Even Though It's Got The "World's Worst Weather," It's One Of The Best Destinations!
Written: Jul 17 '03 (Updated Jul 31 '08)
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Pros: Big Mountains, Wonderful Scenery, Alpine Areas, Inexpensive, Lots of Recreational Opportunities
Cons: Can get very crowded at peak times (or at least parts of the park do)
The Bottom Line: Though it might be crowded sometimes, you cannot beat the mountains and areas of the White Mountains. A park with a little for everyone (and a lot for some)!
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| jps246's Full Review: White Mountain National Forest |
What Is It?
The White Mountain National Forest Park (WMNF) covers a large area, starting in northern New Hampshire and in portions of Western Maine. The highest mountains are in the Presidential Range and include Mount Washington, which is the highest peak north of the Carolinas and east of the Mississippi at 6,288 feet. Mount Washington has the distinction of having the "world's worst weather," and the highest recorded wind gust (231mph) was measured on the summit.
In addition to the high mountain peaks with their rivers and waterfalls, the WMNF has plenty of quiet valleys, meandering streams and areas that are quite family friendly. Just outside the boundaries of the park are several NH towns including Conway, North Conway, Gorham, Berlin, Littleton, Lancaster, and Lincoln to name a few.
Why Would You Want To Go?
The WMNF offers plenty of opportunities for visitors, from scenic vista drives all the Kancamangus Highway, week long hikes in the heart of wilderness areas, great downhill ski areas, incredibly backcountry skiing opportunities, to climbing routes that could challenge even though most ardent climbers. I cannot say that I have done it all in the WMNF, but I have done a lot, probably more so on the hiking and climbing end than anything else, but for the four years I was in college, it was my backyard playground and since then, I get back as often as I can to enjoy it.
My WMNF Story
I started visiting the WMNF many years ago when I would go on hiking trips with my father. My father would bring me up there from New York and we would make a long weekend out of the trip. Of course, the first mountain that he had me go up was Mount Washington. I was about 8 years old at the time and let me tell you that once you are there, you can never get back enough times.
We started doing fall and winter hikes, as I got older, climbing Mount Washington and various other Presidentials. Between the huge areas above treeline (the elevation above which trees no longer can grow, there are large expanses of this in the White Mountains) and the harsh conditions on the mountains, the trips were great. You felt as if you were in the Rockies or the Himalayas (except of course you can breath in the White Mountains and your lungs don’t feel like they are on fire) and you were on an expedition climbing these peaks.
When I went to college, I found a college only about an hour or so from the White Mountains in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom (Lyndon State College). My freshman year, I was there in the WMNF just about every weekend in the fall (and sometimes afternoons after class during the week) and then skied and explored all winter as much as I could. I soon realized, that even with the crowds that can sometimes be there, my favorite area in the WMNF was the Presidential Range. The majesty and beauty of these mountains won me over and I spent a great deal of time making an effort to climb all of the mountains in the Presidential Range. I climbed right through the fall and into the early winter and I managed to finish them all. I even climbed the Wiley Slide from Crawford Notch (an endeavor I would not suggest anyone else try, since the Forest Service has subsequently closed off climbing because of the amount of injuries people have sustained there).
Anything Special about the WMNF I should Know?
Weather in WMNF and specifically on the Presidentials can change very quickly. Mount Washington isn’t called the home of the world’s worst weather for no reason. Conditions especially change rapidly above treeline and you have little chance to find shelter or protection in those areas. It is imperative that you understand your abilities and limits and have a good understanding of the backcountry before you begin hiking on the higher reaches of the mountains, as hundreds have already died on the mountains and you do not want to be the next statistic.
It has snowed on Mountain Washington every month of the year and the temperature is often below freezing, with the average temperature low enough to maintain permafrost throughout the Presidential Range (the ground stays continually frozen year round just below the surface). Whenever you are hiking in any of these mountains you need to be prepared for anything. I have climbed in the Presidentials on days where it goes from being sunny and warm to being cloudy, very windy and well below freezing in a matter of just a few hours. By the time I came off the summit of one mountain, I had gone from wearing shorts, a t-shirt and a baseball hat, to fleece pants and top, windpants, a shell, and a wool hat and gloves.
The terrain above treeline is especially dangerous. Not only do you have to contend with the elements, but in foggy (a very common occurrence – the tops of the mountains are often in the clouds) or snowy weather, visibility shrinks and you can get lost very easily in the alpine areas because the trails are harder to follow. Even though the trails above treeline are marked with “cairns,” which are piles of rock spaced about every 100 feet or so along the trail, in the thickest fog, it is still very easy to lose the trail and get completely lost.
At the same time that you should be careful with yourself above treeline, you should also be very careful of the environment and ecosystem above treeline. The tundra areas (any area above treeline) are remnants of the tundra that existed, as the glaciers were receding from New England tens of thousands of years ago. Species of animals and plants that only occur today thousands of miles further north in the Canadian tundra occur here. In addition, the White Mountain tundra is also host to several species that only exist on the Presidential Range. An errant footprint can destroy these plants, as they are living in a very harsh and unforgiving climate and it make take years for them to gain a foothold and start to grow and reproduce. The best advice to protect these plants is to stay on the trail and do not walk across the tundra areas, unless you are with someone who knows about these plants. If you have to walk across the tundra, make sure that you are stepping on the rocks and not on the plants in-between the rocks.
