Basecamp: Highland Center
- Fall hiking picks at Crawford Notch
- Check out free Adventures of the Day: guided hikes, trail running, trail maintenance
- Fall colors, firemaking, and nature journaling: free interpretive outdoor programs and skills workshops
- Enjoy the foliage, contribute to research on a "citizen science" hike
- Frontcountry meets backcountry: go lodge-to-hut hiking
- A birder’s paradise: Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge
- One part water, one part hike: scenic waterfall hikes
- Fall foliage bike touring
- Casting flies outside Highland Center
- Discover an historic past at Crawford Depot
- Leaf peeping by the rails: foliage train rides
- Moose tours, stargazing, and fall gear: Highland Center's daily evening programs
- Camp for adults: AMC 50+ Adventure Camp
- Before the snow flies: Family Camp Weekend
Ideal for beginners and well-seasoned outdoor enthusiasts alike, Highland Center offers a range of fall activities such as hiking, backpacking, biking, paddling, and fishing.
Highland Center offers the convenience of an all-inclusive lodging experience, which not only factors in lodging and meals, but also equipment and daily activities.
Guests can participate daily in free, walk-on "AMC Outdoor Explorations" programs, including guided hikes, interpretive outdoor programs, and skills workshops. Outdoor gear is also available to borrow and includes fly-fishing rods, trekking poles, sleeping bags, boots, backpacks, and more.
The AMC Hiker Shuttle also operates on weekends until mid-October, offering a convenient, inexpensive way for hikers to get to area trailheads from Highland Center. For those making longer, multi-day backcountry trips, the shuttle links AMC Pinkham Notch Visitor Center/Joe Dodge Lodge and Highland Center as base camps to the AMC huts.
Guidebooks and maps: White Mountain Guide, AMC's Best Day Hikes in the White Mountains, Mount Washington and the Presidential Range, High Huts of the White Mountains, AMC River Maps: Saco River, White Mountain Maps Set
1. Fall hiking picks at Crawford Notch
From Highland Center, you'll find a variety of trailheads within walking distance for hikers of all abilities.
Ammonoosuc Lake Loop Trail
An easy hike for all ages is the one to two-mile loop trail around Ammonoosuc Lake, which is just a short walk from Highland Center. This trail is a good bet for views of Mt. Washington and the southern Presidential Range.
Elephant Head
For slightly more elevation gain, climb to the top of Elephant Head, the rock outcropping that makes up the eastern wall of the Gateway to the Notch. This easy hike through the woods, which is always popular with kids, starts a short distance from the front door of Highland Center and takes you to the top of this rock formation resembling an elephant's head. From the top of Elephant Head, you can take in a magnificent view of the notch, the Highland Center, and the Mount Washington Hotel in the distance.
Mt. Jackson with Elephant Head
After taking a side trip to Elephant Head, keep on hiking to the summit of one of New Hampshire’s 4,000 Footers, Mt. Jackson, via the Webster-Jackson Trail. This trip to the summit of Mt. Jackson is 2.6 miles one-way, plus an additional .4 miles if you opt for the side trip to Elephant Head.
Mt. Willard
A moderately challenging and enjoyable 3.2-mile roundtrip hike starts behind the Crawford Depot at Highland Center and continues to the 2,800-foot summit of Mt. Willard. Catch some of the best views in the Whites, including nearby Mt. Webster and Mt. Willey.
Mt. Eisenhower via the Crawford Path
For advanced hikers looking for a more difficult hike, summit Mt. Eisenhower via the Crawford Path, the oldest continuously maintained trail footpath in America. The journey to the summit of Mt. Eisenhower via the Mt. Eisenhower Loop is 4.7 miles.
Mizpah Spring Hut via Crawford Path
For another longer hike, take the Crawford Path to the Mizpah cut-off, which leads to AMC’s Mizpah Spring Hut, a 2.6-mile trip, one-way. Stop here for a rest and to refill your water bottles and consider climbing to the summit of Mt. Pierce (also known as Mt. Clinton), another one of New Hampshire’s 4000-footers. It’s a steep but fairly quick, ¾ -mile climb from the hut. Retrace your steps to return to the Highland Center. Allow a full day for this moderate to strenuous hike.
