Who would guess that over 70 million people live within a day’s drive of this wild country? It’s no wonder that the White Mountain National Forest has been a haven for visitors looking to escape the rush of city life for over a century. One of only two National Forests in New England, the 800,000 acres of the White Mountain are steeped in historical traditions that stretch back thousands of years, providing a home and sustenance for native tribes and early colonists. Walking through the leafy hardwood forests, it’s easy to stumble upon a memory of the past, be it an ancient stone farm wall, logging camp or railroad bed.
The White Mountain National Forest is a vacation hotspot for a reason—it holds some of the best recreation opportunities in the Northeast, including over 100 miles of the Appalachian Trail and 40 peaks over 4,000 feet in elevation. Hikers and backpackers test their endurance on routes that bring them from granite peak to peak, with challenging elevation drops and gains in between. A well-developed system of huts and lodges reflect the forest’s rich recreational history, providing hikers with the winning combination of rugged days and comfortable nights; today the area still has a reputation of the best hut-to-hut hiking outside of Europe. Ski areas like Atitash, Black Mountain, Bretton Woods, and Cranmore Mountain draw visitors from across the New England each winter and quaint and cozy hamlets lie tucked in the valleys, a great taste of rural hospitality. Ready to start planning your next trip yet?
A Rich Natural History
Dominated by the stately Presidential Range, the White Mountains form a part of the sweeping Appalachian Mountain Range, whose arc reaches from Alabama to Canada. Various geological processes shaped the range, with the most dramatic changes taking place during the Wisconsin Glacial Period of the last ice age, some 12,000 to 15,000 years ago. Glaciers softened the once craggy peaks, depositing the coarse and acidic soil now typical of the region and leaving the mountains more rounded than the ranges of the western United States.
Vegetation wise, the forest is a transition zone between the northern boreal spruce and fir forests and the southern oak/pine forests. The transitional nature of the region is due in part to its unique weather patterns; the forest’s climate is said to be the coldest of any of the regions found at the same latitude across the Northern Hemisphere.
In fact, Mount Washington is home to the “World’s Worst Weather,” a claim backed by data collected at the Mount Washington Observatory. From temperatures of 47 degrees below zero to wind speeds of 231 miles per hour, there’s a reason meteorologists have been watching the weather at the mountain’s summit since 1870.
With elevations ranging from 1,000 feet in the lower valleys, to the windswept 6,288-foot summit of Mount Washington, the White Mountain is home to a variety of ecosystems and microclimates. The lowest valley regions are home to the mixed hardwood forests that provide such an impressive showing each autumn. Rising in elevation along the mountain slopes, dense softwood stands of spruce and fir come to dominate the landscape. But it is at the mountaintops that the forest’s most unique ecosystem can be found. Scoured by freezing winds and powerful storms, the exposed ridge tops are home to whimsical krumholtz forests of stunted black spruce and balsam fir that creep along the harsh and rocky summits.
These varying ecosystems are populated by a wide variety of fauna, including over 180 bird species. In addition to its yearround avian residents, neo-tropical birds like the American redstart and black-throated blue warbler migrate up from Central America during the summer to breed and nest. Snowshoe hares, moose, and whitetailed deer are sought by predators like black bears and fox, and the rushing streams are home to native fish species like the eastern brook trout and the Atlantic salmon.
From Colonists to Conservationists
With the earliest evidence of human inhabitants dating back some 10,000 years, the White Mountain claims an impressive cultural history. Systematic archeological research and testing has unearthed over 21 prehistoric Native American sites on the forest including villages, hunting grounds, and spiritual places. The Pennacook-Abernaki heritage of the region echoes on today in the names that define the landscape: Mount Waternomee, Mount Chocorua, the Pemigewasset River, and the Kancamagus Highway.
European exploration of the area did not begin until the mid-1600s, and by the end of the Revolutionary War, towns dotted the once wild landscape and settlers had cleared many acres of forest for agriculture and livestock grazing. But, with the Industrial Revolution calling country folk to the cities in the middle part of the 19th century, many of these farms, and occasionally even whole communities, were abandoned. In turn, logging companies began buying up these former farms and woodlots, establishing a foothold in the region that would shape the landscape for years to come.
