Backpacker Magazine – May 2009

America's Best Dayhikes: Northeast

From blueberry picking in New York and New Hampshire to pure solitude in New Hampshire and Maine, moose sitings in Vermont, and peaks in New York, these the hikes feature the best of the Northeast.

by: Lisa Densmore

 

 

BLUEBERRIES

The Brothers, NY 10.3 miles (Hard)
This classic Adirondack loop is well worth doing without the sweet reward you'll find in berry season. Add the bonanza awaiting on a series of open ledges on Big Slide Mountain, a mile from the start, and this is the region's premier late-summer trek. It's a stiff 2.6-mile climb, including a series of wooden ladders, to the 4,199-foot summit. On top, the vista encompasses Mts. Marcy, Giant, Algonquin, and other High Peaks. Continue over Yard Mountain, then descend to Johns Brook Lodge, the Adirondack Mountain Club's historic outpost, on the way out. Season May-October
Info (518) 897-1276

Percival-Morgan Loop, NH 5.5 miles (Moderate)
The ridge separating the peaks of Percival and Morgan confronts hikers with this dilemma: Look down to grab handfuls of sweet blueberries, left for a jaw-dropping view of Franconia Ridge, or right across the entire lakes region? Fortunately, "all of the above" is a fine choice. Both summits are more than 2,000 feet high, and the loop route along the Crawford-Ridgepole Trail includes a descent down three ladders on a 50-foot wall of rock.
Season May-November
Info (603) 968-7336

Bear Meadows, PA 3.5 miles (Easy)
One of the largest freshwater bogs in the East harbors a bountiful blueberry hike: Pick fruit along most of this loop as you watch for red-eyed vireos, hooded warblers, and scarlet tanagers–just three of the 88 bird species that breed here. The path tunnels through dense rhododendrons and hemlock trees up to 1,000 years old.
Season April-November
Info (814) 643-2340

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