The trail at the thinly wooded summit of Albany Mountain, consisting of mostly pitch pine trees, has recently been extended further South to bare granite ledges with sweeping views of the surrounding area. The summit is most commonly accessed from the North, via the Albany Mountain Trail, accesses via Patte Brook Road and the National Forest Road to Crocker Pond Campground. However, most of Patte Brook Road through the White Mountain National Forest closes in the winter – which adds considerable distance to the total hike distance. The summit can also be accessed from the South, via the Albany Notch Trail – which begins as a woods road extension of Birch Ave. But just beware that this route is not very well maintained, and therefore a less reliable approach to the summit.
Albany Mountain Trail trailhead sign. August, 2018 Bent Pitch Pine at the summit. April, 2006 View toward Pleasant Mountain behind Keewaydin Lake (left), and Black Cap behind Virginia Lake (right). Mount Shaw in New Hampshire’s Ossipee Mountains is behind the left slope of Black Cap from the South outcrop. May, 2017 View toward Mount Blue, Bald Mountain, and Saddleback Wind (far background), and Mount Zircon and Mount Abram (to the right). April, 2013 View from the South outcrop toward (left to right) Kearsarge North, Doublehead, Eastman and the Baldfaces, Speckled Mountain, Caribou Mountain, Red Rock Mountain, Mount Moriah, and Shelburne Moriah. The Tripyramids can be seen off in the distance between Kearsarge North and Doublehead. The Presidential Range is mostly blocked by Speckled and Caribou Mountains. May, 2017 Albany Mountain from neighboring Farwell Mountain. August, 2018 View toward Kearsarge North, Doublehead, and the Baldfaces from the South outcrop. May 2017 Snow-covered Mount Washington, Mount Adams and Mount Madison peek up over closer mountains, including Mount Moriah, and Shelburne Moriah to the right. April, 2013 Albany Mountain from nearby Foster Hill. June 2019