© 2025 New Hampshire Public Radio

Persons with disabilities who need assistance accessing NHPR's FCC public files, please contact us at publicfile@nhpr.org.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Support essential local news and protect public media with a donation today!

Hikers will need to use a detour after a bridge along the Appalachian Trail in NH is deemed unsafe

The Madison Gulf Bridge crosses the Peabody River as part of the Appalachian Trail.
Courtesy
/
U.S. Forest Service
The Madison Gulf Bridge crosses the Peabody River as part of the Appalachian Trail.

A footbridge that hikers use to cross the west branch of the Peabody River in the White Mountain National Forest is closed due to concerns about its structural integrity. For Appalachian Trail thru hikers, that will mean using a detour that temporarily trims about 4.3 miles from the famed route.

The Madison Gulf Bridge, also called the Great Gulf Suspension Bridge, was evaluated and closed last November by the U.S. Forest Service.

White Mountain forest staff then worked with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy to blaze a detour that avoids the river crossing.

On its website, the conservancy encourages thru-hikers looking to complete the 2,190 mile long route to utilize the detour. Hikers that want to instead ford the river are advised to do so with extreme caution.

“It is a dangerous crossing in all but dry conditions when the river’s flow is low and even then, it can be difficult,” the group says.

It isn’t clear how long it may take for the U.S. Forest Service to design and build a new pedestrian bridge.

The Appalachian Trail stretches from Georgia to Maine, and includes around 160 miles of trail in New Hampshire.

Sign up & receive top NH news stories delivered to you daily.

* indicates required

As a general assignment reporter, I pursue breaking news as well as investigative pieces across a range of topics. I’m drawn to stories that are big and timely, as well as those that may appear small but tell us something larger about the state we live in. I also love a good tip, a good character, or a story that involves a boat ride.
Related Content

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.