Mount Washington Auto Road
Pinkham Notch → Mount Washington summit, NH · 7.6 miles to the summit · half day
Stylized illustration, not a photo — the real place looks different (and that’s half the fun).
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.
Updated July 2026.
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.
The best stops on the Mount Washington Auto Road are the places that define the drive, not just the nearest towns. Roamward orders them for the road: start with Great Glen base, The treeline, Cragway switchbacks, Mount Washington Summit, then open each stop guide for the pull-over context.
01Great Glen basethe start, with tickets, info, and guided van tours — open the stop guideNH
02The treelinewhere the forest gives way to alpine tundra partway up — open the stop guideNH
03Cragway switchbacksexposed turns with big Presidential Range views — open the stop guideNH
04Mount Washington Summitthe 6,288-ft top, with the observatory and the cog railway — open the stop guideNH
Where to eat
Restaurants along this route.
Restaurants on the Mount Washington Auto Road are chosen for trip usefulness: gateway-town location, a clear reason to stop, and enough quality to make a traveler save the pick. Start with Glen Junction Family Restaurant, White Mountain Cider Co., Big Day Brewing, Road Hawg BBQ Swine Dining.
A curated set of trip-useful meals near the route — enough to anchor driving days without turning the guide into a phone book.
- Glen Junction Family Restaurant
A train-themed Glen breakfast stop for Mount Washington Auto Road mornings, especially when the summit drive needs an easy family launch.
- White Mountain Cider Co.
A more refined Mount Washington Valley dinner after the Kanc or Auto Road.
- Big Day Brewing
A Gorham brewpub dinner pick on the northern White Mountains side, useful when Mount Washington weather pushes the schedule around.
- Road Hawg BBQ Swine Dining
Gorham smokehouse plates for Mount Washington travelers on the north/east side, especially after a weather-shifted summit day.
- The Notch Grille
A practical Great Glen base meal for the Mount Washington Auto Road day.
- Red Fox Bar and Grille
A Jackson family-friendly grill for the Mount Washington Auto Road day, close enough to work before or after the summit drive.
- Thompson House Eatery
A farm-focused Jackson dinner pick that gives the Mount Washington route a proper small-town destination meal.
- Wildcat Inn & Tavern
A Jackson tavern meal for the Mount Washington Auto Road day, cozy enough for bad-weather pivots and summit-day evenings.
Build a trip around Mt Washington Auto Road drive.
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Where to stay
Find a place to stay near Mt Washington Auto Road, New Hampshire.
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