White Mountain National Forest · New Hampshire, Maine

Basin Trail

4.4 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 31850 · trail class 2 · typical grade 10-12% · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, bike

Trailhead Wild River / Basin Trailhead Drive there

Basin Cascade Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

The Basin Cascade trail begins on the western end of the maze of trails around the Basin, at a junction with the Pemi Trail, about 0.2 miles from the parking areas. The trail easily ascends along the very scenic Cascade Brook to its intersection with the Cascade Brook Trail, a segment of the Apalachian Trail, at 1.0 mile.

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Burnt Mill Brook Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

The somewhat gradual climb of the Burnt Mill Brook Trail make it a popular choice for hiking to the breath-taking views atop the East and West Royce Mountains and further south to the high Basin Rim Trail.

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Wild River / Basin Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

Recreation fee charged. <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/whitemountain/?cid=STELPRDB5297292">See fee schedule</a>.&nbsp;

The Wild River and Basin Trails can be used to access the vast and scenic Wild River Wilderness and surrounding mountain ranges. There is a vault toilet at the trailhead. Both the Wild River Road and Route 113 are gated closed in the winter.

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in White Mountain National Forest

Other trails from the Wild River / Basin Trailhead

All 512 trails in White Mountain National ForestFind a trailForest on fs.usda.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.