Cherry Mountain rises in the northern White Mountains near Jefferson, with two distinct summits: Mount Martha at 3,556 feet and the slightly lower Owl's Head, connected by a ridge known as Martha's Mile. The mountain carried the name Pondicherry Mountain through much of the 18th century before "Cherry Mountain" became the preferred name by the mid-1800s; the namesake of Mount Martha remains uncertain, though Martha Washington is often cited.
The Cherry Mountain Trail from Route 115 is the standard approach, gaining roughly 1,700 feet in about 1.5 relentless miles to the ridge, then easing through forest to the summit 0.2 miles beyond. The high point has pleasant but partially screened views with a clear look toward Mount Washington. Continuing along Martha's Mile to Owl's Head adds about a mile of ridge walking and delivers a broader, more open panorama of the full Presidential Range. Footings from a fire tower that stood here from 1939 until its dismantling in the late 1980s are visible on the summit.
A full out-and-back to both peaks covers roughly 5 to 6 miles with around 2,300 feet of gain. Traction devices are essential in winter, particularly on the steep final pitch to Owl's Head. The Route 115 trailhead is marked by a roadside historical marker for the 1885 Cherry Mountain landslide, which sent debris nearly two miles down the mountain's flank.
