Autumn Adventures in the White Mountains

Trains, Foliage, and Incredible Weather

Mount Washington Cog Railway

We began our autumn adventure in the White Mountains with a train ride to the summit of Mount Washington. We had no idea any of this existed until a week prior, when we ran into a local family at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. They raved about the experience and said it was a must-see. Locals are the best resources in finding incredible locations and attraction. We haven’t been steered wrong yet! The Mount Washington Cog Railway was an amazing experience with a plethora of historical information. The kids share quite a bit of interesting tidbits regarding the Cog Railway in their YouTube video, so be sure to check that out!

Mount Washington

Mount Washington is quite the anomaly with astonishing erratic weather that is literally record breaking. The summit is known to have some of the worst weather in the world. This has resulted in a number of deaths over the past 150 years, even during the summer months. On average, 3-5 deaths within this mountain range occur every year. Many of these incidents can be attributed to poor planning due in part to the inconsistent weather conditions. At any point in time during the year, rain, snow and ice can occur. Umbrellas are not recommended at the summit due to frequent high gusting wind. The record for the highest wind ever observed comes from the Mount Washington summit in 1934 where wind velocity reached 231mph! Due to its interesting weather, the summit is home to the Mount Washington Weather Observatory, one of the first mountaintop weather stations in the world.

As dangerous and deadly as Mount Washington is known for, that doesn’t deter adventure seekers. We went to the summit the easy way, by the World’s First Cog Train, but if you have the grit and determination, you can hike the Gulfside Trail to the top. The trail runs parallel to the train tracks, and we saw a few hikers making the journey to the top. The Gulfside Trail is actually a part of the Appalachian Trail, a nearly 2,200-mile trail system that runs from Georgia to Maine. If you ever have the urge to hike the Appalachian Trail, just be aware that the Mount Washington Summit is on your route. With the highest recorded temperature at only 72 degrees and the lowest at negative 47 degrees, be sure to back a warm coat for your trip!

Fall Foliage in the White Mountains

After our journey to the summit of Mount Washington, we drove the White Mountains National Forest. We stopped at a few hotspots, including Sabbaday Falls, Rocky Gorge and Lower Falls. With more than 800,000 acres covering portions of New Hampshire and Maine, we only had the luxury of visiting a few stops. We did hear that Flume Gorge is incredible, but we unfortunately were unable to make it to that stop. If you are looking to experience the fall foliage in New England, the White Mountain Forest is a brilliant place to visit!

Camping with Kayla Kids