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Part of the Presidential Range in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and standing at 6,288 feet, Mt. Washington is the tallest peak in the Northeastern US. While it stands over 6,000 feet, the elevation we gained while hiking to the summit was about 4,300 feet since the trailhead stands at elevation. That is still plenty of elevation gain! Mt. Washington sees nearly 250,00 visitors each year so it’s only a benefit to tourism that there are multiple ways up to the summit. You can drive, take the Cog Railway, or for the brave souls, take a hike!
Hiking Mt. Washington is beautiful with many trails to traverse. Hiking to the top though can be a challenge, one that we were excited to take on! It is a strenuous hike to the summit but very rewarding. We were in awe of all the beauty around us. We took the Tuckerman Ravine Trail on the way up. It took us 4 hours to hike up to the summit of Mt. Washington. The hike up is 4.2 miles from the trailhead at Pinkham’s Notch, but remember that is in “mountain miles” and takes longer, so a full day or overnight is needed when planning your hike. The hike starts out with a steady elevation gain and a fairly wide trail. The path is quite rocky with lots of gravel. It’s challenging terrain especially towards the summit above the treeline where the trail is no longer marked and you find yourself in a rocky wasteland trying to zigzag to the top. Be sure to pace yourself and listen to your body as you ascend up the mountain.
If you aren’t sure you want to do the hike to the summit all in one day, stopping at about the halfway point there are the Hermit Lake shelters for an overnight stay. This is the only legal camping in the area. There is no dispersed camping allowed. You will need to plan ahead because permits are required to camp. Also, be aware that dogs are not allowed to camp overnight. They are however allowed to hike the trails during the day! Details and reservations for the shelter can be found here. It does cost money, but it’s a plus that you are able to leave overnight gear with the caretaker while you hike to summit the next day. We noticed a handful of people doing this option on our hike down the mountain. It was a Friday evening so just be sure to plan ahead if you do this, as weekends are busy and reservations can fill quickly. Past the shelter, the trail starts to narrow and you begin an ascend up above the tree line.
Once you reach the ravine, you are surrounded by nature’s wonders. A huge waterfall with a large sheet of snow leftover from the winter sitting on each side. The snow was so close to the trail that many hikers were touching the snow! Maybe these hikers came from climates that don’t get snow each year… we were good staying away from the snow a few more months! The temperature also dropped once we reached the ravine so be sure to have layers in your daypack. We were sweating from the hike up so adding a layer wasn’t necessary at the time, but preparation is key to a successful hike. A break at the waterfalls and snow to take it all in give you the motivation to keep trekking to the summit. The water was cold and so refreshing to splash in your face!
After a relaxing water break and taking in the scenery, it was time for the most challenging part of the hike. The rock scrambling and the final ¼ of a mile on Mt. Washington. It is all rocks and while a ¼ of a mile sounds short, when you are traversing rocks and boulders without a clear path, it feels like forever. Large rocks, small rocks, loose rocks, rocks falling apart, and everything in between is what this last section has in store for the brave hikers who summit Mt. Washington. The preferred method to get up the rock scramble was simply to find the best foot placement and go. One slow and steady step at a time and you will reach the summit in roughly 45 minutes.
It’s a summit that has become very popular in tourism, many people lined up to take a photo by the “Mt. Washington summit” sign (we opted out of this because it was nearly a 20 minute wait time and much too crowded for Daisy), and people purchasing items from the gift shop. The beauty of the summit is an experience one must experience on their own and the number of visitors each year is enough proof that the view from the top is worth a visit.
With weather that can change rapidly and high winds, it’s quite a perk that the summit offers plenty of covered building space for visitors. Posted in the visitor center is a memorial to recognize the deaths on Mt. Washington since 1855 (full report and causes), so please be prepared if you chose to hike the mountain and keep in consideration the weather reports for the day!
We enjoyed our break atop the summit and about an hour later began our descent. We decided to hike down a different trail than we hiked up for a change of scenery. This brought us to the Lion Head Trail. A little less traveled and more challenging with its steepness but stunning views and well worth the effort if you are into the paths less traveled. Sarah took it really slow on the rocks coming down and Andy and Daisy zoomed down much of the rock scramble. Whatever pace you choose to move at, be careful and don’t forget to stop to take in the views. The Lion Head Trail meets back up with the Tuckerman Ravine Trail for the final half of the hike down where we reached the wide hiking path once more. Here is the complete route we hiked.
We were starving when we arrived back at the parking lot and caught our eyes on the buffet in the lodge! Unfortunately, the buffet was only for guests of the lodge and there was no availability that night. We decided then to find a hotel for ourselves that night and headed to the outskirts of Conway, NH nearby where we found a hotel for under $100 that allowed dogs. We ordered pizza which was well deserved that night too!
We recommend listening to the Hiking Thru Life podcast Summer Road Trip – Day 20 episode about our experience of Mt. Washington as well, which captures full detail and emotions shortly after the hike! We look forward to heading back to the presidential range again one day to explore more. Which mountain should we conquer next? We are taking recommendations!
Peace, love, and hike thru life!