Did you know? History of White Mountain National Forest

Burros were a popular means of ascending some White Mountain peaks, here on the summit of Mt Willard looking at Mt Webster.

In 1918, the White Mountain National Forest was created through a presidential proclamation following the Weeks Act that allowed the Government to purchase private land to establish National Forest Reserves, which later became National Forests. The White Mountain National Forest, with its unique mission to sustain healthy, diverse, and productive forests and grasslands for present and future generations, has grown from 7,000 acres in the early 1900s to just under 800,000 acres today.

Though the White Mountain National Forest was formed in 1918, recreation in the region was occurring far before its development.

In 1642, Darby Field, an English born settler, made the first recorded ascent of Mt. Washington. Though the objective is not known, we do know that it took him approximately 18 days to achieve the summit. The lack of trails and roads in the region can most certainly be blamed for the long approach.

By the early 1800s, thanks to improvements of the area’s mountainous roads and the subsequent increase of trail building, the tourist trade boomed and the ascents of Mount Washington and other peaks became more frequent. By 1819, Abel Crawford and his son Ethan cleared the 8.5 mile trail to the summit of Mt Washington-now considered the oldest continuously used hiking trail in the country; a second trail cut by Ethan is now being used as the Cog Railway that winds to the top of Mt Washington on the west side of the mountain.

With the development of the Appalachian Mountain club in 1876, among other outdoor club memberships, a sustained period of trail building began and visitors to the White Mountains began to increase.

Now, with over 1200 miles of maintained hiking trails, 9 miles of Alpine zone (the largest alpine area in the eastern US), and 160 miles of the Appalachian Trail, the White Mountain National Forest is a very attractive and impressive region for strolling, hiking and backpacking.

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