Mount Washington

This article is about the mountain in New Hampshire. For other uses, see Mount Washington (disambiguation) and List of peaks named Mount Washington.

Mount Washington
Mount Washington from Intervale
Highest point
Elevation6,288.3 ft (1,916.7 m) NAVD 88[1]
Prominence6,148 ft (1,874 m)[2]
Listing
Coordinates44°16′13.8″N 71°18′11.7″W / 44.270500°N 71.303250°W / 44.270500; -71.303250[1]
Geography
Mount Washington is located in New Hampshire
Mount Washington
Location in New Hampshire
Mount Washington is located in the United States
Mount Washington
Location in the United States
Location
Parent rangePresidential Range
Topo mapUSGS Mount Washington[3]
Climbing
First ascent1642 (first recorded)
Easiest routeHike, ride cog railway, or drive via Mount Washington Auto Road.

Mount Washington, is an ultra-prominent mountain in the state of New Hampshire. It is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288.2 ft (1,916.6 m) and the most topographically prominent mountain east of the Mississippi River.

The mountain is notorious for its erratic weather. On the afternoon of April 12, 1934, the Mount Washington Observatory recorded a windspeed of 231 miles per hour (372 km/h) at the summit, the world record from 1934 until 1996. Mount Washington still holds the record for highest measured wind speed not associated with a tornado or tropical cyclone.[4][a]

The mountain is located in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains, in Coös County, New Hampshire. The mountain is in several unincorporated townships, with the summit in the township of Sargent's Purchase. While nearly the whole mountain is in the White Mountain National Forest, an area of 60.3 acres (24.4 ha) surrounding and including the summit is designated as Mount Washington State Park.

The Mount Washington Cog Railway ascends the western slope of the mountain, and the Mount Washington Auto Road climbs to the summit from the east. The mountain is visited by hikers from various approaches,[6] including the Appalachian Trail, which traverses the summit.[7] Other common activities include glider flying, backcountry skiing, and annual cycle and running races such as the Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb and Road Race.

  1. ^ a b "Mount Washington". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
  2. ^ "Mount Washington, New Hampshire". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  3. ^ "Mount Washington". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  4. ^ "World Record Wind". Mount Washington Observatory. Archived from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
  5. ^ "World: Maximum Surface Wind Gust (3-Second)". World Weather / Climate Extremes Archive, Arizona State University. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016.
  6. ^ Daniell, Gene; Burroughs, Jone (1998). White Mountain Guide (26th ed.). Boston: Appalachian Mountain Club. pp. 21–23. ISBN 1-878239-65-1.
  7. ^ Hooke, David (2001). Appalachian Trail Guide to New Hampshire-Vermont (10th ed.). Harpers Ferry: The Appalachian Trail Conference. p. 51. ISBN 1-889386-21-9.


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