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Mount Washington
Cog Railway

Mt. Washington Cog Railway
Just 6 miles from Rt. 302
In Bretton Woods, NH

3168 Base Station Road
Marshfield Station, NH

603-278-5404

Lat 44.270052
Long -71.350898

Mailing Address:
Mt. Washington, NH 03589

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Fall Aboard! the Mount Washington Cog Railway

Mount Washington Cog Railway in Autumn

With autumn ready to paint the New Hampshire landscape red, yellow and orange, one of the best ways to view the fall colors is from the highest peak in the Northeast.

The Mount Washington Cog Railway is geared up for fall, one of its most popular seasons, offering trips daily on the half-hour to the 6,288-foot summit of its namesake mountain.

The round-trip excursion on The Cog takes about three hours, including one hour spent on the summit of Mount Washington. On a clear fall day, the colors are spread out in a panorama view that takes in New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Canada and the Atlantic Ocean. Because the air is clear and crisp, those colors are especially vivid this time of the year.

Cog Base Station

Autumn is great time for a ride on The Cog, for the crowds of summer have departed and makes a perfect journey for couples.

For visitors with an interest in weather - and some days, The Cog will take you on a climb above the clouds - plan to go on the Ride and Observatory Tour, which departs at 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 11. It includes a tour of the famed Mount Washington Observatory, where the highest wind ever recorded at a manned weather station was clocked at 231 mph in April 1934.

While on the summit, all passengers are admitted free to the Observatory Museum.

Reservations are highly recommended for fall excursions and booking in advance gives passengers a choice between the eco-friendly biodiesel engines or the historic steam locomotive. Tickets can be reserved online at TheCog.com.

The Cog's passenger cars are heated, but on the summit of Mount Washington, the temperature can be quite cooler than in the valley, so visitors should plan to bring a jacket or sweater for comfort.

The Mount Washington Cog Railway is a National Historic Engineering Landmark. Its first locomotive, Old Peppersass, reached the summit of Mount Washington on July 3, 1869, making it the world's first mountain climbing railroad using a toothed cogwheel to engage the rack between the rails.

Old Peppersass is on display at the Marshfield Station, and the Cog Railway Museum, which is full of memorabilia and the rich history of this pioneering railroad, is open. Admission is free to the museum.

The Peppersass Restaurant offers lunch, and visitors can browse through the gift shop.

Autumn View

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