Devil's Hopyard earns its place on the Terrifying 25 not through elevation or exposure, but through sheer treachery underfoot. The White Mountain Guide calls it "wild and beautiful... a small gorge with cliffy walls and a boulder-strewn floor," and that description undersells the challenge of actually moving through it. The gorge is a talus labyrinth: moss-coated boulders of every size, slick with perpetual moisture, riddled with gaps and holes deep enough to swallow a leg. Progress slows to a crawl as the terrain becomes progressively more demanding toward the back of the ravine.
Access is from the South Pond Recreation Area off South Pond Road near Stark, NH, via the Kilkenny Ridge Trail. After 0.7 miles of easy walking, the Devil's Hopyard Trail branches right and enters the gorge proper. From there, the segment covers roughly 1.1 miles one way (about 2.4 miles round trip total), with only 250 feet of elevation gain. The trail ends at a near-vertical cliff face marked by an "End of Trail" sign. A stream runs through the gorge floor and frequently disappears beneath the boulders, audible but invisible, adding to the otherworldly feel. The shaded, moss-draped walls create a cool microclimate noticeably colder than the surrounding forest.
Note that the South Pond access road is gated in the off-season, adding a mile each way. The gorge is wet and slippery year-round; trekking poles are useful and ankle support is advisable. Conditions worsen after rain or in early season when snowmelt keeps the rocks saturated.
