Hike Foss Mountain Trail Near Conway New Hampshire

The Foss Mountain Trail – A Scenic and Family-Friendly Hike

In the context of hiking with toddlers, I like nothing more than finding a trail that is breathtakingly scenic and also not too challenging for the kids. The Foss Mountain Trail hike, which is a new one to us, but an old classic in the Conway, New Hampshire area, is both of those things. 

Not only did we almost fill our entire SD card on this 1-mile round-trip hike, but my back was pleasantly not tired by the end of this hike, as Peri (who was 2.5 years old at the time of writing) hiked the majority of this route entirely on his own.

Julia on the other hand wasn’t as lucky, since she had to carry Kai (who was just under a year at the time of writing) for most of the time.

Nevertheless, we all had a brilliant time on this very easy yet scenic route. We were even more enthralled by the scenery since we just happened to hit it at peak foliage season up here in New Hampshire. If you’re in the area at this time and need a place to stay, check out Hotala for all your vacation rental needs.

Ultimately, we highly recommend the Foss Mountain Trail hike to anyone, and certainly families, who are keen to see 360° panoramic views of New Hampshire’s White Mountains without having to work up too much of a sweat.

Fast Facts

Round Trip Distance: 1.5 km (~1 mi)
Elevation Gain: 100 m (330 ft)
Duration (Without Breaks): 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Age Recommendation: 2+
Pet Friendly: Yes
Stroller Friendly: No

Things To Know Before You Hike The Foss Mountain Trail

• You will need a four-wheel-drive vehicle to get to the trailhead
• If you hike the Foss Mountain Trail in mid to late July, bring a small container, as you can pick blueberries in certain areas along the trail. Just make sure you don’t pick any in Brooks’ Pasture

• Consider hooting and hollering a bit at the summit, as the echoes are amazing. Or, just enjoy some peace and quiet.
• The summit would be perfect for a picnic, so pack accordingly!

Trail Description

The Foss Mountain Trail is one of the most family-friendly yet scenic trails we’ve encountered in a long while. It’s even easier than Black Cap, another nearby family-friendly hike. 

The majority of the trail is a dirt/gravel path. There are hardly any roots or rocks, and Peri (who was 2.5 years old at the time of writing) had no trouble hiking most of it entirely on his own. 

The last approximately 100 meters had some exposed, smooth rock sections. But again, they were so gentle that Peri was able to climb up all of them on his own. 

Once we reached the summit, we enjoyed the 360-degree panoramic views of the New Hampshire foliage, which we luckily hit right at its peak!

How To Get To The Foss Mountain Trail

The Foss Mountain trailhead and parking lot are one and the same, and they are both right here. 

You’ll need to drive to the trailhead, and again, you’ll need a four-wheel-drive vehicle to get to the trailhead.

Our Gear Recommendations For The Foss Mountain Trail

Aside from bringing all your normal day hiking gear, we recommend you also bring a Monkey Mat. Since the summit is perfect for a picnic, the weighted corners are especially useful, as it can get a bit windy at the summit of Foss Mountain.

Also, if you are going to hike this with toddlers, we recommend you bring a Tula Carrier. Even though Peri hiked most of the route, there were a few bits where he wanted to be carried, and the Tula saves our arms every time!

Map For The Foss Mountain Trail

If you’d like to hike the Foss Mountain Trail yourself, we recommend you use some sort of map. Even though the trail is short and easy to follow, it’s outdoors-safety-101 to bring a map. 

We LOVE the Guru Maps app for offline navigation (iOS/Android), and we use it exclusively. 

We recommend you download it too, and then use it to follow the trail. 

To download our map file and then open it using the Guru Maps app, follow these 3 simple steps:

1. Download Guru Maps (iOS/Android). (If you want to buy the professional version, get in touch with us, and we’ll shoot you a code for a discount.)

2. Click on the GPX, GeoJSON, or KML links here or in the top right-hand corner of the map below.

3. Once the map file has finished downloading, on your mobile device choose the option to “Open In,” and select Guru Maps. Then, you’ll have our route map (and a whole lot more map data too) right in your pocket. It’s that easy!

If you’d prefer to use Google Maps, we’ve got you covered!

Last but certainly not least, here is the elevation profile for the Foss Mountain Trail. While the graph may look a bit daunting, that is just due to the scale. Again, this is an easy and scenic family-friendly hike.

Go Hike The Foss Mountain Trail

To put all of this much more simply, the Foss Mountain Trail is very easy, very scenic, entirely family-friendly, and in our opinion, a must-do hike in the Conway, New Hampshire area!