Mount Washington Auto Road
Pinkham Notch → Mount Washington summit, NH · 7.6 miles to the summit · half day
Opened in 1861, the Mount Washington Auto Road climbs 7.6 miles and nearly 4,650 feet from Pinkham Notch to the 6,288-foot summit of Mount Washington — the highest peak in the Northeast, famous for some of the worst weather on Earth.
Good to know: A toll road, open seasonally and weather-dependent — the summit can close with little notice. Grades are steep; shift to low gear coming down, and guided van tours run if you’d rather not drive it.
Drive to the roof of the Northeast.
Switchback through four climate zones to a summit that once clocked a 231-mph wind — and earn the classic “This Car Climbed Mt. Washington” bumper sticker.
States on this route
The signature stops
What to pull over for.
Plan the drive
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