Klem Mountain sits in the center of the Belknap Range near Gilford, a modest 2,001-foot summit characterized by a wooded, viewless top. The true summit, marked by a cairn, lies about 100 yards west of the main trail junction and is worth the short detour for hikers pursuing the Belknap Range Hiker Patch. The summit's appeal lies less in the top itself and more in the open outlooks found along the Red Trail (Mt. Klem-Mt. Mack Loop) that curls around the mountain's north end, where ledges open up to sweeping views over Lake Winnipesaukee, the Sandwich Range, the Ossipee Mountains, and Mt. Moosilauke and the Kinsman Range to the northwest.
The most common approach begins off Wood Road in Gilford via the East Gilford Fire Road and Round Pond Trail, passing the scenic plateau lake of Round Pond before gaining the summit in about 0.75 miles and 350 feet of elevation from the pond. Klem is almost always paired with nearby Mt. Mack as part of the loop, and the full circuit with Round Pond runs roughly 2 miles. The trail lies on the Griswold Scout Reservation.
The Belknap Range is a four-season destination, accessible even in winter when snowshoes or microspikes make the route manageable. The ledge outlooks along the north side of Klem provide some of the best views of Lake Winnipesaukee found in the range, particularly attractive in leaf-off conditions when sight lines open up considerably.
