Mount Washington State Park

Mount Washington State Park
The summit of Mount Washington is frequently obscured by clouds.
Type	State park
Location	Mount Washington, New Hampshire
Coordinates
Area	60.3 acres (24.4 ha)
Created	1964 (1964)
Operated by	New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation
Open	May to October, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Not to be confused with Mount Washington State Forest.

Mount Washington State Park is a 60.3-acre (24.4 ha) parcel perched on the summit of Mount Washington, the highest peak in the northeastern United States. Summer seasonal amenities include a cafeteria, restrooms, gift shops, the Mount Washington Observatory and its museum. The historic Tip Top House is located adjacent to the summit building and is open (small fee) to visitors from early May to early October. The park is accessible by the Mount Washington Auto Road, the Mount Washington Cog Railway, the Appalachian Trail, or numerous other hiking trails from surrounding trailheads including Pinkham Notch, Crawford Notch and the Cog Railway base station.

The land forming the park was originally given to Dartmouth College in 1951 by the estate of the owner of the Cog Railway. Dartmouth sold 59 acres (240,000 m²) to the State of New Hampshire in 1964 for use as a park and then sold the final 8 acres (32,000 m²) in 2008 for $2.1M, after a long-term broadcasting lease had expired. A small segment of the summit is still owned by the Cog Railway and used as the upper terminus of the railway.

History

In 1642, Darby Field was the first to climb to the summit of Mount Washington. He supposedly had guidance by the Native Americans.

Construction of the auto road started in 1854. When funds ran out in 1856, the current Mount Washington Summit Road Company completed building it in 1859. At that time, summit buildings were also erected. The Cog Railway completed construction in 1869. In 1908 a major fire destroyed all of the buildings but one; the Tip Top House.

External links

• Mount Washington State Park official webpage