The Rest of What You Should Know about WMNF
WMNF can get very crowded during the summer and on holiday weekends. To beat the crowds in the park, your best bet is to visit parts of the park that are away from the Mount Washington area. One of the best of these lesser-known areas of the park that receives practically no use includes the Pilot Range, which is a mountain range just north of the Presidentials. The area is north of Stark, NH, east of Groveton and west of Berlin, NH. Several trails cover the area and you can sometimes hike for miles, even at the height of the summer season without running into anyone else on the trails. Another great area to explore during peak times are the parts of WMNF located in western Maine, just over the border from New Hampshire. While it might not have Mount Washington, this portion of the park, which includes the Appalachian Trail, has plenty of rugged mountains, including the Mahoosic Range, which is considered by many, to be the most rugged section of the Appalachian Trail. As you can imagine, the use in this area is a bit less than the Presidentials.
At peak times (July/August and Holiday Weekends) I would stay away from the Presidential Range and the Franconia Range near Franconia Notch. Both areas are inundated with people, with cars from the parking lots, frequently spilling out onto the highways. Hikes and climbs are not all that pleasant when you are passing more people than on a freeway.
If you aren't into hiking or climbing while at WMNF, there are plenty of other things to do. Even if you are just driving through, there are several scenic areas you don’t even have to get of your car for, including Franconia Notch and Pinkham Notch, both of which have major roads running through them. In addition, the Kancamangus Highway is a must for any driving tour, it runs between Lincoln, New Hampshire and North Conway, New Hampshire and includes some of the best vistas anywhere in the WMNF. For the braver drivers among us, you can take your car up the Mount Washington auto road, which is a narrow dirt road that goes all the way to the top of Mountain Washington. If you don’t feel like driving yourself, tour-vans run up and down the mountain. Not feeling like being in a car to go up Mountain Washington and still don’t want to hike? Then take a ride up the Cog Railway. Historic, exciting (and a bit pricey), the Cog Railway runs from the valley up to the summit of Mount Washington.
There are plenty of other private activities in and around the park to keep you busy. North Conway is just south of the Presidential Range and is the outlet shopping capital of New Hampshire. Plus remember in New Hampshire, there’s no sales tax! There are train rides throughout the area and one of the more exciting (next to the Cog), a train runs through Crawford Notch.
How about places to stay overnight? Backcountry tent camping is allowed on National Forest lands, but is tightly regulated and includes a prohibition on open campfires. Check in at the local ranger station to see if where you are planning on going has any special restrictions. The Forest Service runs several commercial campgrounds that provide basic services for campers (no electricity or water at the sites) and in addition to those campgrounds, there’s almost an innumerable amount of commercial campgrounds that go from primitive to lavish. If you don’t feel like roughing it, almost all of the towns surrounding the WMNF offer hotels. The most hotels are available in Gorham, North Conway and Lincoln.
Can I do anything in the winter?
In the winter there are several ski areas (Loon, Cannon, Bretton Woods, Wildcat, The Balsams and Waterville Valley to name a few) in the WMNF area. These areas run the gambit from wide-open and easy trails to, narrow steep and technically challenging trails. For extreme skiing, both Cannon and Wildcat offer some incredible steeps.
For you backcountry and cross-country skiers (which includes myself), just about all of the hiking trails are open to skiing and snowshoeing. For those of you who prefer more maintained cross-country areas, there are several cross-country ski resorts in the area. The mountains also provide plenty of opportunities for the backcountry enthusiasts. The ravines and bowls on the mountains hold snow late into the year and Tuckerman’s Ravine on Mount Washington is famous for their spring skiing. Skiing there often lasts into June and sometimes even into July because there is so much snow.
Does It Cost Money to Use the WMNF?
The Forest Service is now requiring user fees on the National Forest lands. They are collecting fees by requiring parking passes. These parking passes are required to park your car at any National Forest parking area. There are still a few private, non-Forest Service parking areas (Appalachia and Pinkham Notch are owned by Appalachian Mountain Club / Franconia Notch trailheads are in a NH State Park / Crawford Notch trailheads are also in a state park) where there are no required parking fees. If you need a pass they can be purchased online, at the ranger stations throughout the WMNF or through local businesses in the area.
The Final Word
The WMNF is a great place and I would recommend a visit to anyone. No matter what kind of activity you are looking for (at least if it’s outdoor orientated), you will be able to find something enjoyable to do at the park. And I can almost guarantee that if you get yourself to the WMNF, it won’t be your last trip, because you will want to keep going back to explore more and more of it.
My First Re-Write: I first reviewed the White Mountain National Forest in February of 2001, it was my third or fourth review. I figured it was time for an update, some pizzazz and some more information on a great park!
More White Mountain Information
Hiking Guide to Mount Washington and Presidential Range
AMC White Mountain Guide
Tuckerman Ravine (NH)
Mount Washington State Park
Mount Washington Cog Railway
Mount Washington Auto Road
Franconia Notch State Park
The Flume
The Basin
Cannon Mountain Aerial Tram
Cannon Mountain
Wildcat Mountain
Lost River Gorge & Boulder Caves
North Conway
Recommended:
Yes
Best time to go: September-November
Recommended for: Anybody
Review Topic: Overview
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