Mount Magalloway stands at 3,383 feet in Pittsburg, New Hampshire's northernmost town, deep in the Great North Woods only a half-hour from the Quebec border. The summit is forested, but a 1935 fire tower, built by a coalition of timber-management companies, rises above the trees to deliver 360-degree views spanning three states and into Canada. On clear days, the First and Second Connecticut Lakes spread out below to the north, ridgelines push into Quebec, and the White Mountains appear on the southern horizon.
Two trails reach the summit. The Coot Trail follows an old fire warden's Jeep road for 0.8 miles, gaining about 850 feet, a short but relentlessly steep climb on loose rock that demands solid footwear. The Bobcat Trail offers gentler terrain and can be paired with the Coot Trail for a loop. A 0.2-mile spur past the fire tower leads to exposed overlooks above an avalanche slide on the mountain's north face. The former watcher's cabin near the tower is available to rent through the state.
Access follows several miles of dirt logging roads; the final Tower Road section is rough and steep, and high-clearance vehicles are strongly recommended. Black flies and mosquitoes can be intense through midsummer. As the northernmost summit on the NH 52 With a View list, Magalloway is a notable destination in autumn, when fall foliage colors the surrounding boreal forest.
