The Wildcat Ridge Trail earns its place on the Terrifying 25 through sheer, unrelenting steepness. This section of the Appalachian Trail covers approximately 1.5 miles from Route 16 in Pinkham Notch to Wildcat E Peak, gaining 2,200 feet with barely a flat step to be found. The ascent begins immediately and aggressively, working up rock and wooden steps, steep ledges, a fixed ladder, and a chimney before emerging onto the ridgeline.
Near the top, the trail breaks out of the trees onto a broad, bulging rock slab with real exposure on either side. This Class 4 section demands solid footwork and confidence with hands-on scrambling; there is no bypass. Above it, the views across the notch to Mt. Washington and the Presidential Range open up wide and unobstructed, a reward that feels earned given the effort required to get there. Wet or icy conditions transform the whole route into a considerably more serious undertaking. The ledges and chimney become genuinely hazardous on wet rock, and microspikes are essential from late fall through spring. Because of the steepness, it is common to hike up Wildcat Ridge Trail, then down another way such as the Wildcat Mountain ski area or Nineteen-Mile-Brook trail.