Along with the extensive timber harvesting came the construction of infrastructure like railroad grades, milldams, and logging camps. The timber boom had reached its height: between 1850 and 1900, lumber harvests jumped from 5.4 billion board feet to 44.5 billion board feet. As time passed and demand continued to grow, the unregulated practices of the logging companies led to destructive forest fires and severely damaged watersheds. By 1880, the majority of the profitable timber had been removed from New England and the Great Lakes, leaving thousands of acres of land that was no longer of value to the timber companies.
Out West, the U.S. government was able to protect watersheds and forests by turning public land into vast Forest Reserves, but back East most of the land in need of protection was held\ privately by the timber companies. It was Massachusetts Congressman John Weeks who emerged as the champion of the “lands nobody wanted,” providing a constitutional channel for the government to buy private land.
The White Mountains were in Weeks’ blood: he grew up on a farm tucked in the foothills of the range and then continued to summer with his family there after his move to Boston. It was clear to Weeks that his beloved mountains and similarly razed landscapes across the country were in need of protection and revitalization. The Weeks Act, passed in 1911, made it possible for the federal government to buy private land through the commerce clause of the Constitution, claiming protection for the headwaters of navigable watersheds crucial to the country’s economy. The lands acquired as a result of Weeks’ politicking were then turned into National Forests managed by the newly created National Forest Service. The lands that had provided the backdrop for Weeks’ idyllic childhood became the White Mountain National Forest in 1918, with the original 7,000 acres bought for 13 dollars an acre. Today, nearly 20 million acres of land have been acquired and protected under the Weeks Act, and landscapes that were once wasted and blackened are now vibrant and healthy, all thanks to John Weeks’ love of the iconic White Mountains.
Start Exploring!
One of the best places to utilize the hut system is the Presidential Range, home to the highest peaks in the Northeast. In fact, the summit of Mount Washington sits more than 800 miles from the nearest higher peak in North Carolina. Congress designated the 27,606-acre Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness in 1975, protecting the most popular peaks in the forest. The mountains themselves form an impressive 12-mile ridgeline, the largest contiguous alpine area east of the Mississippi. The first of the peaks to receive “presidential honors” was Mount Washington in 1784, even though at the time Washington was still just a highly respected Revolutionary War general. The other main peaks—Adams, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe—were named on an 1820 expedition whose members included an ancestor of Congressman John Weeks. Trekking peak to peak, the “Presi Traverse” is one of the most popular hikes in the forest, and can be completed at a variety of difficulty levels. Extremists enjoy challenging themselves to complete the 20-to 24-mile traverse in a day, while other backpackers enjoy spreading the hike out over two or three days, tent camping along the way. The route is also the perfect way to enjoy some hut hospitality, as the minimum traverse passes by two huts, and the longer traverse, three.
Another popular hiking route is the “Pemi Loop,” named for the Pemigewasset Wilderness, which it crosses. Like the “Presi Traverse,” the 32 miles can be completed in a grueling day hike, or a two-day backpacking or hut-hopping trip. The hike, with its 18,000-foot elevation change, was rated #2 of “America’s Hardest Dayhikes” by Backpacker magazine. Climbing eight summits over 4,000 feet, the legendary daylong “Pemi” has adventurous hikers setting out with headlamps hours before dawn.
If your exploration style is a bit more relaxed, look no further than the Kancamagus Highway. The designated Scenic Byway is a beautiful drive in any season, but the 26.5-mile route is known as one of the best fall foliage tours in the country. Along the way, stop by Loon Mountain Ski Resort for a gondola ride and marvel at the vivid landscape from an eagle’s eye view. Thinking about an autumnal escape next year? The colors peak between mid-September and mid-October.
The White Mountain is an outdoor wonderland any time of the year, drawing hut hikers, backpackers, leaf peepers, and skiers as the four seasons pass. Enjoy a leisurely afternoon drive on the Kancamagus Highway, chat with fellow hikers over a communal dinner in a historic AMC hut or challenge yourself on a demanding day hike with sweeping vistas as a well-deserved reward. No matter what season you visit or how you choose to see the forest, the White Mountain is calling to be explored!
