We Checked Off Our 25th State: Mount Washington (New Hampshire)

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We checked off our 25th state with a drive up the Mount Washington Auto Road in New Hampshire. With PJ along for the ride, going from the base all the way to the summit.

At the gate entrance, they gave us a “This Car Climbed Mount Washington” bumper sticker, which felt like a fun little tradition before even starting the drive. A sticker for my collection, and it was free! At the base you have bathrooms and a gift shop. From there, the road is about 8 miles up to the summit at 6,288 feet. It’s fully paved, but it’s steep, narrow in sections, and full of switchbacks. We took it slow and used a few of the pull-off areas along the way to stop, stretch, and take in the views. Before you head up there is a warning sign for drivers. Be aware, this is not ideal for those with fear of heights.

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One of the most noticeable parts of the drive is how quickly the landscape changes. At the base it’s a typical forest drive, but as you climb higher the trees thin out and eventually give way to a rocky, open mountain environment near the top. The drive may scare you with the winding roads and no rails but pull off once in a while and just take in nature. Whatever you do, don’t look down!!!!

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At the Summit

At the top, it’s not one large viewing area. it’s a small cluster of buildings you can walk between. There is also a small train station for the Cog Railway. This is another option for getting to the top! There’s a working weather station at the summit that monitors Mount Washington’s well-known extreme weather conditions. Inside are displays explaining the history of the station and the research done on the mountain.

The gift shop has souvenirs, snacks, and drinks, but it also ends up being a place to warm up and take a break. It was noticeably colder and windier at the summit compared to the drive up, so most people linger inside at some point. Next to the gift shop was a post office!! Perfect to send out those post cards. There was also The Tip-Top House. The Tip-Top House is a stone building from the 1800s that once operated as a hotel. It’s preserved as a historic site and is open to walk through depending on conditions.

The summit area is compact and easy to explore on foot, with several viewpoints looking out over the White Mountains. On a clear day, you can see for miles, but weather can change quickly and clouds can roll in while you’re still up there.

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While we were in the gift shop, I overheard the cashier mention that the last time someone drove off the summit was about 50 years ago. That definitely stuck with me. There are no guardrails in many sections, and some of the turns run close to steep drop-offs, so it’s a drive where you stay very alert the entire way.

We also learned that the day before we arrived, there had been a vintage car race scheduled up the Auto Road. Bold!!

A little history on the Auto Road

The Mount Washington Auto Road dates back to the 1860s. It originally opened as a horse carriage road and was completed in 1861, making it one of the oldest man-made tourist roads in the United States.

It was later adapted for automobiles and became one of the first mountain roads in the country where cars could drive all the way to a summit. Today, it’s privately operated as a toll road and is used for both sightseeing and events like timed races and vintage car runs. Plus you get the free bumper sticker!

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After the drive

After coming back down, we stopped at Road Hawg BBQ and got pulled pork sandwiches. It was the perfect way to ease our hunger that we burned up from panicking.

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We’ve driven Pikes Peak in Colorado before, and it’s interesting to compare the two. Pikes Peak felt like a longer, more gradual climb with a bigger, more spread-out summit area. Mount Washington felt shorter but tighter and more compact at the top, with a very different kind of exposed, rocky summit feel. Both were equally terrifying and high up.

Overall this was a really cool experience and like Pikes Peak the scenery up top was nothing less than spectacular. Good luck to those who hike by foot! If you choose to use the cog railway, hope it’s just as scenic as the drive.

Up next: Vermont!

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