Cabin rental · U.S. Forest Service · White Mountain National Forest · Jackson, NH

Doublehead Cabin

Doublehead Backcountry Cabin is accessible only by hiking, snowshoeing or skiing the 1.8-mile Doublehead Ski Trail. Guests should be prepared to transport all their gear and supplies on foot over an elevation of 1,500 feet. Doublehead Backcountry Cabin and Doublehead Ski Trail were built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps as part of a larger project to develop ski runs for the nearby resort town of Jackson. The cabin was used as a warming hut and shelter for skiers traveling on the trail. Some of the other ski trails nearby were developed and commercialized, but Doublehead Ski Trail and the cabin retain their rustic, backcountry ambiance.

Cabin rentalReservable · Recreation.gov1 sitePets ok
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
A mountain range with pockets of snow on its peaksExterior of a small wooden cabinDOUBLEHEAD CABINDOUBLEHEAD CABIN
Photos courtesy of USFS · Recreation.gov
3fires
active
Bradley Brook Rx (prescribed burn) · 6 mi away · 1 acres
2 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Cabins1
This cabin is booked as a single unit on Recreation.gov. The booking page shows which dates are open and how far ahead they release. How the booking window works

Site guide

1 site. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteShadePeople / vehicles
001Full8 / 2

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 1:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

PetsAllowed

The cabin is very rustic with minimal amenities that include 8 wooden bunks, 2 small tables, benches and a wood stove. An outhouse is located a short distance away with a composting toilet. A broom is provided for tidying up the cabin. Water and electricity are not available. Any water taken from the natural sources should be treated or boiled, but it is recommended that guests bring their own water. Bedding and sleeping pads are not provided. Recommended items include matches, food, cooking utensils, trash bags, toilet paper, a camp stove, first aid kit, flashlight or lantern, extra batteries, firewood and/or a cutting tool for dead and down wood. The amount of available firewood in the area cannot be guaranteed.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Doublehead Cabin10°20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 3.60 inches of precipitation, 20.1 inches of snowFebruary: 3.18 inches of precipitation, 21.8 inches of snowMarch: 3.67 inches of precipitation, 15.9 inches of snowApril: 4.41 inches of precipitation, 4.5 inches of snowMay: 3.68 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 4.53 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 4.50 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 4.39 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 3.67 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 5.46 inches of precipitation, 0.3 inches of snowNovember: 4.47 inches of precipitation, 4.5 inches of snowDecember: 4.55 inches of precipitation, 16.9 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 19.9°F averageFebruary: 22.3°F averageMarch: 31.1°F averageApril: 43.2°F averageMay: 55.4°F averageJune: 64.6°F averageJuly: 69.7°F averageAugust: 67.9°F averageSeptember: 60.0°F averageOctober: 47.7°F averageNovember: 36.8°F averageDecember: 26.6°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 in25 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at N Conway, 8 miles from the campground at 522 feet, station USC00275995 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 50 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 84 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

From NH Route 16 in Jackson, turn onto Route 16A. Take Route 16B (Black Mountain Road) and follow for about 2 miles. Just past Black Mountain Ski Area, Rt 16B turns into Dundee Road. Continue on Dundee Road to the trailhead 1 mile on the left with space for 3-5 vehicles. The ski trail reaches the cabin in 1.8 miles via a steep grade.

Nearest townJackson, New Hampshire
Coordinates44.1675° N, 71.1303° W · Directions ↗

Good to know

  • The cabin is not insulated, so winter guests should be prepared for temperatures inside to be almost the same as the outside, even when the wood stove is in use ( more cabin details )

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Bradley Brook Rx

    6 mi from the campground · 1 acres

  • Prescribed
    South Jackman Rx

    24 mi from the campground · 39 acres

  • Prescribed
    Morse Rx

    48 mi from the campground · 10 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearRagged Mountain Equipment ↗5.2 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗28 mi
RV sales & serviceCall of the Wild RV Center ↗31.9 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Worth a stop

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • under 0.1 mi
    Old Path
    0.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • under 0.1 mi
    Doublehead Ski Trail
    1.6 mi trail · snowshoe, ski
  • 0.2 mi
    New Path
    1.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.4 mi
    New Path Spur A
    0.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.2 mi
    Bald Land XC
    1 mi trail · snowshoe, ski
  • 1.2 mi
    Bald Land Trail
    1.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trailheads within three miles

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside White Mountain National Forest.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Natural features

This log cabin sits atop the north summit of Doublehead Mountain at 3,053 feet. This mountain has 2 peaks, and the south peak is 2,939 feet. This vantage point offers views of Mount Washington (6,288 feet), the tallest mountain in the northeastern United States, and other peaks in the Presidential Range. White Mountain National Forest is home to 237 species of birds. Other inhabitants of the forest include moose and black bears ( bear safety information ).

Recreation

Guests at Doublehead Backcountry Cabin can expect to see other cross country skiers and snowshoers on the Doublehead Ski Trail. Hikers will find a trail that leads to the south peak of Doublehead Mountain.

Guidebooks for New Hampshire

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • New Hampshire
    Larry Pletcher and Greg Westrich, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Climbing New Hampshire's 48 4,000 Footers
    Eli Burakian, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Appalachian Trail Guide to New Hampshire-Vermont
    Cynthia Taylor-Miller, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Doublehead Cabin?

Sites at Doublehead Cabin are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Doublehead Cabin?

Check-in 1:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Doublehead Cabin have?

1 site, including 1 cabin.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Doublehead Cabin?

Yes, pets are allowed at Doublehead Cabin. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is there cell service at Doublehead Cabin?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 4G LTE, and T-Mobile 4G LTE at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

What is there to do at Doublehead Cabin?

Guests at Doublehead Backcountry Cabin can expect to see other cross country skiers and snowshoers on the Doublehead Ski Trail. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Doublehead Cabin?

Jackson, New Hampshire.

Source: Getting there

What if Doublehead Cabin is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Basin Campground (8.7 mi), Cold River (8.9 mi), and Wild River Campground (10.1 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby