South Baldface sits at 3,576 feet in the town of Chatham, near the Maine border in the eastern White Mountains. The mountain takes its name from its steep, largely bare eastern face, a granite wall that defines its profile from the valley. Together with North Baldface to the northwest, it forms the Baldface-Royce Range and offers some of the most sustained above-treeline walking in the White Mountains despite neither summit reaching 4,000 feet.
The primary approach is the Baldface Circle Trail, a roughly 10-mile loop covering both peaks with about 3,600 feet of elevation gain. The route passes the South Baldface Shelter, one of the few remaining lean-tos in the White Mountains, before tackling the open ledges above. That section involves steep scrambling over terraced granite slabs with few handholds and is genuinely dangerous when wet or icy, making this one of the most demanding non-technical ascents in New Hampshire. Just below the climb, a short spur leads to Emerald Pool, a vivid green swimming hole in the Cold River watershed.
Above the ledges, an open ridge connects the two summits with views stretching to the Presidential Range to the west and well into Maine to the east. Nearly four miles of the loop travel above treeline with full exposure to wind and afternoon storms. Late May through October offers the most reliable conditions, though snow can linger on the upper slabs into early spring.
