Mount Moriah (4,047 ft) sits at the northern end of the Carter-Moriah Range, near Gorham, and holds a modest but meaningful distinction: it is the northernmost New Hampshire 4,000-footer on the Appalachian Trail. The summit is a broad dome of open granite slabs, largely free of trees, with views extending west to the Presidential Range, south along the Carter Range, southeast to the Baldface Range and Wild River Wilderness, and on clear days far enough to glimpse the Atlantic coast.
The most popular approach follows the Carter-Moriah Trail from Bangor Road in Gorham, a roughly 9-mile round trip gaining around 3,400 feet. The trail climbs through open forest and passes over the ledges of Mount Surprise (2,194 ft), which offers partial views of the Presidentials, before the ridge narrows and steepens toward Moriah's open upper slopes. The Stony Brook Trail offers another alternative from the west, covering about 9.8 miles round trip with roughly 3,100 feet of gain. The Rattle River Trail, which follows the Appalachian Trail south from Route 2, provides yet another option at about 4.3 miles one-way.
The open summit is fully exposed to weather, and afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer. Snow lingers on the upper ridge into May, and ice can make the steep sections treacherous in early spring or late fall; traction devices are advisable outside the summer months.
