Middle Long Mountain rises to 3,675 feet in Nash Stream Forest, a state-owned tract in northern Coos County. The summit is entirely wooded with no views, but the peak appears on the NH 100 Highest and is often combined with nearby West Long Mountain in a single outing. Reaching the summit requires off-trail navigation throughout.
The standard approach begins near Christine Lake in Stark, following the Old Summer Club Trail and Jimmy Cole Brook Road, a gated logging-road walk that climbs to about 2,350 feet before hikers enter the woods. Open hardwoods give way to thicker spruce on the upper ridge, with the ascent continuing to West Long before traversing east to Middle Long. Long Mountain Pond sits quietly at roughly 3,400 feet in the col between the two peaks, a useful landmark mid-route. The round trip covers about 6 miles with around 2,500 feet of gain; navigation difficulty is high throughout, so map and compass or GPS are essential.
The Nash Stream backcountry is deep moose country, with fern glades and open forest in the lower terrain giving way to boreal spruce and fir near the top. On the mountain's southern spur, a 1974 slide scar known as Diamond Ledge draws occasional mineral collectors searching for amethyst and topaz. The summit of Middle Long itself is simply quiet, remote north-country forest.
