Mount Nancy (3,926 ft) is the highest point in the Nancy Range, a compact cluster of summits on the southwestern edge of Crawford Notch within the Pemigewasset Wilderness. Though it once had a maintained trail, the route to the summit now follows an old herd path from the end of Norcross Pond, making it a destination for hikers comfortable with unmaintained terrain.
The approach follows the Nancy Pond Trail from Route 302, climbing gradually along old logging roads before steepening past the Nancy Cascades at 2.4 miles. From the cascades, the trail continues through increasingly rugged forest to Nancy Pond and then Norcross Pond, roughly 3.6 miles in. At the northwestern end of Norcross Pond, the old trail bed continues as an unmaintained herd path to the summit, very steep in places but generally easy to follow with modest brush. Total round trip is roughly 10 miles.
The summit rewards the effort with an open view taking in Mount Washington and the southern Presidentials, Signal Ridge on Mount Carrigain, the Bonds, Guyot, the Twins, and Franconia Ridge. Summer through fall is the most reliable window; early spring can bring icy conditions on the lower trail and lingering snowpack near the ponds. The cascades and ponds are rewarding destinations in their own right for those who stop short of the summit push.
