White Mountain National Forest

Spanning 750,852 acres across northern New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine, the White Mountain National Forest is home to Mount Washington, the highest peak in the northeastern United States at 6,288 feet and famously the site of some of the most extreme weather ever recorded on Earth. The Presidential Range supports a rare and fragile alpine tundra ecosystem above treeline that mirrors conditions found hundreds of miles to the north in arctic Canada. Eight federally designated wilderness areas protect old-growth spruce-fir forests and remote backcountry.\n\nThe 34-mile Kancamagus Highway traverses the heart of the forest and is widely regarded as one of the finest scenic drives in America, particularly during autumn foliage season. The Appalachian Trail runs for over 100 miles through the forest, and the AMC operates eight backcountry huts offering overnight accommodations to hikers traversing the Presidential Range. Over 1,200 miles of trails crisscross the forest.\n\nWinter transforms the White Mountains into a premier destination for backcountry skiing, ice climbing in Huntington and Tuckerman Ravines, and snowshoeing through snow-draped birch forests. The forest supports six downhill ski areas and provides critical watershed protection for communities throughout northern New England.