information for hikers

Official state and National Forest trailhead parking lots often fill early and quickly, especially on weekends and holidays. While it may be tempting to park along the road or in other unauthorized spots, it is illegal and your car may be ticketed and towed. As an alternative, we have provided a limited number of spaces in a dedicated, clearly marked Hiker Parking lot on our property, with easy access to trailheads for the Jewell and Ammonoosuc Ravine trails.

Because Hiker Parking is located on the Railway’s private property, we charge a $10 per person land use fee to help offset the cost of opening and maintaining the Base Station facilities early, year-round. The fee may be paid in designated collection boxes, or with our cashiers inside the Base Station. The fee may be credited against the cost of a one-way up or down train ticket. Make sure you display the hang tag from the collection envelope on your dashboard.

Hiker vehicles not clearly displaying the tag, or parked in any of our main lots reserved for Railway patrons will be promptly ticketed and towed to Lufkin’s Auto Service ((603) 837-2088), approximately 20 miles west of the Railway in Whitefield, NH.

We reserve the right to temporarily limit or close the Hiker Parking Lot without notice during special events, construction, etc.

Because the Railway operates on a strict schedule, and because weather and any number of other factors may delay a hiker’s arrival at the summit, it is just not possible to guarantee a one way seat down in advance. The vast majority of our passengers pay for and reserve round trip seating, but if seats are available, down-mountain tickets may be purchased in person only at the summit post office.

We will sell one-way up-mountain tickets for hikers choosing to ride the train up to the summit and then hike back down to our Base Station along the Jewell or Ammonoosuc Ravine trails. If seats are available, those tickets may be purchased on a first-come, first-served basis beginning 15 minutes prior to each hourly departure.

IMPORTANT: Never assume that train tickets will be available for the descent. If you hike to the summit, you must always be physically and mentally prepared to hike back down.

IMPORTANT: Bear spray, pepper spray and other pressurized irritants are prohibited on our passenger coaches at all times.

Reaching the summit of Mount Washington on foot is a wonderful experience, but it’s a climb, not a walk in the woods, and it is difficult. In the best conditions, strong hikers might make it to the top in two hours, average hikers could take between four and five hours, and some will even take much longer. The return hike may be just as long and is nearly as difficult. Complicating matters, Mount Washington is renowned for its severe and unpredictable weather, and conditions often deteriorate rapidly from pleasant to life threatening. First-time Mount Washington hikers should not attempt to climb to the summit unless you

• start early (no later than 8:00am)

• are physically fit

• consult the Mount Washington Observatory’s website for higher summits forecasts and current summit conditions  before attempting the climb– they are the best predictor of conditions. Never underestimate or ignore severe weather warnings.

• are well equipped with warm, waterproof clothing, proper hiking boots or shoes, and appropriate paper maps or trail guides

• prepare for emergencies by always carrying these 10 essentials, and insure yourself against the cost of a potential search and rescue operation by purchasing a Hike Safe card from New Hampshire Fish and Game.

• bring sufficient food and water for a 10-12 hour round trip excursion. There may be no access to potable water on trails, but water stations are available at the Base Station, summit, and AMC huts.

• do not assume that cell service will be available anywhere on the mountain in the event of an emergency

• understand that the summit Visitor Center and the Auto Road both close temporarily in high wind or other severe weather conditions, and train operations will be limited to Waumbek, Skyline or curtailed altogether. That means that the only way off the summit in severe weather is by foot.

• do not ride the Cog Railway off the mountain unless you climbed to the summit from the WEST on the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail or the Jewell Trail. Trailheads and parking lots for the Tuckerman’s Ravine Trail and other popular routes are located on the EAST side of the mountain near Pinkham Notch and the entrance to the Mount Washington Auto Road, and are at least 50 miles away from our Base Station. Taxi service is expensive and unreliable.

• “bail out” by turning around and returning to the Base Station as quickly as possible if the weather becomes threatening, especially when you are fully exposed to the elements above tree line. Most tragic outcomes on the mountain occur when hikers ignore or underestimate the severity of the weather and the difficulty of the terrain. That simply cannot be emphasized strongly enough.

• Here is an excellent Beginner’s Guide to Hiking in the White Mountains, from the Appalachian Mountain Club