Tag: white mountains

The Mt. Washington Auto Road has Been Thrilling Visitors for more Than 150 Years!

For a one-of-a-kind experience drive yourself or take a guided tour up the Mt. Washington Auto Road to the summit of Mt. Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast. Be sure to pack your camera or iPhone because you’ll want to snap lots of photos along the way of the breathtaking vistas.

First opened in 1861, when horse-drawn wagons ferried visitors to the summit, the Mt. Washington Auto Road is America’s oldest man-made tourist attraction. Today, the mostly paved eight-mile-long Auto Road is traveled by motorists, motorcyclists, bicyclists and hikers eager to experience the amazing history, unpredictable weather, panoramic views and the opportunity to pass through four distinct climate zones.

Although days of sunny skies and jaw-dropping vistas elicit plenty of oohs and aahs, cloudy days show off the extreme weather that Mount Washington is so well known for. You can drive yourself to the summit, hop aboard an Auto Road van for a guided tour, or hike to the top of the 6,288-foot mountain.

The Auto Road offers two- and three-hour guided tours in comfortable vans with experienced drivers who regale passengers with the history and lore of the mountain.

The two-hour tour includes an hour on the summit, with time to explore the historic summit buildings and complimentary access to the Mount Washington Observatory’s interactive Extreme Mt. Washington Museum.

The three-hour guided tours provide visitors with the opportunity to explore the Auto Road anywhere from the base at Great Glen Trails to the summit of Mount Washington, with extra time for exploring scenic areas along the road and the option to spend more time on the summit.

Guests who choose to drive their own vehicles can spend the entire day exploring the pull-offs, short hikes, alpine flowers and vistas, but on a trip with one of the knowledgeable guides leading the way, will learn so much more and discover some of the hidden gems along the Auto Road.

Once you’ve conquered the summit, consider extending your stay and taking a guided tour of the paddling variety, which is available at Great Glen Trails located at the base of the Mt. Washington Auto Road. Enjoy a guided kayak trip along the scenic lakes and rivers of northern New Hampshire, away from the crowds and with brilliant mountain views and opportunities for wildlife viewing.

Or rent a bike at Great Glen Trails and peddle along well-marked carriage trails through beautiful meadows and along scenic rivers, with exciting mountain views at every turn. ggt-mountainbike-03

The Mt. Washington Auto Road is open daily until late October for drive yourself touring. Two-hour guided tours are available daily through late October, while three-hour tours are available from June 7-September 3. All tours are weather permitting.

For the latest updates on Road conditions and the operating schedule, visit www.MtWashingtonAutoRoad.com or call (603) 446-3988. The Auto Road is located just off Route 16 in Pinkham Notch.

Bear Rock Adventures Wants to be Your ‘Guide to the Wilds’

A brand new fleet of 2017 Polaris RZRs, Rangers and Sportsman Touring OHRVs at Bear Rock Adventures is ready to take you right into the heart of the thrilling Ride the Wilds 1,000-plus-mile trail system where memories are ready to be made!

With its fleet of incredible machines, diverse riding opportunities, including guided ATV tours and custom itineraries, along with impeccable customer service, the staff at Bear Rock Adventures stands ready to help you map out a day — or more — of fun and adventure on the trails.

Bear Rock can accommodate singles, couples, families and all levels of experience in its 2-, 4- and 6-seat side-by-sides and ATVs, so that anyone who wishes to enjoy the exciting sport of ATVing can do so. Bear Rock offers half-day, full day and multi-day rentals and the Ride the Wilds trail system has multiple terrain options that will appeal to beginners as well as well-seasoned riders.

Bear Rocks’ top-of-the-line vehicles include all of the equipment and gear you’ll need on the trails, like electric start, 4-wheel drive, automatic transmissions, and power steering for effortless maneuvering, along with the most up-to-date GPS and Bluetooth technology. With plenty of room to store riding gear, maps, picnic lunches, selfie sticks and more, these machines ensure your riding pleasure.

With your machine of choice, take a self-guided tour, or have an experienced tour guide lead the way. Bear Rock Adventures can outfit you with everything you need for an exceptional ride, whether you want to seek out mountaintops for extended vistas, see wildlife in its natural habitat, conquer challenging trails, or simply try an entirely new adventure.

Bear Rock Adventures is located right on the Ride the Wilds trail system, an interconnected 1,000 miles of trails across northern New Hampshire. The staff at Bear Rock can help you map out best places to ATV and stay in the region.

A couple of suggested itineraries to get you started include:

Aprils’ Maple: Take a scenic ride along the Connecticut River to April’s Maple in Canaan, Vt. Sample pure Vermont maple syrup and other goodies at the snack shack and stop into the gift shop to take home your own syrup or a maple-themed gift item.

Beaver Brook Falls: Beautiful Beaver Brook Falls is a refreshing rest stop on your day’s ride. A great photo op, with a nice picnic area, the 80-foot waterfall is located off South Hill Road in Colebrook, right off the Ride the Wilds trail system.

