Basecamp: Pinkham Notch Visitor Center and Joe Dodge Lodge
- Spring skiing at Tuckerman Ravine and Wildcat
- Spring "warm-up" hikes at Pinkham Notch
- Peak time for waterfall hikes
- Springtime solitude at AMC huts
- Mt. Washington’s storied weather and history
- Northern Forest Heritage Park
- Fishing at Moose Brook State Park
- Mountain biking at Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center
- Flatwater paddling
- Whitewater paddling
- Alpine flower hike near Mt. Washington's summit
For almost a century, AMC's Joe Dodge Lodge located adjacent to the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center has been the center for hiking and skiing in the White Mountains and a gateway to Mt. Washington and the White Mountain National Forest.
The lodge's proximity to world famous Tuckerman Ravine also makes this AMC Destination extremely popular with the intermediate to expert crowd looking to tackle more challenging terrain and the giant of the White Mountains, Mt. Washington.
Guidebooks and maps:
White Mountain Guide, Best Day Hikes in the White Mountains, Quiet Water New Hampshire & Vermont: Canoe and Kayak Guide, Classic Northeastern Whitewater Guide, Mount Washington and the Presidential Range, High Huts of the White Mountains, White Mountain Maps Set 1. Spring skiing at Tuckerman Ravine and Wildcat
Make the annual spring pilgrimage to Tuckerman Ravine, just north of the Gulf of Slides. Join thousands of other extreme skiers and snowboarders who flock to this glacial cirque every year from late March to late May for some of the steepest backcountry terrain in the country.
The ravine can typically receive up to 70 feet or more of snow, and as many as 2,500 skiers make the trek on a typical spring Saturday. But be prepared to hike three miles up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail from Pinkham Notch Visitor Center to the floor of the ravine. Skiers and spectators also need to be aware about the dangers of avalanches, as well as falling ice chunks, open crevasses, and Mt. Washington’s severe and unpredictable weather. For additional information about skiing Tuckerman Ravine, including safety precautions and proper gear, check out the Tucks table set up at Pinkham Notch Visitor Center during spring weekends.
If you're planning to spend more than one day, set up camp at the AMC's Hermit Lake Shelter at the base of the ravine. When you finally decide to head back, make your descent via the John Sherburne Ski Trail.
Wildcat Mountain is a great pick for those seeking some of the season’s latest alpine skiing under prime conditions. Go spring skiing on the corn snow, in the sun, down the legendary Wildcat Trail with Mt. Washington as the backdrop. Stay at Joe Dodge Lodge, the closest lodging to Wildcat's slopes, and take advantage of AMC’s Ski & Stay package.
2. Spring "warm-up" hikes at Pinkham Notch
Lost Pond Trail
The Appalachian Trail follows the Lost Pond Trail from Pinkham Notch Visitor Center to the lower end of the Wildcat Ridge Trail. This short link trail is great for families, offering terrific views across to Huntington Ravine and Mt. Washington.
Low's Bald Spot
A hike from the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center to Low's Bald Spot via the Old Jackson Road and Madison Gulf Trail rewards beginners and families with fantastic views of Mts. Jefferson, Adams, and Madison from a small clearing on this knobby crag. This favorite lunch destination also provides an overlook onto the Great Gulf Wilderness.
Square Ledge
Catch a breathtaking view of Mt. Washington and Pinkham Notch by taking a fairly rugged but short trip to Square Ledge via the Lost Pond and Square Ledge Trails.
Wildcat Mt.
Another option (of many) is to head down the road to one of New Hampshire’s Four Thousand Footers, Wildcat Mt., located at the south end of the Carter-Moriah Range. The mountain is heavily forested, but outlook ledges offer breathtaking views, including straight down into Carter Notch. Wildcat is also a great pick for those seeking the last vestiges of alpine skiing under prime conditions. Check their website at www.skiwildcat.com/winter.html for the latest on spring ski conditions and open trails.
Memorial Day weekend, Wildcat’s quad opens up for rides to the mountain’s summit. Spectacular views of Mt. Washington and eastward to the Atlantic make Wildcat’s Skyride a big hit with families and beginner hikers not yet up for bagging a Four-Thousand Footer.
Mt. Washington
There's also no shortage of hikes for experts equipped to contend with late-season snow and ice. Summit Mt. Washington via the Lion's Head Trail or Boot Spur Trail on the eastern side of the mountain, but be prepared for winter conditions above treeline—and bring your sunscreen and sun glasses to help block the warm spring sun bouncing off of the snow fields!
3. Peak time for waterfall hikes
Peak runoff from snow and ice melt makes spring the best time for waterfall hikes. For a short waterfall hike from Pinkham Notch Visitor Center that's sure to please the kids, walk just over a mile to Glen Ellis Falls. The main fall flows 70 feet over a glacially carved cliff, and below it are several pools and smaller falls. Crystal Cascade is even closer, just .4 miles on the Tuckerman Ravine Trail. This waterfall drops a total of 100 feet in two uneven steps.
4. Springtime solitude at AMC huts
If you're seeking true solitude, then April is the ideal time to spend a night or two at the AMC’s three year-round caretaker huts, Lonesome Lake, Zealand Falls, and Carter Notch. Closest to Joe Dodge Lodge is Carter Notch Hut, the oldest standing building in the AMC’s hut system. Those undeterred by early-season mud and ice on the trails will not only be rewarded with spectacular vistas a stone's throw from the Appalachian Trail, but also off-peak, self-service rates.
