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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. Much of the trail 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.
This trail 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, so 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. Do yourself a favor and save the upper half of this trail for the nice weather it deserves.
Distance: From Mount Clinton Road parking area to Mount Washington, about 8.4 miles one-way
Elevation gain: About 4700 feet, about 300 feet on return
Maps:
USGS Crawford Notch, Stairs Mtn, Mount Washington
AMC Presidential Range
Location: White Mountains Region
NH 2003-2004 map G-7/8
DeLorme NHA&G 44-C4/A6 - Carroll/Beans Grant/Chandlers Purchase/Sargents Purchase
The trail is located NE of US Route 302 at Crawford Notch, between Twin Mountain and Conway
Trailhead: The historic entrance is on US Route 302 just E of the Mount Clinton Road, but no parking is allowed there. A hiker parking lot has been built .2 miles up the Mount Clinton Road with a connector to the original trail, and distances are given from this lot, elevation about 1940 feet.
44.2235°N, 71.4108°W (WGS84)
WMNF fee site
From I-93 exit 35 near Franconia Notch, follow US Route 3 about 11 miles N to the junction of US Route 302 in Twin Mountain, turn R on US Route 302 and go E about 8.3 miles. Turn L on Mount Clinton Road and go about .2 miles to parking lot on L. The trail begins at the far end near the outhouse.
Far End: Summit of Mount Washington, elevation about 6288 feet
Owner: White Mountain National Forest and state
Maintainer: White Mountain National Forest
Special regulations: No camping within 1/4 mi. of Hut, or above treeline if there is less than 2 feet of snow, or in state park
From the parking lot, the Crawford Path enters the woods and soon crosses the road and climbs steadily. At .4 miles, a spur path leads L .4 miles to Crawford Cliff, just before the bridge over Gibbs Brook. On the far bank the historic Crawford Path enters from the R having come only .2 miles from US Route 302. The steady ascent continues with several rocky sections, and at 2.0 miles the Mizpah Cutoff leaves R for the AMC Mizpah Spring Hut. The Crawford Path now makes a long angling traverse around Mount Pierce, reaching the Webster Cliff Trail at 3.1 miles. Mount Pierce (formerly called Mount Clinton) is about .1 miles and 100 feet of climb to the R on the Webster Cliff Trail.
The trail drops about 200 vertical feet into the scrubby col with Mount Eisenhower, descending over a couple of small rungs anchored to rock and crossing wet areas on old log bridges. Some ascent often in scrub leads to a junction with the Mount Eisenhower Loop at the foot of the cone at 4.3 miles; the loop over the rounded summit is .2 miles longer with about 400 feet more climb than the main trail. The Crawford Path circles the cone R mostly in scrub but comes out in the open for the far junction with the Mount Eisenhower Loop at 4.8 miles; note that the Edmands Path has been relocated and you must go a short distance up the Mount Eisenhower Loop to reach it. It is .1 mile further to the junction with the Mount Eisenhower Trail on the R, which leads to Dry River and not Mount Eisenhower.
From here, the Crawford Path is almost entirely in the open and subject to winds and lightning storms. This is not a good place to be in bad weather. It continues to ascend, passing just L of the summit of Mount Franklin at 5.9 miles; while very obvious from the S, it is really the end of a ridge and there is very little descent beyond. The Crawford Path reaches the lower end of the Mount Monroe Loop at 6.2 miles; the loop over the twin summits is about the same length as the main trail but requires over 300 feet more climb. The next section of trail is mostly level, but passes a colony of rare plants where walking off trail is discouraged even more than usual in alpine areas. The Dry River Trail has been relocated to join the Crawford Path just beyond the AMC Lakes of the Clouds Hut rather than here. The upper end of the Mount Monroe Loop is reached at 6.9 miles, and the Crawford Path 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 double junction at 7.2 miles, where the Tuckerman Crossover leaves R for Tuckerman Ravine and the Alpine Garden, and the Camel Trail leaves sharp R for the Davis Path and Boott Spur. After an angled ascent to the foot of the cone at 7.8 miles, the Davis Path leaves R for the Montalban Ridge and just beyond the Westside Trail leaves L to circle the cone of Mount Washington.
The Crawford Path now angles L up the cone to meet the Gulfside Trail at 8.2 miles, then turns R to climb to the summit, passing between the former TV transmitter building and the Tip Top House museum. The true summit is a rock pile to the L just before reaching the curved summit visitor center at 8.4 miles.
Trails leaving from the summit
Parking lot plowed in winter.
Huts and summit visitor center closed off-season
Extensive snow drifting W of Mount Pierce and E of Mounts Eisenhower and Monroe: it may be easier to go over the summits than fight the drifts
Map Notes:
New parking lot and connector not shown on USGS map
New junction with Edmands Path not shown on USGS map
The old junction with the Dry River Trail and a non-existent connector to the midpoint of the Mount Monroe Loop are shown on the USGS map
View N from junction Crawford Path and Webster Cliff Trail [2/04]
View of Mount Eisenhower from near Mount Monroe [4/04]
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