The forest service road (Haystack Road, also called FR #304) that leads to the North Twin Trail trailhead is gated in winter. While you can hike 2.5 miles along Haystack Rd to the trailhead from Rt 3, it’s much shorter to park at the 7 Dwarfs Motel (603-846-5535) near the end of Little River Road in Twin Mountain (NH) and follow a logging road that links up with Haystack Rd closer to the trailhead. The total walking distance from the motel to the North Twin Trail trailhead is 1.5 miles.
It costs $10 per car to park at the 7 Dwarfs Motel. Pull into the parking area to the right of the office (there’s a sign) in such a way that many others can park there too and get out again (for example, head in facing the road). Put the $10 under your windshield wiper. One of the Dwarfs will retrieve it while you’re out hiking. It doesn’t matter if the lot hasn’t been plowed: you can still park there. Whatever you do, don’t park along the road on someone else’s property. The area is regularly patrolled by the local police.
From the motel parking lot, turn right onto Little River Road and walk to the end where there’s a private road sign. It’s about a quarter-mile. Turn onto the private road and take off your microspikes or crampons, before you cross the bridge over the Little River. It’s the only road leading to the right.
Cross the bridge over the Little River. Make sure to take off your microspikes or crampons.
Continue up the road another 100 yards or so and turn left at the sign that says “Trail.”
Follow this trail (an old logging road) to the gate at the end. It’s not blazed, but the way is quite distinct and easy to follow. It ends at a metal gate.
Walk past the gate and make a left onto Haystack Rd ( FR#304). Follow it for about a half-mile, crossing another bridge over the Little River. The North Twin Trail trailhead, trail kiosk, and trail sign will be in front of you.
(If you plan to climb Peak of the Nubble, make a right-hand turn after you pass through the gate)
The Great Debate
For students of language…is the plural of dwarf, ‘Dwarfs’ or ‘Dwarves’?
Last updated December 2023.
It should be dwarfs, but Tolkien used dwarves. So I suppose it depends on how much you love Tolkien.
To clarify, he used dwarfs when talking about a specific group of named familiar dwarfs and dwarves when talking about the more generic class of dwarves as a population.
Disney on the other hand uses Dwarfs pretty much everywhere. British vs American dialects?
Either way you say it or spell it, I still like the name of the place and the little people that come and take your money.
I believe “dwarves” was Tolkien’s own coinage. I read LOTR so many times as a kid that I just assumed this was the standard spelling, and had to be corrected by one of my teachers.
Either way, but ditch the apostrophe! It is a simple plural.