Wildcat Ridge Trail stats

• Distance: 9.4 miles
• Elevation gain: 3,448 feet
• Route type: out & back
• Difficulty level: very difficult
• Scenic view: good/great
• Fun + safe mountain for beginners?: no
• Conditions: scramble, muddy, rocky, fun!

Wildcat Ridge Trail Parking

Your two best options for parking are just down the road from one another, either way arrive early to assure you will get a spot- parking fills up fast!

Pinkham Notch Visitor Center: A very popular parking lot that is the start to a handful of different hikes. Get here early, especially on weekends!! To get to the trailhead for the Wildcat Ridge Trail look for the tunnel (or cross 16 carefully) and get started. You will need to hike about one mile on flat ground on the Lone Lake trail to get to the actual trailhead by the Glenn Ellis Falls Trial, it’s easy and doesn’t take long!

Glenn Ellis Falls Trail: An easy parking lot to get to right off the main road. We originally parked here and got started but there is a water crossing right off the batt and we decided it wasn’t worth it then drove down the road to the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center.

If the weather has been dry when you do this hike park here and check across the street how the water crossing looks. If it’s low and you feel safe doing it, it will save you from hiking an extra mile!

Take the Wildcat Ridge Trail

Coming from Pinkham Notch or Glenn Ellis, the Wildcat Ridge Trail is what you want to take. It’s a fun but challenging trail, for example about a 1.5 mile in you will have to conquer an open rock face that is pretty steep!

There will be a few lookout points on the hike up to Wildcat D. You will know you’ve made it to the summit of Wildcat D when you start approaching the the ski patrol sign. After making it out of the woods, you are rewarded with the AMAZING views!

There is a chairlift in use for visitors in the Summer and Fall, the lift attendant was very friendly and helpful if you have any questions. After taking a short break the hike continues on back into the woods where you will head to the ridge!

Tips about hiking the Wildcat Ridge Trail

• Scramble
• Rocky
• Wear shoes with very good grip and support
• Steep
• Amazing views
• Not too busy
• The ridge section is long (be prepared) don’t look at your distance it’s disappointing
• There are viewpoints on the summit of Wildcat D and Wildcat A

How to hit both 4000+ peaks

You need to hike the entire Wildcat Ridge Trail to hit both 4000 footers on this hike. There are four peaks you will cover overall on this hike but only two are on the 48 4000 footers list, Wildcat A and Wildcat D.

You will hit Wildcat D first, when you see the chairlift you are in the right place! After taking in the views on the summit, keep on hiking! The trial is up in the woods behind the chairlift. You will soon come up to a lookout tower which is a great spot for a snack break and photos. 

As you hike on, you might miss Wildcat C and B like we did. There are no real markers for these peaks so unless you track the hike closely you will probably pass right by them. 

Wildcat A is a good one!! There is a small lookout area you can climb out to on a rock face that offers the best views!! Be sure to look for this viewpoint at Wildcat A.

After you take in the views of Wildcat A, turn back around and hike the same way out along the ridge!

Hiking down

On the hike down you have two options: hike down the exact same way you came up or once you get to the summit of Wildcat Ski Mountain you can hike down the ski slopes and then walk down 16 back to your car.

After talking to other hikers and thinking about trail conditions we decided to hike down the ski slopes and walk back on 16. We were happy with our decision!

There is a map of Wildcat Mountain at the top so you can check out which trails you want to take down. We stayed to the left- taking a couple of blue and black trails down. We found some paths to follow and eventually followed four wheeler tracks all the way back to the base lodge.

Keep an eye out for bears! We saw one hiking down the ski slopes. It’s very quiet on the mountain in the summertime, the lift attendants told us they see them often.

How long does it take to hike the Wildcat Ridge Trail?

The hike took my partner and I seven and a half hours. We stopped for a few water and snack breaks. I also love to take photos and videos along the way, we probably added on an extra half hour with that alone.

Know before you go

You want to do this hike on a nice day- not too windy or with any harsh weather. You have enough to worry about with the difficulty level of this hike. Bad weather will make it unpleasant. 

Be ready for a challenge! You can 100% do it, don’t be afraid just know it’s more difficult than a lot of the other 48 4000 footers. The views are beautiful, especially at the lookout point on Wildcat A (the furthest peak from Wildcat D) don’t miss it!!

Have fun on Wildcat!

Hiking the Wildcat Ridge Trail is an awesome adventure and very rewarding hike. Just remember- once you start hiking the ridge, don’t look at your distance…it’s long and pretty tough just think about getting to the amazing view! The hike back along the ridge goes a lot quicker than going in. 

Be sure to pack everything you need for this hike! You never know what can happen up there. Check out my post – 10 Must Have Hiking Essentials before you go and my Reel on Instagram on this hike! 

If you have any questions about this hike just ask in the comments below!

Stay safe out there! Happy trails 😊🥾