Mt. Jackson is ranked #39 on the list of the 48 4000 footers and it was our 2nd 4000 footer.
- Mt. Jackson - 4,052
- Mt. Webster - 3,910
The trail head for the Webster-Jackson trail is across from the Crawford Notch train depot and just up the street from the AMC Highland Center. To do both Jackson and Webster is about a 6.6 mile loop and a great hike. The view from both peaks are great. You can see Mt. Washington and several other presidential peaks.
On our way up we did the short jaunt to Elephant Head. From Elephant Head you have great views of the Crawford Notch and the Mt. Washington Hotel. You can also look across the notch and see all the people on Mt. Willard.
Mt. Jackson is the shortest of the Presidential range 4,000 footers but don't let that fool you. It's still challenging. Mt. Jackson with the Webster loop is a great introduction to the Presidential range. You'll find 360 degree views, beautiful overlooks and a waterfall with a pool.
Close to the peak of Mt. Jackson you'll find a sort section of rock scramble where you might need to spider climb. After the rock scramble you are almost at the peak. The open ledges of the peak provide amazing views on a clear day. Our first climb up there was a high cloud cover and a slight wind so Mt. Washington was in the clouds but we still had amazing views.
The trail over to Webster has several steep rock ledges but nothing too difficult. The views from Webster were beautiful as well. On our way down we crossed over the Silver Cascade Brook and dipped our feet in the cold water.
This was a great hike for our second 4000 footer. Much better than our first experience in the pouring rain on Tecumseh!