Mt Washington

Home  > United States  > Northeast  > New Hampshire  > Mt Washington  


Founded: 1868
Location: Mt Washington
Distance: 3 miles

NH, Mt Washington Cog Railway

Mt. Washington is the East's highest mountain. Containing the oldest Cog Railway operating in the U.S. A coal-fired steam locomotive that takes tourists on an unforgettable ride up the west slope of this mountain. The journey is slow (1 mph) because of the 30% incline to the summit but extremely scenic with 100 miles of visibility on a clear day. The tour takes about 3 hours and travels 3 miles up the mountain. Reservations are recommended in the summer for this popular trip.




NH, Mt Washington Cog Railway, view as the train climbs Mt Washington

You can also drive to the top of Mt Washington via the Auto Road. This road allows a comfortable 8 mile drive to the summit. An audio cassette is available at the visitor center. The Cog Railway and Auto Road are open from mid-May through late October.

At the center of these attractions is Mt Washington. Rising 6,288 feet to its cold and windy summit. The average wind speed here is 30 mph. The highest wind gust ever recorded on earth was at the summit of Mt. Washington- an unprecedented 231 mph. The wooden weather observatory built for recording these events still stands after over 50 years. Possibly the strongest wooden structure in the country, its foundation is bolted into the mountain to sustain these winds. Mt. Washington Cog Railway (800) 922-8825. http://www.mountwashington.com/cog/home.html and www.mountwashington.org




   Home  |   NW  |   NE  |   Central  |   SE  |   SW  |   50 States   
Copyright ©1994-2006 Charles A. Read and ScenicUS. All Rights Reserved.
Please send any questions/ comments/ suggestions/ directly to
the author Charles A. Read