Things to do · Move

Hike up Mount Washington, New Hampshire

Rocky ground in the foreground and rolling mountain ridges stretching to the horizon.
The view north from the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire, 2016. Photo: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The highest of New Hampshire's White Mountains has a staffed weather observatory on its summit and a reputation for some of the wildest weather in the country. Reaching the top on foot on a clear day is a real prize.

DemandingUnder £100 / $130A few weeksOutdoorsAlone or with othersNew HampshireSummer and early autumn

Someone who has done it

Lhakpa Sherpa, who has climbed Everest eleven times, has led groups up Mount Washington, according to her local news site We-Ha.com.

How to start

  1. Choose a trail with a current guidebook or map and work out your turnaround time.
  2. Read the Mount Washington Observatory's Higher Summits Forecast on the morning of your hike.
  3. Pack warm layers, shelter, food and water, whatever the valley weather looks like.

Where to go

We opened this link on 6 October 2026 and found it to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.

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