| White Mountains, New Hampshire Information |
The White Mountains are a mountain range that covers roughly a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. The mountains included in the White Mountains are considered the most rugged in New England!
The 4,000 footers are a group of 67 mountains in New England, most of which are in the White Mountains, established by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC). The sport of Peak Bagging attracts hikers of all kinds to come to the White Mountains with a goal of hiking all the New England 4,000 footers (or just the 48 in New Hampshire). Rather than hiking up and down one mountain, Peak Bagging involves an attempt to reach the summit of multiple mountains in one hike, and the White Mountains is an excellent area to partake in this sport.
New Hampshire breaks down the 4,000 footer mountains by 9 different ranges/areas: Northern Ranges (which include Pilot Range and Pliny Range), Carter-Moriah Range, Presidential Range, Crawford Notch area (which includes the Willey Range), Twin Range, Pemigewasset Wilderness, Sandwich Range, Franconia Range and the Western White Mountains (which includes Kinsman Range).
Maine breaks down the 4,000 footer mountains by 4 different ranges/areas: Baxter State Park, High Peaks, Bigelow Range and the Eastern White Mountains.
Vermont (not part of the White Mountains) only has one area the 4,000 footers lie in: the Green Mountains.
The most well known mountain in the White Mountains is Mount Washington. Standing at 6,288 feet (1,917 meters), it is the highest mountain in New England and sits in the Presidential Range along with 8 other 4,000 footer mountains (Adams, Eisenhower, Jackson, Jefferson, Isolation, Madison, Monroe and Pierce). Mount Washington's summit has had the fastest wind gusts ever recorded at a whopping 231 miles per hour in 1934!
The White Mountains are also known for their Alpine Huts, built for safety and lodging for hikers. There are 8 huts situated 6-8 miles apart from one another along the Appalachian Trail, operated by the AMC.
The AMC has put out 29 editions of the AMC White Mountain Guide: a complete hiking guide book of the White Mountains. The first edition was put out in 1907, and the latest edition was put out in 2012. Many people use the maps in the back pocket of the books while hiking, while others try to collect all the editions.
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