Mt. Kilburn (Fall Mountain)

Length: 1.5 miles out-and-back

Difficulty (click for info): Easy

Elevation Gain: 500 feet

Rating (click for info): 5/10

Elevation: 1102'

Prominence: 197'

Driving Directions:
Trailhead and parking area are on Mountain View Road in North Walpole, NH. To get there, take Main Street from Rt. 12, 1.5 miles north of Rt. 123. Going north, Rt. 12 bends left and Main Street continues straight ahead. Follow Main Street for 0.2 miles, then turn right onto Mountain View Road. Follow Mountain View Road 0.2 miles and turn left to stay on the road, then continue 0.3 miles to the end of the road. Park in the open area on the left.

About the Hike:
An obscure, locally known place, the cliffs on the side of Mt. Kilburn provide a wide vista of Bellows Falls, Vermont. The hike is primarily on an access road for the communications towers at the summit. From the parking area at the end of a neighborhood, follow the access road up a hill. It crosses a power line clearing, then leads into the woods. Shortly after this, you will come to a fork. Turn right, pass a small pond, and begin to climb. The road surface becomes large gravel as it switchbacks up the steep slope. After a moderate, winding ascent, the access road heads for the summit, while you must follow a dirt path that bears right and descends to the cliff outlook known as Table Rock. This dirt path may be flooded in some places, but beaten paths bypass these sections. After about 0.2 miles, turn right onto a short spur path to the cliff. From this viewpoint, you have a close-up view of the towns below, Bellows Falls, VT, and North Walpole, NH. Between the two towns is the Connecticut River. There is a good view of a dam on the river, along with some rapids. On the horizon are several ski areas, including Stratton Mountain, Ludlow (Okemo) Mountain, and Killington Peak. By descending to a lower cliff, you can get a better view of the river and to the south.

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