4,000 Thousand Footer Club
Every Sunday this fall at Highland Center, bag a different 4,000-foot peak on a guided hike. Eight peaks are on the schedule, including spectacular hikes to Mt. Tom, Mt. Hale, Mt. Carrigain and Mt. Liberty.
2. Check out free Adventures of the Day: guided shutterbug hikes, trail running, trail maintenance
Daily throughout the fall at 9:00 a.m., Highland Center will offer "Adventure of the Day" two-hour, guided programs free to guests as part of AMC Outdoor Explorations. In addition to trail running and trail maintenance, the mix of activities will include shutterbug hikes to special places with wildlife, waterfalls, flowers and much more to capture that perfect photo. A dedicated shutterbug walk will also be offered at 5:00 p.m. every Tuesday and Friday. Look for longer, three-to-eight hour guided hikes, including AMC hut hikes, on Saturdays.
3. Fall colors, firemaking, and nature journaling: free interpretive outdoor programs and skills workshops
Come afternoon during the fall, Highland Center will offer a wide range of daily, free interpretive outdoor programs at 1:00 p.m. and skills programs at 3:00 p.m. A sampling of the interpretive programs that will be offered as part of AMC Outdoor Explorations includes fall colors, White Mountain weather, forest ecology, Leave No Trace, map and compass, trail maintenance, and cultural history. Skills programs will include an orienteering challenge, firemaking, camp kitchen, nature journaling, edibles, and trekking poles.
4. Enjoy the foliage, contribute to research on a "citizen science" hike
Want to know when the best time is to catch fall colors in the White Mountains? Take a mountain plant monitoring hike this fall to help answer this question. AMC's Mountain Watch "citizen-scientist" program gives hikers an easy, hands-on way of more deeply engaging in the outdoors by volunteering to help track the timing of fall color change and leaf drop. Simply download a fall foliage survey from AMC's website, take a foliage hike to any view of a forest from an overlook or peak in the White Mountains or other Northeast location, and record observations as part of long-term research examining indicators of climate change.
5. Frontcountry meets backcountry: go lodge-to-hut hiking
Steeped in over 100 years of tradition, the AMC’s unique network of mountain huts, all a day’s hike apart, stretches 56 miles along the Appalachian Trail through the White Mountain National Forest. For a taste of the backcountry, call Highland Center base camp and spend a night or more at the huts. Hiking to these remote hostelries (located from two to five miles from a roadside trailhead) puts you right in the thick of the forest, where colorful maple, birch, or beech leaves may brush your cheek as you hike by.
This fall, join a naturalist-led lodge-to-hut foliage hike that starts off at Highland Center and includes overnights at Zealand Falls Hut and Galehead Hut.
Every Saturday, you can also join a free, guided day hike from Highland Center to Mizpah Spring or Zealand Falls Hut. Enjoy lunch at the hut and the spectacular views of the White Mountains.
Lonesome Lake and Zealand Falls Huts
The huts are popular with hikers who want to spend the night in the backcountry without having to carry heavy backpacks, cooking gear, food, sleeping bags, and tents. Many families with younger kids looking for shorter, easier hikes with moderate elevation gain start with Lonesome Lake or Zealand Falls Huts.
Nestled against the flank of New Hampshire's Cannon Mt. at 2,760 feet, Lonesome Lake Hut offers the shortest hiking distance from the trailhead at just under two miles. Hiking options from Lonesome Lake Hut range from short and simple to more strenuous. Many visitors enjoy the walk around the lake on the Around-Lonesome-Lake Trail, which on a clear day offers stunning views of the Franconia Range.
Zealand Falls Hut, located in Zealand Notch, sits at 2,700 feet next to beautiful Zealand Falls and offers outstanding views of varied ecosystems and abundant wildlife. For a quiet, backcountry excursion through the bright fall forest, head into Zealand Falls Hut from the Highland Center via the Zealand Trail. For a great day hike, take a trip to the top of Thoreau Falls, a gorgeous spot at any time of year—especially when the colors of fall are at their peak. Some of the finest views in this area are available from the ledges at Zeacliff, which overlook the Pemigewasset Wilderness.
Greenleaf, Mizpah Spring, and Galehead Huts
Older families will find more rugged, challenging terrain at Greenleaf, Mizpah Spring, and Galehead huts, all higher elevation huts that sit below treeline and afford great views.
