Mountains for hikers & skiersHome › New Hampshire › West Royce Mountain
Mountains for hikers & skiersNew Hampshire peak
Summit elevation: USGS 3DEP elevation at the mapped summit point.
No lift-served ski area on this mountain. Nearest ski area: Wildcat Mountain, about 11.2 miles (straight line).
| County | Coos County |
|---|---|
| Town / township | Beans Purchase |
| Summit | 3,193 ft / 973 m |
| USFS trailhead used for comparison | Laughing Lion Trailhead: 1,311 ft (1.1 mi from summit, straight line) |
| Elevation difference | 1,882 ft from Laughing Lion Trailhead to summit |
Altitude note (estimate): using the standard lapse rate of about 3.5°F per 1,000 ft, expect the summit to be roughly 7°F colder than the trailhead, before wind chill. Above treeline, wind can make it feel far colder.
Effort score: 1,711 ft/mi — Very steep
Effort score = elevation gain ÷ straight-line distance from the nearest USFS trailhead to the summit (feet per mile). Trails wind, so real trail grades are gentler than this number. Under 500 Gentle · 500–999 Moderate · 1,000–1,499 Steep · 1,500+ Very steep. Use it to compare peaks, not as a trail grade.
Base map: USGS The National Map (public domain). Switch to OpenTopoMap with the layer button. Use for orientation only; carry a proper map and compass.
Loading the National Weather Service forecast for the summit…
Full NWS point forecast for West Royce Mountain
Forecast: National Weather Service (api.weather.gov), for the 2.5 km forecast grid cell at the summit coordinates, which accounts for elevation. Mountain weather changes fast; check again before you go.
White Mountain National Forest (USDA Forest Service), Androscoggin Ranger District.
300 Glen Road, Gorham, NH 03581 · (603) 466-2713
Land unit from the USGS PAD-US database at the summit point; ranger district from USDA Forest Service boundaries. Office address and phone from the Forest Service offices page.
The nearest Forest Service trailheads:
Trailheads: USDA Forest Service. Pass requirement: WMNF list of fee sites; at other trailheads we don't know of a fee. Check the official page before you go.
Calculating…
Calculated in your browser for the summit coordinates (standard sunrise equation, Eastern Time). From a high summit with an open horizon, the sun appears a few minutes earlier and sets a few minutes later than the sea-level times shown here; the extra minutes are estimated from the summit's height.
Consider a hikeSafe card. It's sold by NH Fish and Game and helps cover the cost of a search and rescue if you need one, under NH rules. Carry the ten essentials, tell someone your plan and know when to turn back.
Within 15 miles, straight line. Data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Check with the operator for reservations, fees and seasons.
| Town | Typical home value | Median household income | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelburne | $331,737 (Zillow, 2026-09; -3.6% in a year) | $93,125 | 530 |
| Gorham | $247,656 (Zillow, 2026-09; -3.0% in a year) | $61,275 | 2,682 |
| Jackson | $647,184 (Zillow, 2026-09; +6.5% in a year) | $117,986 | 897 |
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), typical home, as of the month shown; when Zillow has no figure for a town, we show the Census ACS 5-year median home value (table B25077). Income: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year 2020–2024 (via Census Reporter), table B19013. Population: same ACS 5-year release, table B01003.
Straight-line distance.
81 named lakes and ponds within 30 miles: 16 with a public boat launch, 6 with a public swimming beach.
Straight-line distance from the summit. Lakes and towns: NH Fish and Game fishing guide data. Boat launches: NH Fish and Game public access sites. Swimming: NH Fish and Game access sites and NH DES monitored public beaches. No badge means access is unknown, not that there is none. Check local rules before you go.
Straight-line distance. Data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
38.0 miles of USDA Forest Service–managed trail: the full length of every USFS trail segment that comes within 2 miles of the summit (computed from USFS trail GIS data).
| Trail (USFS name) | Total length |
|---|---|
| Evans Notch Snomo Corr19/Its80 | 15.2 mi |
| Highwater | 9.2 mi |
| Basin Trail | 4.4 mi |
| Royce Trail | 4.1 mi |
| Basin Rim | 3.6 mi |
| Burnt Mill Brook | 1.9 mi |
| Spruce Hill | 1.7 mi |
| Royce Connector | 0.2 mi |
Lengths are each trail's full mapped length in USFS GIS data, not a summit route. Difficulty ratings are not published in this data, so we leave them out.
| Mid-month | Sunrise | Sunset | Turn around by* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7:16 AM | 4:28 PM | 2:28 PM |
| Feb | 6:45 AM | 5:11 PM | 3:11 PM |
| Mar | 6:58 AM | 6:48 PM | 4:48 PM |
| Apr | 6:02 AM | 7:26 PM | 5:26 PM |
| May | 5:17 AM | 8:02 PM | 6:02 PM |
| Jun | 4:59 AM | 8:29 PM | 6:29 PM |
| Jul | 5:13 AM | 8:26 PM | 6:26 PM |
| Aug | 5:46 AM | 7:51 PM | 5:51 PM |
| Sep | 6:21 AM | 6:57 PM | 4:57 PM |
| Oct | 6:57 AM | 6:02 PM | 4:02 PM |
| Nov | 6:39 AM | 4:18 PM | 2:18 PM |
| Dec | 7:12 AM | 4:05 PM | 2:05 PM |
Computed for the summit coordinates with the NOAA solar formula, Eastern Time (DST applied). *Rule of thumb: be heading down at least 2 hours before sunset; start early enough to reach the summit before this time.
Sep — the month with the fewest wet days (≥1 mm precipitation) among months where the average summit high reaches 50°F.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Wet days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 19°F | 1°F | 30% |
| Feb | 21°F | 2°F | 34% |
| Mar | 30°F | 12°F | 35% |
| Apr | 42°F | 24°F | 41% |
| May | 56°F | 36°F | 39% |
| Jun | 63°F | 46°F | 46% |
| Jul | 69°F | 52°F | 45% |
| Aug | 67°F | 50°F | 40% |
| Sep | 61°F | 44°F | 30% |
| Oct | 48°F | 33°F | 36% |
| Nov | 35°F | 21°F | 33% |
| Dec | 24°F | 9°F | 38% |
2006–2025 daily ERA5 reanalysis from the Open-Meteo archive, adjusted to summit elevation. Reanalysis smooths mountain weather; summits like Mount Washington are often colder and windier than shown.
Check the USFS trailhead page for parking rules and any recreation pass required.
Hike + ski pairing: hike West Royce Mountain in summer or fall, then come back in winter to ski Wildcat Mountain, 11.2 miles away.
Summit location: Wikidata Q34819763. Elevations: Wikidata/GNIS and USGS 3D Elevation Program (EPQS). Trails & trailheads: USDA Forest Service EDW datasets. Ski stats: Ski NH. Climate: Open-Meteo archive (ERA5). Airports: OurAirports. KOA locations: OpenStreetMap contributors.