![Shared Googledrive From Chris Shane/images/july 2017 Lifestyle Shoot/highland Center [link From Dede Sullivan]](https://cdn.outdoors.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/19125800/Highland_DJI_0079-Pano_mo-AMC00023802-scaled.jpg "Jul. 16, 2017. Aerial view of AMC Highland Center, Crawford Notch, White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire-- Photo by Chris Shane.")
Highland Center
Built on the site of the historic Crawford House hotel and nestled at the southern base of the Presidential Range in New Hampshire’s Crawford Notch, the Highland Center is our premier White Mountain lodge.
AMC’s Highland Center offers comfortable, friendly accommodations in one of the most accessible locations in the White Mountains. There’s no need to drive to the southern Presidential peaks when you’re staying at the base of Crawford Path, and our hiker shuttle makes it easy to get to other popular White Mountain destinations without worrying about spotting a car or finding a parking spot.
Following our full buffet breakfast, adventure out for a day in the White Mountains. Return to the lodge for a hearty, home-cooked dinner and settle in for a lively conversation by the fireplace or a quiet evening in your private room. In addition to the included meal service, the Highland Center also offers complimentary activities, including guided day hikes to nearby scenic destinations, instructional talks on outdoor skills or natural history, and in-depth evening programs featuring films and guest speakers presenting on topics from astronomy to winter hiking. Guests should call ahead for the daily schedule during their stay.
Highland Center guests have free use of the L.L.Bean Gear Room, which offers boots, backpacks, outerwear, snowshoes, and more. Our on-site retail store offers books, maps, AMC apparel, gear, USFS parking passes, and last-minute items, and our friendly staff are always available to assist with weather, trail conditions, and other information.
The Macomber Family Information Center, open during the summer and fall, is located in the historic Crawford Depot, a former train station renovated by the AMC. The information center houses interpretive displays, an information desk, and a small gift shop that stocks last-minute hiker supplies, guidebooks, and souvenir items. An excursion train runs periodically when Crawford Depot is open.
The Highland Center also houses the official AMC Library and Archives, with thousands of documents, maps, photographs, and other items dating back as far as the organization’s founding in 1876.
Meals
Your stay includes buffet-style breakfast and dinner; lunch is available for purchase. Patio dining is available Memorial Day through Columbus Day (weather permitting; first-come, first-served). Please notify AMC’s Contact Service Center at 603-466-2727 if you have food allergies or other dietary restrictions.
Coffee: from 5:00 AM
Breakfast Buffet: 6:30–9:30 AM
Lunch Menu*: 11:00 AM–3:00 PM
Dinner Buffet**: 6:00–8:00 PM
Beer & Wine: Available 11:00 AM–3:00 PM and 6:00–8:00 PM
*Trail lunches can be ordered at dinner for the following day and picked up starting at 7:15 AM. View the trail lunch menu here.
**If you’ll arrive after dinner service, please call 603-374-8510 in advance to arrange an alternative meal. In the winter season, dinner is served at 6 PM sharp.
Amenities
Guest Socials: Daily in summer and fall, 5:00–6:00 PM, with complimentary snacks and bar service
Programming & Events: View the monthly schedule here or in the Highland Happenings flyer at the front desk
Library & Game Room: Cozy space with books, board games, and family games
Children’s Playscape: Outdoor play area with boulders, logs, and other natural features inspired by the White Mountains
L.L. Bean Gear Library: Complimentary outdoor gear—including boots, backpacks, outerwear, and snowshoes—available for Highland Center guests and AMC members
On-Site Store: Offers books, maps, AMC logo gear, apparel, snacks, and other necessities
Learn more about AMC’s cancellation policies for lodging and programs.
If you are coming from points south, Route 93 is recommended.
If you are coming from points east Route 16 to Route 2 to Route 115 to Route 3 to Route 302 is recommended.
Please contact AMC Customer Service 603-466-2727 with any questions.