Centrally located near Franconia Ridge, Greenleaf Hut is perched at treeline on the shoulder of Mt. Lafayette at 4,200 feet and provides spectacular views of the Franconia Range and memorable sunsets over the notch. The most popular hike from Greenleaf is the 1.1-mile climb along the Greenleaf Trail to the 5,260-foot summit of Mt. Lafayette. This exposed peak boasts views in all directions.
Mizpah Spring Hut is located at 3,800 feet, just off the historic Crawford Path on Mt. Clinton above scenic Crawford Notch. Mt. Pierce, also known as Mt. Clinton, is easily accessed from Mizpah Spring Hut and provides a quick route to the land above treeline. Mt. Pierce is one of New Hampshire’s 4,000-footers. It’s a steep but fairly quick climb from the hut to the 4,312-foot summit.
The most remote hut in the chain, Galehead Hut, is located at 3,800 feet and offers spectacular views of the Pemigewasset Wilderness Area. The 4,024-foot peak of Galehead Mountain lies very close to Galehead Hut, and visitors will often climb to the peak and back before breakfast. Access is via the Frost Trail, and this short, up-and-back trip covers one mile. A more challenging climb to spectacular views can be made by following the Twinway Trail from the hut to the summit of South Twin Mountain, which has exposed ledges and expansive views.
6. A birder’s paradise: Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge
What better place to immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of the birds than at Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge. Located in Jefferson, NH in the mountains north of the Presidential Range, the refuge's 234 species of birds have earned it a reputation as one of the top birding locations in the Northeast. At least 50 kinds of water birds and an unusual variety of mammals have been witnessed in this National Natural Landmark, as well as several uncommon species, including the sora, yellow-bellied flycatcher, Virginia rail, and black-backed woodpecker. Access to this sprawling tract of pond, swamp, marsh, and bog is from a trailhead on Airport Road in Whitefield, about a 30-minute drive from the Highland Center. The trailhead is the start of a 1.5-mile hike to Cherry Pond on the Pondicherry Rail Trail. Just north of Cherry Pond, a mile-long loop trail to Little Cherry Pond includes 600 feet of boardwalk over bog vegetation.
Excerpted in part from "A Bird in the Land" featured in the May 2004 issue of AMC Outdoors.
7. One part water, one part hike: scenic waterfall hikes
Mix mountains and streams together and you’re bound to get a few waterfalls. If you’re up for a moderate hike of a few miles, you’ll want to lace up your boots and head up the Falling Waters Trail in Franconia Notch. The trail will take you to the summit of Little Haystack Mt. at 4,780 feet, high on the Franconia Ridge, where sweeping, 360-degree vistas await if skies are clear. But you don’t have to climb that high to enjoy views of three spectacular falls. Along the way, you'll encounter Stairs Falls and Swiftwater Falls, a 60-foot cascade, as well as Cloudland Falls.
Other waterfalls in the vicinity of Highland Center include Arethusa Falls (at more than 200-feet tall, it’s the highest waterfall in New Hampshire) and Ripley Falls in Crawford Notch State Park.
8. Fall foliage bike touring
Franconia Notch State Park Bike Path
Road bicycles and mountain bikes alike are welcome on the Franconia Notch State Park Bike Path, a paved cycling path that winds through mixed hardwood forests and offers stunning viewpoints of the surrounding mountains. The trail is 9 miles long and runs the length of Franconia Notch. Grades are predominately mild to moderate. Gravel roads and woodland paths in the White Mountain National Forest also offer pedaling options for mountain bikers.
Presidential Range Rail Trail
New Hampshire’s Presidential Range Rail Trail travels through undeniably spectacular terrain as it traces the northern flanks of the Presidential Range for 18.3 miles. So why doesn’t it see more traffic? One reason could be its rugged character: the trail alternates between long stretches of cinder and unfriendly ballast, a heavier rock that makes for bumpy travel on two wheels.
Excerpted from July/August 2005 AMC Outdoors article "Paths of Least Resistance."
Notch-to-Notch
For a unique, "scenic-overload" mountain cycling experience, try peddling notch-to-notch in the White Mountains. One of the more popular routes with strong road cyclists is the challenging 32-mile Pinkham Notch to Crawford Notch loop. For a shorter ride with less elevation gain/loss, there is always Crawford Notch to Franconia Notch. But what makes this more than a cycling trip are the many hiking trailheads, both en route and at the notches. Plus you can ride lodge-to-lodge, staying overnight at AMC Highland Center at Crawford Notch and Joe Dodge Lodge at Pinkham Notch.
