South Moat Mountain anchors the southern end of the Moat Mountain Range, a volcanic ridge rising above the Saco River valley near Conway. Unlike most White Mountains peaks shaped from folded sedimentary rock, the Moats are composed of rhyolite and other volcanic material. A fire in 1854 burned the conifers down to near the ridgeline, leaving the crest open at an unusually low elevation, a quality that sets the range apart from nearly every other peak in the region.
The South Moat Mountain Trail covers roughly 2.9 miles one way from the trailhead off West Side Road, gaining about 2,100 feet. The first mile winds gently through mixed forest with a footbridge crossing before the trail steepens onto open granite slabs. Several viewpoints open up on the ascent, each with broader perspectives than the last. The slabs are genuinely treacherous when wet, so dry conditions are strongly preferred, and in winter the ledges ice over and demand microspikes.
The 2,772-foot summit looks out over Chocorua and the Sandwich Range to the southwest, the Carter-Moriah Ridge to the north, Cranmore Mountain directly east, and the Ossipee Hills spread across the southeast. The open ridge continues north toward Middle and North Moat, forming one of the longest stretches of above-treeline walking available at this elevation anywhere in New Hampshire. The peak draws heavy foot traffic in summer and fall foliage season, and sees a loyal contingent of winter visitors who come for the views and the relative quiet.
