Lincoln Woods Visitor Center Improvement Project

Lincoln Woods Visitor Center. Photo by Cait Bourgault

Improving a Gateway to the White Mountains

The Lincoln Woods Visitor Center is one of the most heavily visited sites in the White Mountain National Forest. Through a partnership between the National Forest Foundation and the White Mountain National Forest, recent improvements ensure this well-loved visitor center remains warm, reliable, and welcoming for the millions of people who pass through each year.

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A High-Use Recreation Hub

Located along the Kancamagus Highway in the Pemigewasset Ranger District near Lincoln, NH, the Lincoln Woods Visitor Center serves more than 1.5 million visitors annually. It is a major access point for hiking, paddling, biking, and winter recreation, and it also plays a critical role as a staging area for Search and Rescue operations.

Because of its heavy use and remote setting, reliable infrastructure at Lincoln Woods is essential for visitor safety, comfort, and year-round access to the forest.

Visitors chat with the local Forest Service officer before heading into the forest. Photo by Cait Bourgault

Upgrading for Reliability and Sustainability

In 2025, several key improvements were completed to modernize and strengthen the visitor center. These upgrades included replacing aging solar infrastructure to reliably power flush toilets and potable water systems, installing a new wood stove and chimney to keep the building warm year-round, and making structural improvements such as roof and skylight replacements.

Together, these improvements ensure the visitor center can support high visitation while relying on efficient, sustainable systems.

Sunshine from the new skylight lights up Smokey Bear. Photo by Cait Bourgault

Ongoing Stewardship

We are committed to caring for recreation infrastructure in the White Mountains and beyond. Support from partners and donors helps make projects like this possible, ensuring our National Forests' most heavily used sites remain safe, functional, and sustainable for generations to come.

Photo by John Rudy
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