A Bucket List Ride: North Moat Mountain
Sep 12, 2025
Are all good things too good to be true? Maybe not... Sometimes the best things are staring you right in the face. North Moat Mountain stands tall above the valley and is often overlooked by mountain bikers seeking an awesome hike-a-bike. The reality is that this peak offers 3000 feet of absolutely outstanding riding and views, truly demonstrating the essence of the White Mountain's trails. It rides best when everything is exceptionally dry, unlike everything else in the valley!
Lets break it down...
Approach:
The simplest way to start this ride is by parking at the Diana's Bath trailhead. On weekday mornings or offseason days, there is usually parking available for a fee. On holiday weekends and peak visitation days, this lot is usually full by 8:00-9:00 am and can be quite the scene. Alternatively, you can park for free somewhere around the bottom of cathedral ledge and connect some old trails that link the two areas together. You will have to cross the river at some point along this trail, so it may be best to avoid during spring runoff or after periods of heavy rain.
The buttery smooth footpath that starts at the Diana's Bath parking lot is the beginning of the Moat Mountain Trail. 1.1 mile in the trail splits into Moat Mountain Trail and Red Ridge Trail. Its fairly obvious, stay right to continue on MMT, don't cross the river. Proceed another 1.2 mile up very gradual, but at times chunky, trail. You will see a sign and an obvious left hand turn that appears to climb near vertical. Left is the ticket. At this point you will have completed roughly 500 feet of the 3000. Eat a snack, have a sip of water, throw your bike on your shoulders, and pace yourself. It's going to take another 1.5-2.5 hours to get to the top. This is an out and back ride so try your best to scout some lines and take notes along the way.
Don't burn all your matches on the climb to make sure you've got some energy to go down! Once at the top, take in one of the best 360 views New Hampshire has to offer. Look at the valley below you, enjoy Chocorua's rugged summit, and point out Mount Washington to your buddies.
photo by Andrew Drummond
Descent:
For better or worse, this one gets right down to business! Hopefully, you remember some of those mental notes you took while climbing on how to maneuver the trickiest bits. This one demands a lot of input and will test you the whole way down! Please take into account any moisture on the rock/slab, especially at the top!
The upper few hundred feet are the most challenging. Right off the top involves some chunky turns, and a quite tricky drop/corner/nosepick right at the bottom of the slab. Once you enter the woods, prepare for loose stone, relentless waist high drops/holes, and some tighter corners. There are a couple of very obvious crux sections where things get very steep and steppy; definitely worth taking a quick look at to make sure you're lined up. If you gotta keep the train rolling, main line with confidence!
The middle of this descent mellows out a touch with some really scenic slab! Enjoy the higher speeds and beauty of it all. There are a couple choice slab drops and rock gardens that will make you feel something. The trees open up in places to offer great views and in the middle of summer, blueberries grow everywhere! Don't be afraid to give the hands a quick break and fuel up on some fruit.
The last third or so of the real descending gets quite rooty, rocky, and steep. This one requires a little less finesse and maybe a little more trust in the bike. Most of the trail is simply one pretty obvious line that you need to just dance down. One of the very last sections opens up a bit more into a quite loamy, but nasty rock garden with a variety of lines. The main line down the pipes rides fantastic, but requires riding with confidence! a Few riders' right/high lines exist to avoid some of the more challenging rocks, but involve some off camber trickery. Plow through the final steep section and stay eyes up for water bars!
Take a minute to soak it all in and wait for your buddies to catch up! After regrouping, bang a right to take Moat Mountain Trail all the way back to the parking lot! Keep the cranks spinning and there is a ton of flow to be found on this "flat" section of trail back!
local metal-bike enthusiast Owen Cassidy hiking up - photo by Caleb Sharp
local legend Ryan "my buddy" Murphy in the steeps (sorry for the quality, it's a screenshot)