North Mountain via Horse Island

The North Mountain loop via Horse Island combines a shore walk around one of Pawtuckaway Lake's distinctive granite peninsulas with a forested climb to North Mountain's open ledge summit at 908 feet. Horse Island is connected to the main shoreline by a narrow isthmus and features exposed granite outcrops, stands of pitch pine and white pine, and excellent lake views across to the distant South and Middle Mountains. The island shoreline is a designated Common Loon nesting area — New Hampshire hosts one of the largest loon populations in the northeastern US, and Pawtuckaway Lake supports breeding pairs with young observed from shore each summer. The trail continues from the island access point to North Mountain, traversing open granite slabs dotted with lowbush blueberries and sheep laurel before reaching the small rocky summit with views over the lake and the distinctive Pawtuckaway ring dike feature visible in the surrounding topography. The ring dike, formed roughly 200 million years ago when a magma intrusion arched and cracked the surrounding rock in a circular pattern, creates Pawtuckaway's unique bowl-shaped topography visible from high points throughout the park. The eastern shore of the lake visible from the summit is largely undeveloped, maintained as natural shoreline within the state park.