Visit in mid-May and be among the first to stay at Galehead, Greenleaf, and Mizpah Spring huts after they reopen for caretaker service. As the days continue to grow longer, hiking up to Galehead Hut along the melt-water of the Gale River yields a panorama of the Pemigewasset Wilderness. Greenleaf offers spectacular sunsets over the Kinsman Mountain Range.
If you're an expert hiker up for an early season hut-to-hut hike in May, head up the Falling Waters Trail following the Franconia Ridge to overnight at Greenleaf Hut, then hike along Garfield Ridge to Galehead Hut the next day. If you want to complete a Northern Pemigewasset Traverse, continue on to Zealand Hut.
5. Mt. Washington’s storied weather and history
Before heading out on the trails with your family, spend an hour at the Mt. Washington Discovery Center in North Conway finding out why the northeast’s highest peak has earned a reputation for having the "world’s worst weather." Learn about weather and climate, and then head up to Mt. Washington’s 6,288-foot summit where weather observations are conducted hourly at the Mt. Washington Observatory.
The Observatory's Mt. Washington Museum typically opens for the season in mid-May. While you're there, be sure to stop by the Tip Top House located right next to the observatory. Originally built in 1853, Tip Top House is a state historic site that’s believed to be the world’s oldest mountaintop hostelry still in existence. On a clear day, Tip Top House affords views beyond New Hampshire as far as 130 miles to Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Maine, Quebec, and the Atlantic Ocean.
6. Northern Forest Heritage Park
Open May through October, the Northern Forest Heritage Park located in New Hampshire’s Androscoggin Valley is a logging history museum dedicated to preserving, interpreting, and promoting the story of the working forest and the multi-cultural heritage of the region. Visit the museum's interactive exhibits and artisan's gift shop before taking the family on one of the moose tours or river heritage boat tours offered by the park. Special events include concerts, lumberjack competitions, and blacksmith demonstrations.
7. Fishing at Moose Brook State Park
Just north of the Presidential Range in Gorham, NH is Moose Brook State Park, a scenic destination for fishing in the Peabody and Moose rivers. Plus there are many trails for walking and hiking.
8. Mountain biking at Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center
Once winter recedes, Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center's rolling network of cross-country skiing trails transforms into carriage roads ideal for mountain bike touring, plus there’s a number of more challenging trails. A few miles up the road from Joe Dodge Lodge in the Northern Presidentials, Great Glen's trails traverse beautiful fields, scenic rivers, and beaver bogs. Rent a bike or bring your own. For road touring, cycle into North Conway and explore the Mt. Washington Valley.
9. Flat-water paddling
A paddling trip on the Androscoggin River gets high marks from AMC's Quiet Water New Hampshire & Vermont: Canoe and Kayak Guide for its wonderful wildlife watching opportunities – including a pair of bald eagles one spring. Just a 45-minute drive from Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, the river is also home to smallmouth bass, landlocked salmon, brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, moose, white-winged crossbills, white-throated sparrows, hermit and wood thrushes, loons, osprey, turtles, and beaver. Paddlers should note that below the dam is for experts only.
Another haven for wildlife is Lake Umbagog, a national wildlife refuge just over an hour's drive away on the Maine-New Hampshire border. Quiet Water New Hampshire & Vermont: Canoe and Kayak Guide recommends Leonard Pond, the coves along the inlet of the Rapid River on the northeast, and the small coves and islands east of Tidswell Point.
Or head south of Pinkham Notch for 45 minutes to Conway Lake, where the wildlife watching is also sure to please. If you put in at the northern access parking lot off of Route 302, there’s a trail where you'll see the ruins of water-powered mills.
10. Whitewater paddling
An offshoot of Saco Lake in Crawford Notch, Saco River delivers Class I-IV rapids only 30 miles away from the Highland Center. One of the few big river systems in the Northeast that remains largely un-dammed, the Saco runs high in spring and fall. There’s something for everyone on the Saco’s 125 miles, from New Hampshire’s White Mountains to the Maine coast. Looking for a challenge? Expert paddlers can knock out eight miles of Class III and IV whitewater between Davis Path and Bartlett. Want to hone your paddling skills? Enjoy good, consistent Class II rapids for another eight miles from Bartlett to Humphrey’s Ledge. Want a canoe trip with a few bumps? Swift water carries open boats along a 12-mile stretch of Class I-II rapids that winds out of the White Mountains into the lower river valley. Saco Bound in Center Conway offers guided day-trips and rentals and is approximately a 40-minute drive from Pinkham Notch Visitor Center.
Excerpted from Christopher Percy Collier’s article, "Please Release Me" featured in the March 2004 issue of AMC Outdoors. www.christopherpercycollier.com
11. Alpine flower hike near Mt. Washington's summit
Joe Dodge Lodge is an ideal starting point for self-guided hikes of the Alpine Garden, located off the eastern side of Mt. Washington’s summit. Here, alpine plants cover large areas of the landscape in a sea of white, pink, and purple flowers. Free flower table talks offered every Saturday during June at AMC’s Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, located adjacent to Joe Dodge Lodge, will provide an overview of which flowers are blooming and where.
AMC is also offering guided, multi-day hut-to-hut hiking trips above treeline that originate at Joe Dodge Lodge. Learn about alpine flowers and efforts to protect them while experiencing the only full-service, hut-to-hut hiking in the United States—including the opportunity to stay overnight near the summit of Mt. Washington at Lakes of the Clouds Hut.
