Elevation: 3,774 feet (1,150 meters) Prominence: 654 feet (199 meters) Location: Lincoln, (Grafton County) New Hampshire Range: Sandwich Range Coordinates: 44°01'43" North     71°35'34" West Rating: Difficult (You first hike up the steep ski trails of Loon Mountain, followed by an easy herd path, then a difficult bushwhack.) Features: Bushwhack, no views on the summit, Loon Mountain Ski Resort (excellent views most of the way up and on the summit.) Distance of highlighted hike below: Roughly 8-10 miles (depends on the herd path and bushwhack distance)

Scar Ridge, also known as Scar Ridge West Peak, is a 3,774 foot mountain in the Sandwich Range of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. There is no trail leading up to the summit of the mountain so the only way to summit this peak is by bushwhacking. This mountain is on the New England Hundred Highest hiking list as well as the New Hampshire Hundred highest.

The mountain is flanked to the West by Loon Mountain, to the Northwest by Black Mountain and to the East by Mount Osceola.

Lists Scar Ridge are on:	= A patch is available for this list
New England Hundred highest New England Hundred highest in Winter season      New Hampshire Hundred highest

The map below shows how to get to the summit of Scar Ridge. (Note: The highlighted map below shows an approximate location of where you can begin the bushwhack in an area that is not so dense. It is not an exact location.)

(NOTE THIS IS A BUSHWHACK HIKE. THERE IS NO MAINTAINED TRAIL TO THE SUMMIT OF SCAR RIDGE, SO ONLY ATTEMPT THIS IF YOU ARE SMART WITH A NAVIGATION SYSTEM AND/OR KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING.)

From the back of the Loon Mountain Ski Resort lodge, take the furthest trail to the left called the Brookway. Hike all the way up until you see the orange colored lodge (Camp III Lodge). From there hike up the Lower Walking Boss Woods ski trail (which is a black diamond trail). Then continue up the Upper Walking Boss trail (also a black diamond trail). At the top of this trail is the summit of (North) Loon Mountain, and the ski quad.

The herd path that begins your journey up to Scar Ridge, begins about a hundred or so feet lower than the quad on the Upper Walking Boos trail. (If you are hiking up that trail you will see a yellow sign really high up in the trees on the left side that says you are entering an unmaintained trail. That is the start of the herd path.) If you don't see any yellow sign, just look for a path in that area. It is an old ski trail, so it is easy to navigate.

Hike on that herd path for roughly 0.6 miles. At that point, you can start the bushwhack really anywhere in that area on the right side. That area is not too dense, so it is a great starting point. This begins your bushwhack up to Scar Ridge! There is not really any herd path in the woods, except maybe a few areas close to the summit, so a good GPS comes in handy to locate the actual summit. There is a canister and a summit sign.

This hike can be as little as 8.5 miles, depending on your bushwhack route, but can also be closer to 10 if you aren't going directly towards the summit during your whack.

Click to download PDF Trail Map of Scar Ridge

Camp III Lodge at the top of the Brookway ski trail and the bottom of the Lower Walking Boss Woods ski trail. Taken on 9/24/14.

Views heading up the Loon ski trails. Taken on 9/24/14.

The quad on the summit of Loon Mountain. Taken on 9/24/14.

View of Scar Ridge from the summit of Loon Mountain. Taken on 9/24/14.

The yellow sign indicating where the herd path begins (can be easily missed!). Taken on 9/24/14.

Some stretch of herd path near the summit of Scar Ridge. Taken on 9/24/14.

Summit sign and canister on Scar Ridge. Taken on 9/24/14.

The parking lot for the highlighted hike is at the Loon Mountain Ski Resort. If you have a GPS, just enter 60 Loon Mountain Road in Lincoln, New Hampshire. (This road is right off Route 112, the Kancamagus Highway.)

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