Coos County is the home of Mount Washington, the the premiere mountain peak of the Eastern US, (although not the tallest). Towering more than 2,000 feet above timberline -- a huge distance in the East, it continues to lay to claim to having the world's worst weather -- winds recorded at 231 miles per hour. That wasn't just a quirk. The weather is almost always awful. If it's not incredibly windy, then the mountain is fog bound -- or worse.
The weather is very deceptive to the uninitiated. The summit is less than a half hour drive from May to October. However, hikers all too often mistake this easy access and the seemingly nice weather at the base with what they will discover above timberline. Consequently, the mountain has one of the highest casualty rates of any in the world. The trail up is marked by memorials to those who have fallen and a much too rapidly growing list of casualties is kept at the summit. If you hike it, please be careful.
Twin Mountain, New Hampshire is a village in the center of the White Mts. Bordered by the White Mt. National Forest. A Four Season area with Skiing, Snowmobiling, Hiking, Biking, Bird and Moose viewing. Twin Mt. NH. Is located between Franconia Notch, previous home of the "Old Man of the Mountain" and Crawford Notch with it`s majestic waterfalls. For the year round vacationers they offer motels, campgrounds, and cottages all with North Country hospitality.
The Mt. Washington Valley offers day visitors and others a wide variety of scenic drives which are easy to find and to follow. One of the shortest drives is Cathedral Ledge Road, which winds its way along a one-mile ascent. At the summit, motorists can park, step through a cluster of trees, and come across a spectacular bird's eye view of the entire valley below.
Other popular trips include a five-mile drive in the town of Jackson which passes over the Wildcat River, circles Jackson Falls, then returns to town. And then there's the Kanamagus Highway, a spectacular scenic byway with plenty of opportunities to stop and "smell the roses" along the way. This is a great route on which to bring the family, as it's ripe with places for picnics, hikes, walks, and even opportunities for swimming; this drive can easily become an all-day excursion.
Pinkham Notch and Whitaker Woods in the Conway Conservation Commission forest area also make great road trips. All these and many other spectacular scenic drives are within an easy drive from the many other sights of the Mt. Washington Valley.