The Highland Center is located in the White Mountain National Forest on US-302 in Bretton Woods, NH. From I-93 North, take Route 3 North to Route 302 East (near Twin Mountain), then take Route 302 East approximately 10 miles to the Highland Center.
From the Spaulding Turnpike (NH-16 North), continue straight onto Route 302 in Glen. Travel approximately 21 miles west on Route 302, and the Highland Center will be on your left.
AMC’s Hiker Shuttle connects the Highland Center, Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, and the towns of Lincoln and Gorham with major trails to the huts, allowing hikers to start and end their trip at different points. The stop in the town of Lincoln is coordinated with Concord Coach bus service. AMC’s Hiker Shuttle runs daily for most of the full-service hut season, from early June to mid-September. The shuttle operates on weekends from mid-September to mid-October. Reservations are strongly recommended.
Parking
Overnight guests may park in the main facility lot during their stay at the Highland Center. If hiking to an overnight stay at Mizpah Spring Hut or another AMC facility, we kindly ask that guests move their cars to the Crawford Connector Trailhead parking area on Mt. Clinton Road, across Route 302 from the Highland Center (this area requires a fee of $5/day per vehicle to the White Mountain National Forest, payable by cash or card, unless vehicles already have an annual WMNF or other eligible federal lands pass). This helps ensure that Highland Center guests have access to parking during their stay. If the Crawford Connector Trailhead parking area is full, overflow options include parking at the AMC Crawford Depot (recommended donation of $10/day) or along Route 302 (free). Day hikers not staying at the Highland Center may park in the designated day use area of the main facility lot for $10/day, paid at the lodge front desk, or at the AMC Crawford Depot (recommendation donation of $10/day).
Routes that are accessible on foot from the Highland Center include the Ammonoosuc Lake and Red Bench Trail, an easy 30-minute hike with stunning views; Mount Willard, a moderate and popular two to three hour hike; and Mounts Tom, Field, and Willy, a choose-your-own-adventure route to tackle one, two, or all three 4,000-footers in the Willey Range. You can also access the Presidential Range just across the street via Crawford Path.
For other trip ideas and detailed route information, please inquire with Highland Center staff or purchase AMC’s White Mountain Guide or Best Day Hikes in the White Mountains.
Upcoming Events
Monthly Highland Event Schedule
Guided adventures at the Highland Center
Saturdays, July & August — Lynda Cohen Concert Series
November 28, 2025 — Thanksgiving
December 19-21, 2025 — See the Dark Mini Festival
December 25, 2025-January 1, 2026 — Holiday Programming
The lodge and Shapleigh Bunkhouse are wheelchair-accessible, including all meeting rooms, the dining hall, and some guest rooms with and without private baths.
Service Animals
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), businesses and organizations that serve the public must allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals into all areas of the facility where customers are normally allowed to go. This federal law applies to all businesses open to the public, including AMC managed lodging and visitor centers, where service animals are welcomed.
A service animal at AMC facilities must be under the control of its handler. Under the ADA, service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless the individual’s disability prevents using these devices or these devices interfere with the service animal’s safe, effective performance of tasks. In that case, the individual must maintain control of the animal through voice, signal, or other effective controls.
These rules do not apply to emotional support animals because they have not been trained to perform a specific job or task, they do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.
For more information about our policies, click here.
Our Commitment to Sustainable Operations
AMC has a long-standing commitment to using its huts, lodges, and sporting camps as models for sustainable operations and environmental stewardship. At the Highland Center, we compost food scraps and source food locally where possible. Thayer Hall has a solar panel for some electricity needs, composting toilets, and public electric vehicle chargers. Our outdoor lighting fixtures minimize light pollution. A significant win for climate action on site was the 100 kilowatt solar array built in 2024, made possible by the Highland Foundation Charitable Fund. In sun and snow, this array powers our operations with clean, renewable electricity. This Solar Edge kiosk reports live, daily energy generation.