Visiting Us Information

2019-05-06 08:44:16.000 – Chloe Boehm, Summit Intern

 

Rising temperatures and melting snow often marks the transition between a brutal winter season and a more favorable summer season where buildings on the summit have the opportunity to open to the public. Although preparations must still be completed before all services can be open, I wanted to take this opportunity to give people the resources they will need to plan a trip up to the summit this summer any hopefully answer questions concerning this transition season.

Mount Washington Observatory:

Our Weather Discovery Center in North Conway is open daily from 10am to 5pm regardless of the current conditions on the summit. Besides many interactive exhibits, Live from the Rockpile programs run at 11am and 2pm daily in the museum. Through this program people have the opportunity to connect up to the summit and talk to a weather observer to learn more about what it is like to live and work on the tallest mountain in the Northeast. Additional information can be found HERE. (link: https://www.mountwashington.org/visit-us/weather-discovery-center/)

Weather Station Tours are available to give people visiting the summit the chance to see inside the Mount Washington Observatory and learn about the work that we do, in addition to the instruments we use. They are available when the Mt. Washington State Park Sherman Adams Visitor Center is open to the public (see below). Additional information and registration (reservations are highly recommended) is available HERE. (link: https://www.mountwashington.org/visit-us/weather-station-tours.aspx )

Extreme Mount Washington (summit museum) is located inside the Mt. Washington State Park Sherman Adams Visitor Center and has exhibits about the extreme weather the summit faces as well as some history about the Observatory, and the local flora and fauna. Additional information is located HERE. (link: https://www.mountwashington.org/visit-us/extreme-mount-washington.aspx)

Mount Washington State Park:

Mt. Washington State Park, Sherman Adams Summit Building, Concession, and Tip Top Historic Site operating hours are available HERE. (link: https://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/mt-washington-state-park) Hours are subject to change, so please check their page and/or contact them directly for their most current information.

Mt. Washington Auto Road:

Although the road is not open quite yet, the Mt. Washington Auto Road is hard at work to get the road in shape for summer travel as soon as possible. Information for the Mt. Washington Road can be found on their website HERE (link: https://mtwashingtonautoroad.com/) and their schedule of operations is available HERE. (link: https://mtwashingtonautoroad.com/hours-dates-of-operation?page=hours-dates-of-operation) Hours are subject to change, so please check their page, their social media pages, and/or contact them directly for their most current information.

The Mount Washington Cog Railway:

Information for the Mount Washington Cog Railway can be found on their website HERE (link: https://www.thecog.com/) and their schedule of operations is available HERE. (link: https://www.thecog.com/schedule-tickets/) Hours of operation are subject to change, so please check their page, their social media pages, and/or contact them directly for the most current information.

White Mountain Huts of New Hampshire:

Information about the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) network of high mountain huts is available HERE (link: https://www.outdoors.org/lodging-camping/huts/). Information about the Randolph Mountain Club (RMC) network of high mountain huts is available HERE. (link: http://www.randolphmountainclub.org/sheltersinfo/aboutourshelters.html)

Trail Conditions:

Trail conditions can be found HERE (link:https://www.outdoors.org/outdoor-activities/backcountry-weather) or HERE. (link: https://www.newenglandtrailconditions.com/nh/) Information about the ravines and ski conditions can be found on the Mount Washington Avalanche Center page HERE. (link: https://www.mountwashingtonavalanchecenter.org/)

Weather:

Current weather conditions for the summit can be found HERE. (link: https://www.mountwashington.org/experience-the-weather/current-summit-conditions.aspx) Current conditions from our mesonet can be found HERE. (link: https://www.mountwashington.org/experience-the-weather/mount-washington-regional-mesonet.aspx) Historical data can be found HERE (link: https://www.mountwashington.org/experience-the-weather/mount-washington-weather-archives/) (useful to figure out what’s typical for a given time period). Our 48 hour Higher Summits Forecast is updated daily by 5am and 5pm and is available HERE. (https://www.mountwashington.org/experience-the-weather/higher-summit-forecast.aspx) Note: we do not provide extended or personalized forecasts; to please bookmark the forecast page and check back as your hike approaches. For a second opinion or for additional points around the state, the National Weather Service provides 24-36 hour recreational forecasts available HERE. (link: https://www.weather.gov/gyx/AllLocationsForecast) You will likely notice the NWS and MWO forecasts rarely agree due to the areas we are forecasting for. NWS forecasts the entirety of the White Mountains while MWO focuses more on the summit of Mt Washington and surrounding peaks closer to 5000 feet. Both forecasts are good to examine with the mindset that NWS will be the best case scenario you will encounter and MWO will be the worst case scenario. If you prepare for both, you will lower your chances of being caught off guard.

Make sure to check these links often as conditions rapidly change on all elevations of the mountain and may result in some services needing to adjust their hours. We look forward to seeing you on the summit this summer!

 

Chloe Boehm, Summit Intern