Mt. Washington State Park - Sargent's Purchase, NH - State/Provincial Parks on Waymarking.com

Darby Field, a British colonist from Exeter, made the first recorded ascent of Mt. Washington in 1642. It has been related through the years that Field’s two Native American companions did not accompany him to the summit because the Great Spirit was believed to dwell there. The mountain’s history has been colorful since that first ascent.

In 1819, Ethan Allen Crawford and his father Abel - early settlers and innkeepers of the Crawford Notch area, built the first trail to the summit. By the mid-1800s, tourism on the mountain flourished. Train service was extended into the White Mountains, and a bridle path was opened to the summit that made it accessible to tourists who were flocking to the area. The first hotel was built at the summit in 1852 to accommodate the tourists arriving on foot and horseback. It was so successful its first year of operation that a competing hotel, the Tip Top House was built the following year.

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Mount Washington State Park is a 60.3-acre (24.4 ha) parcel perched on the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire, 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.

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

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Park Type: Day Use Activities: Hiking Picnic Scenic Overlook Park Fees: Mount Washington Auto Road 49 Car and Driver 20 for passenger Date Established?: 1859 Link to Park: [Web Link] Background: Not listed Additional Entrance Points: Not Listed

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