Mt. Washington, New Hampshire

Contact:
White Mountain National Visitor Center
P.O. Box 298
Gorham, NH 03581
(603) 466-2727
(603) 466-3871 FAX

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Mount Washington, New Hampshire
6,288 feet

Coos County, northern New Hampshire 65 miles west of Atlantic Coastline, 25 miles south of Berlin

Latitude 44 degrees 16 Minutes North, Longitude 71 degree, 18 Minutes West

Mount Washington is the premiere peak of the East (although not the tallest). Towering more than 2,000 feet above timberline -- a huge distance in the East, it continues to lay to claim to having the world's worst weather -- winds recorded at 231 miles per hour. That wasn't just a quirk. The weather is almost always awful. If it's not incredibly windy, then the mountain is fog bound -- or worse. Briefly, in December 1997 it was reported Guam took the title with 236 mph winds but their measuring equipment proved faulty so Mt. Washington maintains the title.

The weather is very deceptive to the uninitiated. The summit is less than a half hour drive from May to October. However, hikers all too often mistake this easy access and the seemingly nice weather at the base with what they will discover above timberline. Consequently, the mountain has one of the highest casualty rates of any in the world. The trail up is marked by memorials to those who have fallen and a much too rapidly growing list of casualties is kept at the summit.

If you brave the hike, the summit may be a bit a culture shock with its vending machines, in season concession stand and museum (a staff stays at the summit year round maintaining the weather station and the towers).