Mount Washington Cog Railway
3168 Base Station Road, Mt. Washington NH 03589
(877) 516-1011
info@thecog.com
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The Cog is the first mountain-climbing cog railway in the world. With an average grade of 25% (some sections approach nearly 38%), it’s also the second steepest! Motive power is primarily provided by a fleet of seven powerful biodiesel locomotives, each custom designed, built and maintained on site. And with a nod to its steam heritage, the railway also continues to operate a pair of coal-fired steam engines in the warmer months, both well over a century old.
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There is an Extreme Mt. Washington Exhibit at the top.
Admission is included in the cost of your Cog Railway ticket. Your Cog Railway ticket is your admission pass.
If you get to the top and experience foggy conditions, this exhibit has panoramic screens to show you what the view would have been if it had been clear.
**Insider Trip - Check the weather forecast! Go on a clear, sunny day.
Plan to go as early in the day as possible. Even on a clear day, clouds can develop at the top of the mountain in the afternoons.
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This can be tricky because days/early trips can book quickly.
Might be best to try for a clear day and have the Auto Road as a backup plan.
Omni Mount Washington Hotel
Fabyan's Station
310 Mount Washington Hotel Rd, Bretton Woods, NH
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Ground was broken in 1900 and construction was completed in 1902. Two hundred and fifty Italian craftsmen, skilled in masonry and woodworking, were brought to Bretton Woods and housed on the grounds. A new type of power plant served reliably for over 50 years.
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The most luxurious hotel of its day, The Mount Washington catered to wealthy guests from Boston, New York and Philadelphia. As many as 50 trains a day stopped at Bretton Woods' three railroad stations. One of these stations, Fabyan's, is now one of the Resort's dining establishments.
The hotel has been host to countless celebrities, including Thomas Edison and three U.S. presidents.
Dining at the Omni Hotel
Visitors are allowed to eat at many of the restaurant at the hotel. Hotel guests are prioritized for seating.
Check the link for info about dining options and prices.
We ate at the Rosebrook bar. Seating is first come, first serve. No one will seat you. You have to just be watching for a table to open up and then seat yourself. Huge windows look out on Mount Washington.
Fabyan's Station
U.S. 302, Bretton Woods, NH
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Open Thursday - Sunday 11:30 - 9:00
Closed Monday/Tuesday
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I've eaten here. The food was good and reasonably priced.
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When trains were the main mode of transportation for vacationers traveling to northern New Hampshire, Fabyan's was a popular stop for those venturing on to Crawford Notch. Located inside the original railroad station, the historical landmark was brought back to life through restoration, making it the Fabyan's Restaurant and lounge you experience today. Located just across from the Bretton Woods Ski Area and just down the street from the Omni Mount Washington Hotel, the restaurant is a perfect, year-round stopover for a bite to eat on your way through the White Mountains or after a great day of skiing.
The Fabyan's menu is casual and family-friendly with typical pub items that include delicious burgers, soups, salads and other entrées. A children's menu is also available. Be sure to have the staff send the model train through the dining room for your kids!
Fabyan's Restaurant is open seasonally for lunch, dinner and has full-bar service.
Franconia Notch State Park
Drive thru Franconia Notch State Park on 93
Franconia Notch State Park is located in the heart of the White Mountain National Forest. Franconia Notch is a spectacular mountain pass traversed by a unique parkway which extends from the Flume Gorge at the south to Echo Lake at the north. For eight miles, I-93 winds between the high peaks of the Kinsman and Franconia mountain ranges.
The Basin
On 93 in Franconia Notch State Park
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This large pothole in the Pemigewasset River, 30 feet in diameter and 15 feet deep, had its beginning some 25,000 years ago as the Ice Age came to a close. Water flowing from the melting glacier that filled Franconia Notch eroded the solid granite bedrock. During the thousands of years that followed sand and stones were whirled around by the force of the river causing a boring action that left the sidewalls smooth. The rock formation seen in the stream bed at the outlet has been known for generations as "The Old Man's Foot".