9. Casting flies outside Highland Center
Grab a fly rod from the AMC’s gear room and head just outside the Highland Center to the Saco Lake, where anglers can cast flies from shore or wade in. For those on foot, the Saco Lake Trail makes a short loop beginning and ending on US 302. For a slightly longer walk to a more secluded fishing spot, head out to Ammonoosuc Lake on the Around-the-Lake-Trail. The complete loop is 1.2 miles.
For a more challenging hike to a walk-in pond, grab your rod and waders and spend the day fishing on the shores of Lonesome Lake, taking in excellent views of the Franconia Range before retiring for the night at Lonesome Lake Hut. From the parking lot at Lafayette Campground, it’s a 1.6-mile hike.
10. Discover an historic past at Crawford Depot
Settled by the adventurous and industrious Crawford family in the late 18th century, Crawford Notch is widely considered the birthplace of hospitality in the White Mountains. The Crawfords were among the first to cater to visitors in this area, providing meals and accommodations for weary travelers. Abel Crawford and his son, Ethan Allen Crawford, cut the Crawford Path to the summit of Mt. Washington. In use since 1819, it is the oldest, continuously maintained recreation path in the United States.
You can learn a lot about the history of the area at the Crawford Depot and Macomber Family Information Center, located adjacent to the Highland Center and open until late October. Operated for the public by the AMC, the depot contains exhibits and displays that interpret the rich human history of the White Mountains.
11. Leaf peeping on the rails: foliage train rides
The Conway Scenic Railroad is another historic attraction that recalls the early days of hospitality in Crawford Notch. In summer and fall, the railroad runs excursion trains from North Conway Village to the Crawford Depot, a ride that appeals to rail buffs and foliage fans alike. Shorter runs, from North Conway Village to Conway Village and back, are also offered. The annual Railfan's Day at Conway Scenic Railroad features railroading activities, flea market, special train runs, and more.
Hobo Railroad Fall Foliage Trains offer views of the annual color show along the Pemigewassett River.
12. Moose tours, stargazing, and fall gear: Highland Center's daily evening programs
The daily evening program at Highland Center starts at 8:00 p.m. and includes a wide variety of outdoor and indoor programs free to guests as part of AMC Outdoor Explorations. Every Wednesday and Friday this fall, buckle up for a chance to see the majestic Woodland Moose in the flesh. Take a one-hour drive through prime moose habitat and hear about life as a moose. The full mix of evening programs this fall will include night hikes, nocturnal creatures walks, stargazing, fall colors, tracks 'n scat, gear up for fall, skins 'n skulls, movies, featured speakers, and a focus on AMC topics such as AMC Huts, AMC Maine Woods Initiative, and AMC Volunteer for Trails.
13. Camp for Adults: 50+ Adventure Camp
Planning a trip to the White Mountains during peak fall foliage season? New for this fall, AMC is introducing 50+ Adventure Camp based at AMC’s Highland Center September 23–28. Spend a week with an adventure-minded group ages 50+ for a mix of nature walks, half-day and full-day hikes, local and natural history, and the chance to meet new friends against a spectacular mountain backdrop. A sampling of planned activities includes:
- Hike to Zealand Hut: Take an easy hike to AMC’s Zealand Falls Hut, part of the oldest full-service hut-to-hut hiking chain in the U.S.
- Pondicherry National Wildlife Refuge Hike: This National Natural Landmark is considered one of the top birding locations in the Northeast
- Summit a 4,000 footer: Expert-led, moderate to difficult hike to a nearby New Hampshire 4,000-foot peak
- Grand Hotels of the White Mountains: History of the grand hotels in the White Mountains area
- Après Adventure Social: Downtime before dinner to socialize off the trail with new friends
14. Before the snow flies: Family Camp Weekend
Want to get away as a family before the holidays? This fall, spend a weekend at Highland Center's multi-generational
Family Camp Weekend, created especially for families with kids ages 5 to 12. The early November weekend is a shorter version of AMC's popular Family Adventure Camps offered during the summer, and it will feature a full schedule of daily, family-friendly activities--including guided programs, outdoor skills, and evening programs. Families will receive a guidebook to the White Mountains and may borrow boots, jackets, backpacks, and more from the L.L. Bean gear room.
