Goodrich Rock & Davis Boulders

        We have probably done this hike more times than any other hike in the mountains. It offers such enjoyment and diversity for so little effort that we come back time and time again. The trail head is located just off of Tripoli Road in Waterville Valley, NH. The road is named for tripoli, a very friable deposit of silica that was mined here at one point long ago.

        You'll park your vehicle in the large parking area and if you've not purchased a seasons parking pass you'll have to pay $3.00 to park for the day. If you're going to do any degree of hiking at all in the WMNF it's well worth the money to buy a pass for $20.00 for one car or $25.00 if you have two cars and want one for each. The sticker will allow you to park anywhere on White Mountain National Forest land for an entire year. After tightening your boots and checking your pack straps you'll head down Livermore Road which begins as a very wide graded dirt road. In about three quarters of a mile you'll come to Depot Camp, the remains of an ancient logging camp that until about 15 years ago was still used as a campsite. From this clearing you'll get a great view of Mount Tripyramid and it's two slides, another great hike but a much more challenging one than Goodrich Rock!

        After passing Depot Camp you'll be taking a left on to the Greeley Ponds Trail. The trail is still wide and level but a bit more rocky than Livermore Road was. This section of the hike is very pleasant though as the trail follows along the side of the very head waters of the Mad River. If you were to continue on this trail you would come to the source of the Mad River, the lovely Greeley Ponds. Ahhhh, another reason why this area is so popular with us. But on to the boulders.

        You'll enjoy approximately a mile of the Greeley Ponds trail when you'll come to the junction, on your left, with the Goodrich Rock Trail. As soon as you make the turn you'll start a steady but very moderate climb up an old logging grade that for some foolish reason every time I'm on it I think it would make a spectacular toboggan run! I don't know why, but I guess some of us never really grow up. After about a quarter of a mile of this the trail turns sharply to the left and climbs a bit more steeply, occasionally using some steps placed into the hill until you crest the top and level off in a lovely open forest.

        Keep your eyes open for blazes as the trail winds around quite a bit through this area. In a few minutes you'll begin to see an occasional boulder that is large enough to catch your eye but certainly nothing incredible.

        In due time you'll come to a couple of boulders that will certainly impress you with their size! These are some of the largest glacial erratics in the state. That means that these rocks were not always here, they were transported here by glacial ice during the last ice age approximately 12,000 years ago.

        As with many trails in the Whites the builders of this one have laid it out so you get the maximum enjoyment of what mother nature has to offer. With each new erratic you'll be lead over, under, between and around them in such a way as to make it an absolute blast. But be prepared to crawl or squeeze in a spot or two. As you see more and more of these boulders their sheer size is really impressive. Then suddenly you're looking up at the first of the Davis Boulders and it is humongous!

        The trail continues to wind along, around, under and over the rocks until you come to one so huge that you can't see the top! At last it's Goodrich Rock! You'll work your way around to the back of it and there you'll see the ladder to the top. It's really not too bad at all, with the only questionable part being the tricky step or two needed to make your way off the ladder and on to the top of the rock. Once there you'll be amazed to realize that Goodrich Rock is so huge that you're standing on it's top looking out over the tops of the trees. It's the perfect spot to have your lunch, enjoy the view and relax a bit before you start back.