Mt. Washington, located in New Hampshire, is the tallest peak in the North East and famous for it's erratic weather. A trip to the summit has been a staple tourist attraction in America for many decades, and while there are several ways to ascend, we chose the auto road!
A trip up the Auto Road is relatively expensive, $35 for a car and driver plus $10 for each additional passenger. This fee does include the world famous sticker "This Car Climbed MT. Washington" that you see periodically around New England. You could also take a number of hikes to the top for free [Tuckerman Ravine being the most famous] or pay upwards of $75 a person to ride the Cog Rail Way to the top. Any way you choose is an adventure so pick what's most convenient, for us the Auto Road provided the flexibility in scheduling we needed.
The road is a narrow, steep, 7.6 mile ascent that even features a mile of unpaved gravel. While it seems quite scar at first, you should note that there haven't been nearly as many deaths as rumors say. A large number of hikes have died but only 3 people on the actual road... and this includes a drunk driver in 1880!! One feature of the road is several points in which hiking trails cross parking areas. We visited outside the main hiking season and so no one seemed to be using them but they make for fun photo ops!
The road features a number of spectacular vistas accessible from numerous pull overs throughout. The majority of these look north towards the presidential range, a series of connected peaks named after former presidents. As you crest over the tree line you will also likely experience the wind that this mountain is famous for. The day we visited gusts were in the neighborhood of 59mph. Mt Washington holds the world record for wind speed at 231mph, the fastest recorded outside of a hurricane or tornado! There is a reason buildings at the top are chained to the ground!
At the summit you will find several things to do, but due to the ongoing pandemic a number of closures should be expected. Normally there is a Museum, you can tour the weather station, there is food, a gift shop, the ever popular photo op with the summit sign and the observation deck. The museum is closed as is the station tours but one fun thing is the post office! Feel free to mail your friends and family a postcard from this functioning USPS office.
After you've taken all your photos and looked around the visitors center it's time to head back down. It's emphasized at all times that you should descend in low gear as the road is so steep and use of the pull overs to cool your breaks is recommended. This is a great time for photos if you haven't visited all the vistas on the way up. The final view coming down the mountain is great, with a nice framing of the base where you started :)
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