Epic Travel → North America → The Northeast → New Hampshire → Mount Washington

Location: Presidential Range, White Mountains, New Hampshire

Distance: 8.4 miles roundtrip (via Tuckerman’s Ravine or Lion’s Head) – 10.8 miles roundtrip (via Boott Spur)

Elevation Gain: 4,300 feet

Time Required: 5-8 hours (includes time at the top to walk around)

Red Tape/Notes: Check the weather before starting this hike and use judgment during your ascent – the weather is notorious for changing quickly. The routes listed here all start at Pinkham Notch; there are more routes available from other trailheads.

What’s Nearby?: Covered Bridges of Bath, Arethusa Falls, Frankenstein Trestle, Diana’s Baths, Echo Lake State Park, Saco River Kayaking

The highest peak in the northeastern United States and famous for its unpredictable (and often remarkably bad) weather, Mount Washington is very popular with hikers but you can also just drive up to the summit (who wants to do that, though??). The most popular (and easiest) route up is Tuckerman’s Ravine. You’ll definitely have company if you take this route, and I highly recommend picking another trail option (at least for one of the directions – either on the way up or the way down, creating a loop with Tuckerman’s Ravine). We hiked up Boott Spur and thought it was a great trail – you ascend above the treeline to sweeping views all around. We had originally planned to come down Lion Head Trail, but due to a variety of factors we were strapped for time and ended up coming down Tuckerman’s Ravine (we actually ran down it, which was exceedingly fun but not recommended unless you have sturdy knees, shoes that stick well to rocks – we always wear our five-ten approach shoes, and good balance/aim for running from rock to rock).

The weather was nice at the summit when we started out on our hike, but it was covered in clouds before we reached the top and we were greeted by classic Mount Washington conditions: nearly white-out clouds/fog, whipping wind, and freezing cold. I thought it was a better experience anyway, seeing as we got to enjoy some of the notoriously bad weather. Once you get to the top, there area a number of buildings you can visit including the Yankee Building, the Mount Washington Observatory, and the Tip-Top House. If you’re sick of hiking or worried about time, you can also always take a shuttle down. Next time we’re going to make a point of doing the extra 3 miles round trip to visit Lake of the Clouds Hut (if you’re backpacking, you can stop overnight here) just because it sounds terribly scenic.

Epic Travel → North America → The Northeast → New Hampshire → Mount Washington