The great American naturalist, Henry David Thoreau (1817-62), on his first trip to the White Mountains in September of 1839 stood here, as you do, and watched the water cascade into the granite bowl and whirlpool around its walls. He would later write in his Journal, "this pothole is perhaps the most remarkable curiosity of its kind in New England."
Samuel Eastman in his 1858 White Mountain Guide called this spot "One of the beautiful haunts of Nature, a luxurious and delicious bath fit for the ablutions of a goddess."
The Basin can be accessed from the northbound and southbound directions. There are picnic tables and walking paths, as well as hiking trails.
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Main trail to the Basin and back is an easy walk and takes about 30 min.
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If you're feeling a little more adventurous, take the Kinsman Falls & Rocky Falls Trail. More adventurous but worth it. It will take about an hour to do this and the Basin
The Flume Gorge
2 mile loop – takes aprox. 1.5 hours to complete
The Flume is a natural granite gorge extending 800 feet at the base of Mount Liberty. You'll see towering moss-covered granite walls rising to a spectacular height of 90 feet, cascading waterfalls, historic covered bridges, glacial pools & boulders and much more.
The Flume Gorge Trail is now ONE-WAY ONLY with the only option being to walk the entire loop in one direction (the old "short trail/Rim Path" is now closed). This self-guided walk is 2 miles and takes approximately 1.5 hours. The trail is mostly packed gravel with boardwalk sections and includes moderate uphill walking and stairs within the gorge. Appropriate footwear is recommended. The trail is NOT handicap accessible.
Shuttles will NOT be running this summer and the upper cabin will remain closed.
It’s a pretty long walk without the shuttle.
Open daily 9 am – 4 pm
Tickets: Ages 13+ $18.00 online, $21 at the window
Woodstock Inn & Brewery
135 Main St, North Woodstock, NH 03262
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We might be hungry before we get here. Or we could go for lunch then head back to the Basin and Flume. They are close to each other.
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"Woodstock Inn Brewery, a family-owned business, is one of New Hampshire’s most visited destinations, located in the Basecamp of the White Mountains. On one property you'll find a brewery (a seven-barrel system, and 30-barrel production facility), an Inn featuring 40 uniquely styled rooms and suites, an award-winning restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, multiple bars and live music on the weekends.
Brewery tours every day at 12p. Call to reserve a space."
Indian Leap - Agassiz Basin
North Woodstock, New Hampshire
Directions to Agassiz Basin: East of the Rt. 112 / Rt. 118 Junction, roadside. About 1.7 miles from the intersection of Rte 3 and Rte 112. (Place where Govoni’s Italian restaurant use to be)
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Agassiz Basin (aka Indian Leap) is located in North Woodstock NH. The total height of Agassiz Basin is 8-10′.
Two small falls can be found here. Although the waterfalls are by no means large or of striking beauty, the area around the falls is of historical and geological interest. The waters of the curved gorge created a gap about six feet wide that is known as Indian Leap. There are legends that Native Americans used to jump across the gap as a test of courage. Also of particular interest are the deep, circular potholes and the deep, mostly dark pools in the river.
The best view of the lower falls is obtained by scrambling down to the river. The upper falls can be viewed by scrambling on some of the rock ledges just below a white building, but be careful as the terrain here is slippery and offers minimal grip.
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Warren, NH - Redstone Missile
Turn right out of Woodstock Inn. At the light (112) turn right. Turn Left on 118. Take 118 until it dead ends into 25. Turn left onto 25 which will take you into Warren, NH. Check out the actual Redstone Missile. Corner of 25 and Water Street (on your right). Then continue on 25 until you get to Wentworth, turn right on Atwell Hill Road.
Visit our House on Atwell Hill
Mt Washington Observatory
For information about the observatory located at the top of Mount Washington
and for current weather conditions, check their website (link below)
Weather Station Tours
Go behind the scenes of the famous mountaintop weather station and get a taste for what it's like to work at 6,288 feet! These guided tours allow you to meet and interact with our scientists, learn how they create forecasts, see the instruments they use to capture Mount Washington's legendary extremes, and more.
Cost: $60.00 p/household
(you're actually buying a 1 year membership and will also get you 15% off in the summit store).
Advance reservations of at least 24 hours are required.
This is a 20 minute tour.