- The Mount Washington Cog Railway presents a steep, scenic experience by way of New Hampshire’s vibrant fall foliage as much as the summit of the tallest mountain in New England.
- It was constructed within the 1800s because the world’s first mountain-climbing railroad to make the summit extra accessible.
- Fall rides are particularly widespread for clear views, vivid colours, and crisp climate, although situations can change rapidly at greater elevations.
The Mount Washington Cog Railway is the place historical past, innovation, and scenic fall foliage come collectively—forming an unforgettable autumn journey on New Hampshire’s Mount Washington, the tallest mountain in New England.
“It’s the world’s first mountain-climbing railroad, and it was invented by New Hampshire native Sylvester Marsh, who thought there needs to be a neater means than mountain climbing for folks to go to the summit,” Tim Lewis, a retired broadcast journalist and journalism educator at Northern Vermont College–Lyndon, tells Journey + Leisure. “The thought got here to him throughout a hike up Mount Washington in 1857, when dangerous climate closed in on him and a good friend, and the pair barely made it to the 2 motels—the Summit Home and Tip Prime Home—on high of the 6,288-foot peak.”
Lewis, whose father, Norman “Jitney” Lewis, ran steam trains on the Mount Washington Cog Railway between 1950 and 1967, identifies as a “Cog Child.” Presently, he’s a Mount Washington Railway prosopographer (a task not affiliated with the railroad) and founding father of The Jitney Years challenge, researching the 1000’s of people that labored on the railroad over time.
What to Count on
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Right now, greater than 150 years later, guests proceed to go to this a part of New Hampshire and board one of many Mount Washington Cog Railway’s custom-built biodiesel locomotives. From the bottom station to the summit, the prepare climbs about three miles.
“‘The Cog’ takes you to the summit of Mount Washington by way of a consistently altering panorama. You start on the base surrounded by the good colours proper up shut,” says Kate Sullivan, the host of New Hampshire Life. “Because the prepare climbs, you’ll discover the temperature drop and the forest change—from dense timber to the open alpine zone, the place you’re above the tree line with vast views in each path. In each season, this view is my favourite, however in fall it’s superb.”
Lewis provides that you just’ll see colourful leaves for the primary mile and a half of the journey. “After you cross Jacob’s Ladder [the steepest section of the Cog Railway], you might be heading into the alpine zone… the forest and the leaves at the moment are all under you,” he says.
Whereas “The Cog” is open year-round, the autumn months, Lewis says, are higher weather-wise. “It’s crisper and, on good days, clearer with visibility going miles additional than through the hazy days of summer time,” he explains. However the climate can be extremely variable. “You need to be prepared with coats, gloves, and layers to maintain you comfy as these modifications happen. Snow and ice are usually not uncommon. That occurs in summer time months as effectively,” he provides. Notably, the services on the summit are closed from late October by way of the start of Might; throughout this time of 12 months, the prepare terminates at Waumbek Station, which sits at 4,000 toes.
If there’s one approach to describe the ascent, it might be “steep.” The typical grade is over 25 p.c, and a few sections even go as much as 37.4 p.c. All the journey is about three hours, with passengers spending one hour on the very high; right here, you may discover Mount Washington State Park’s Sherman Adams Customer Heart, the rooftop commentary deck, the Mount Washington Observatory, and the Tip Prime Home Museum. There are additionally reward outlets and meals concessions.
Tickets, Seating, and Schedule
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Reserving tickets upfront is really useful, however not required. Throughout the primary season, departures run on the hour, from 9 a.m. to three p.m. Passengers are requested to reach on the station at the very least 45 minutes early to choose up tickets and discover. Base ticket costs fluctuate between $60 and $100—in early October 2025, a normal mid-week grownup ticket is $100—and, upon reserving, you may choose your platform, as a few totally different trains depart on the identical time, and your seat.
So far as the place you wish to sit, Lewis and Sullivan have a number of suggestions. “I personally like sitting near the entrance. I like searching the perimeters but additionally the primary window, so I can watch it climb or descend the tracks. I additionally like being close to the information; the experience doubles as a transferring historical past lesson, with tales concerning the railway and loads of enjoyable information concerning the mountain’s timber, wildlife, and environment,” says Sullivan.
When debating whether or not to choose the left or the correct aspect, you will be assured realizing that each supply some type of unbelievable view. “Contained in the coach, I’m a fan of the left aspect; as you face up the mountain, Burt’s Ravine falls away from the monitor above Waumbek Station, and the northern Presidential Vary and Nice Gulf seem after Skyline,” says Lewis, referencing an space above the tree line at an elevation of about 5,500 toes. “The correct aspect provides you a better take a look at the change within the natural world as you climb into the alpine zone, plus a terrific view of the Appalachian Mountain Membership’s Lake of the Clouds Hut on the far ridge at Jacob’s Ladder.”