Elephant Head Hike in Crawford Notch, NH

Looking for a short, easy hike with some pretty nice views? Make sure to check out Elephant Head in Crawford Notch! We hiked this the day after we climbed Mt. Willard, and it was a perfect post-long-hike adventure.  Our friend Brit over at Traveling Carrs suggested this when she heard we were headed up to Crawford Notch; she knows our family pretty well and had a good guess as to how our legs would be feeling at the end of our week up there. 🙂 The trek up to Elephant Head was perfect for tired little legs (and tired adult legs), and we still were rewarded with a beautiful view.

The trailhead is across the street from the Willard trailhead and begins as the Jackson – Webster Trail.  Not too far up the initial trail, the Elephant Head trail veers off.  (You can see the whole Crawford Notch State Park map here.)

Once you veer off, there are a few muddy parts. The trail, however, has some fun wood and log bridges that add some excitement for the little ones!

It’s great practice for some more difficult “bridges” you might come upon in other hikes.  The bridges are low to the ground and there is just mud underneath!

Once you come back down the trail, look south – you’ll be able to see the Elephant Head! (Depending where you parked, you may need to drive south just a bit).

This hike only took us about 25 minutes to summit.  It’s a short, but sweet hike that can easily be combined with another adventure.  It’s a great one for littles just beginning to hike and is right near that pretty awesome playscape over at the AMC Highland Center.  I hope your family enjoys this adventure as much as mine did!