Fishing: Pack your rod and reel and spend the day riding and fishing! On this trail ride you’ll visit Murphy’s Dam on Lake Francis, Nathan’s Pond, and Little Diamond Pond. Drop your line, relax and take in all the sights and sounds. You might spot an eagle — or a moose, and maybe you’ll take home a fish or two.

Bear Rock Adventures is located at 545 Beach Road in Pittsburg directly across the street from Powderhorn Lodge on Back Lake. Learn more about Bear Rock and other “wild” adventures in northern New Hampshire — like biking, boating, camping, hiking, snowmobiling, soaring on a ropes course, and the Rapid River Float Plane Adventure — at www.bearrockadventures.com.

AMC Presents: Hiking the Appalachian Trail

Learn all about Hiking the Appalachian Trail in this evening presentation with AMC Volunteer Peter Lane.

Pinkham Notch evening programs are free and open to the public. Call to find out more or to be added to the monthly email list: (603) 466-2721 or outdoors.org/pinkhamhappenings.

(Photo by Nick Reid)

Santa’s Village Guest Appreciation Days

Santa’s Village opens its 2017 season with three weekends of Guest Appreciation Days:

May 27 & 28; June 3 & 4; and June 10 & 11.  The hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A special reduced admission rate of $27 per person applies on Guest Appreciation Days for tickets purchased at the park or online on the Santa’s Village web site (just click on the tickets icon at the top of the page and select Guest Appreciation Days tickets if you’re visiting on one of those six designated dates).

It’s one way Santa’s Village likes to say “thank you” to all of its guests who help them kick off the summer season!

Ride the Mt. Washington Cog Railway

The Mount Washington Cog Railway trains begin running every day throughout the summer.

Take an exciting train ride to the summit of 6,288-foot Mt. Washington on the world’s first mountain-climbing cog railway. Experience a piece of history and exhilarating mountain views.

Check the website for the most up-to-date schedule and ticketing info: www.thecog.com.

Mt. Washington Auto Road Guided Tour

Seasonally available May-October (weather permitting), Guided Tours offer a unique opportunity to learn the true nature and history of Mount Washington and the Auto Road. Driven by one of our accomplished and dedicated tour guides, your “stage driver” will offer stories, anecdotes, legends, history and insight into the ecological wonder of Mount Washington as well as point out interesting features and scenic opportunities from the base to the 6,288-foot summit.

2-HOUR GUIDED TOURS are available without reservation on a first-come, first-serve basis during regular Guided Tour hours. Online reservations are available for the 9:00am tour.

  • 30 minutes to and from the summit with our accomplished and dedicated tour guides in comfortable 12-passenger tour vehicles

  • 60 minutes on the summit to experience amazing views or exciting weather extremes; historic buildings, gift shops, and complimentary access to the Mount Washington Observatory’s interactive “Extreme Mt. Washington Museum”

Bicknell’s Thrush Tour

Bicknell’s Thrush is an extremely rare species with very limited breeding grounds. It is the rarest and most secretive of the breeding thrushes in North America and it is the only bird whose breeding is restricted to the Northeastern part of the continent. They usually breed at higher elevations, normally nesting above 3,000 ft. The unique and harsh climate is just what the birds prefer due to the combination of low vegetation and abundant moisture. The Mt. Washington Auto Road offers you a rare opportunity to view these  obscure birds.

Our Bicknell’s Thrush Guided Tours leave early in the morning before the Mt. Washington Auto Road opens to the general public to insure there is as little additional noise or disturbance as possible. Our success rate at hearing and seeing this elusive thrush is quite good, but with the species in decline due to wintering habitat losses, there can be no guarantee of sightings.

Tours take place May 28, June 3, 6, 8, & 16, 2017

Tours depart from the base of the Auto Road at 6:00am and last approximately 2 hours.

Advanced reservations required.

AMC Presents: Investigating the Ecology of a Threatened Ecosystem

Kevin Berend will present a program that takes a look at “Investigating the Ecology of a Threatened Ecosystem: Snowbank Communities of Mt. Washington.”

Pinkham Notch evening programs are free and open to the public. Call to find out more or to be added to the monthly email list: (603) 466-2721 or outdoors.org/pinkhamhappenings.

AMC Presents: Mountains of Stars – Astronomy at Crawford Notch

Dr. Doug Arion will give a presentation on the intricate and fascinating connections between life on Earth and the history and phenomena of the Universe around us. You’ll have a chance to view stars through telescopes, or check out our new indoor planetarium.

Happenings Featured Evening Programs are FREE and OPEN to the public. For more information, please call (603) 278-4453.

Ride the Mt. Washington Cog Railway

The Mount Washington Cog Railway trains begin running every day throughout the summer.

Take an exciting train ride to the summit of 6,288-foot Mt. Washington on the world’s first mountain-climbing cog railway. Experience a piece of history and exhilarating mountain views.

Check the website for the most up-to-date schedule and ticketing info: www.thecog.com.