State: New Hampshire
Location: White Mountains National Forest
Length, One-Way: 8.4 miles
Trail Type: Out and Back
Minimum Elevation: 1900 feet
Maximum Elevation: 6288 feet
Elevation Change: 4700 feet
Best Season: May to September
Difficulty: More Difficult
Usage: Heavy
Parking: White Mountains National Forest Fee Site.
Summer in new Hampshire means prolific greenery
Trail Information
The Crawford Path is one of the oldest hiking trails in the country, originally built during the 1800’s and used as a horse trail from the Crawford House near the head of Crawford Notch over the southern Presidential Range to the summit of Mount Washington. In commemoration of its 175th anniversary, the Crawford Path was designated a National Recreation Trail In 1994. It is the oldest, continuously maintained, hiking path in America.
Much of the Crawford Path still follows the original route and is used by hordes of hikers, so it is rough and eroded in spite of extensive trail work. The upper section is part of the Appalachian Trail.
The Crawford Path receives some of the coldest and wettest weather in New Hampshire. Temperatures on Mount Washington are often 30 degrees or more below those in the southern parts of the state and even cool summer days may produce ice. Snow patches often linger into June and lasting snow starts in October. There is often fog which hides the trail and once past Mount Eisenhower there is almost no shelter from high winds or lightning.
The Crawford Path is 8.2 miles long, beginning at 1,900′ elevation and ending at the summit of Mt. Washington (el. 6,288 feet). From the parking lot, follow the Crawford-Connector across Gibbs Brook to join the Crawford Path 0.2 miles from Route 302. Just before the bridge over Gibbs Brook, a spur path leads left 0.4 miles to Crawford Cliff. After another 0.4 miles, a short side trail to the left offers views of Gibbs Falls. The Crawford Path passes through the largest spruce and birch stand on the White Mountains in the Gibbs Brook Research Natural Area.
The steady ascent continues over several rocky sections and at 2.0 miles the Mizpah Cutoff leaves to the right for the AMC Mizpah Spring Hut. The Crawford Path turns and makes a long traverse around Mount Pierce, reaching the Webster Cliff Trail at 3.1 miles. This trail leads to the right to the top of Mount Pierce in about 0.1 miles and only 100 feet of climbing.
The Crawford Path descends about 200 feet into the col with Mount Eisenhower. The trail passes over couple of small rungs anchored to rock and crossing wet areas on old log bridges. The trail leads to a junction with the Mount Eisenhower Loop at the foot of the cone after around 4.3 miles of hiking. The loop over the rounded summit is 0.2 miles longer with about 400 feet more climb than the main trail. The Crawford Path circles the cone to the right.
From here, the Crawford Path is almost entirely in the open and subject to winds and lightning storms. The trail continues to ascend, passing to the left of the summit of Mount Franklin at 5.9 miles. The Crawford Path reaches the lower end of the Mount Monroe Loop after hiking for 6.2 miles; this loop is about the same Length as the main trail but adds 300 feet of climbing. The next section of trail is mostly flat, but passes a some rare plants where off trail travel is discouraged even more than usual. The upper end of the Mount Monroe Loop is past at 6.9 miles and the Crawford Path Trail descends slightly to the AMC Lakes of the Clouds Hut at 7.0 miles. The Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail descends from here to the Base Station Road.
The Crawford Path passes between the two Lakes of the Clouds and climbs to a junction at 7.2 miles. At this junction, the Tuckerman Crossover leaves to the right for Tuckerman Ravine and the Alpine Garden and the Camel Trail heads sharply right for the Davis Path and Boott Spur. After a half mile ascent, the Davis Path heads to the right for the Montalban Ridge and just past that the Westside Trail leads to the right to circle Mount Washington.
The Crawford Path now heads left and ascends to meet the Gulfside Trail at 8.2 miles, then turns right for the final climb to the summit. The true summit is the rock pile on the left just before reaching the curved summit visitor center at 8.4 miles.
Directions
From Interstate 93:
Take exit 35 off of Interstate 93 near Franconia Notch. Follow US Route 3 about 11 miles north to the junction of US Route 302 in Twin Mountain. Turn right on US Route 302 and head east about 8.3 miles. Turn left on Mount Clinton Road and go about 0.2 miles to parking lot on the left. The trail begins at the far end near the outhouse.
The historic entrance is on US Route 302 just east of Mount Clinton Road, but no parking is allowed there. The hiker parking lot has been built 0.2 miles up the Mount Clinton Road with a connector to the original trail.
