Mount Whiteface rises to 4,018 feet at the southern edge of the Sandwich Range Wilderness, flanked by Mount Tripyramid to the northwest and Mount Passaconaway to the northeast. One of its most distinctive features is the massive granite cliff face on its south slope, for which the mountain is named. The true summit lies in wooded terrain along the Rollins Trail, about 0.3 miles north of that cliff top, and many hikers turn back at the open ledge without reaching it. To the east, between Whiteface, Passaconaway, and Mount Wonalancet, lies The Bowl, an unlogged cirque designated as a Research Natural Area since 1931.
The most scenic approach is the Blueberry Ledge Trail out of Ferncroft, roughly 8 miles round-trip with about 2,850 feet of gain. The trail crosses open blueberry ledges early on, then steepens considerably above the Tom Wiggin Trail junction, where hikers must negotiate slabs and short scrambles using rock holds and tree roots. Those ledges offer some of the best views on the route, looking south across the Lakes Region toward Lake Winnipesaukee and Squam Lake. The historic McCrillis Trail, dating to the 1850s, provides a longer and less technical alternative. A popular 11.6-mile loop links Whiteface with Passaconaway via the Blueberry Ledge and Dicey's Mill trails.
Summer and fall are the prime seasons; the scrambling sections on Blueberry Ledge can be slick when wet. The route is also well-regarded as a winter snowshoe objective.
David Andre
