586 (ARCHIVED)

Difficulty: A moderate 1.2 mile hike (one way) with one steep section. Ben and Kaidy first climbed this trail when they were 4 years old.

Driving Directions: From Route 16 in North Conway, turn onto River Road. Continue until you reach the intersection with West Side Road. Turn onto West Side Road and follow the signs for Echo Lake State Park. If the park is closed, parking is available outside the gate. There is a fee to enter the park in the summer.

Clues: Begin at the beach. Facing White Horse and Cathedral Ledges, turn right and begin walking along the beach. You will see a trail heading into the woods. This trail is not well marked except for the occasional yellow blaze but the trail is obvious. You should always have the lake in sight. This trail leads you around the whole lake. There are many unmarked trails leading off of this trail but remain on the trail around the lake until you come to a sign labeled BRYCE PATH. Turn right onto BRYCE PATH. Follow the yellow blazes. You will pass an old car on your left. Continue straignt until you reach an intersection. There will be a sign here. Go straight through the intersection and continue on the BRYCE PATH. Soon you will see a slab foundation of an old sugarhouse on your right. The trail begins to climb steeply upwards. However there are 2 wooden stairways to aid your footing. Soon after the stairways, the trail levels out and you will come to a sign indicating the junction of the trails leading to Cathedral Ledge and White Horse Ledge. Turn left onto the trail leading towards White Horse Ledge. Don't give up now, you're almost at the letterbox!

As you follow the trail uphill, you will reach an open ledge. Although this is not the top of White Horse Ledge, it is the best view. Follow the yellow blazes marked on the ledge. You will see that the trail will re-enter the woods. Look for a brown TRAIL sign nailed to a tree just as you are about to re-enter the woods. Look directly behind the sign and you should see a large boulder. The letterbox is hidden behind it! PLEASE REHIDE WELL!

NOTE** To head down to Echo Lake State Park you can go back the way you came. However, you can continue to follow the yellow blazes to the top of White Horse Ledge. The trail continues over the top and down the other side of the ledge to Echo Lake State Park. The complete loop is 4.1 miles.