Mount Washington is the tourist attraction that more New Hampshire residents want to visit the most, according to a data analysis by Family Destinations Guide.
The website, which promotes family destination vacations, analyzed Google search data for more than 100 tourist attractions in the U.S., as well as terms related to visiting each attraction to determine which is the most Googled in each state.
Less than a three-hour drive from Manchester, the 6,288-foot mountain is the crowning jewel of the Presidential Range and the highest mountain in the northeastern U.S.
As impressive as it is, anyone in the Granite State knows there are a lot of reasons to Google Mount Washington that don’t have anything to do with a desire to visit it (wind speed records, record low temperatures, avalanches, lost hikers and skiers, etc.).
Mount Washington, which has a New Hampshire state park at its summit, is also at an existential crossroads, which has also made some news.
Gov. Chris Sununu in January approved a master plan for the 60-acre state park at the summit of Mount Washington that will set the course for an environmental assessment, use of the parts of the mountain the state controls, and more. That comes as Wayne Presby, the owner of the Cog Railway, has proposed a $14 million hotel on land the railroad owns, made up of refurbished Pullman train cars. It’s the latest proposal by Presby for lodgings at the summit, he scrapped one in 206 after opposition by those who are afraid further development on the mountain will damage the summit’s fragile footprint.
The Coos County Planning Board began reviewing a conceptual plan at its Feb. 15 meeting.
All This and a Bumper Sticker
But, for the sake of argument, let’s say the Google data correctly identifies Mount Washington as the most-desired tourist destination for Granite Staters.
If you haven’t visited already, there shouldn’t be much stopping you if you have a car that can handle the 11.6 percent grade of the Mount Washington Auto Road, which opens for the season around mid-May and closes in October.
It’s a toll road, and you can expect to pay $45 at peak times, $39 at non-peak, or opt to pay $25 for a guided tour and leave your car back on Earth. But legendarily tight-fisted Granite Staters can comfort themselves that for the price of admission, not only do they get spectacular views of five states and Canada on a clear day, but one of those ubiquitous “This Car Climbed Mount Washington” bumper stickers.
About 150,000 cars a year make the drive up 7.6-mile auto road, though if the state keeps data on how many have New Hampshire plates, it’s not immediately clear. According to the Mount Washington Commission, around 400,000 people visit the summit every year, which is a state park.
Besides the vast majority who drive up, some 120,000 to 140,000 take the year-round Cog Railway (though it doesn’t go all the way to the summit in the winter, since there’s no shelter, hence the hotel proposal).
People also hike up the mountain, and every June more than 1,000 people run up it as part of the Mount Washington Road Race.
Runners will cheerfully joke that the race up the auto road “only has one hill,” but the disclaimer on the race’s website tells you everything you need to know about Mount Washington:
“We will delay the start time, postpone, modify or cancel the race if the following conditions are reported on the road or summit on the morning of race day: ICE, SNOW, VERY HIGH WINDS or HARD DRIVING RAIN. We will stop the race if conditions are deemed unsafe for the runners in the race. We will not cancel the race for ‘uncomfortable’ conditions. You are participating in a race where the venue, Mt. Washington, is noted for having very challenging weather conditions, please come prepared for the weather.”
Even those driving up the auto road will find the dizzying ascent a challenge. Not only because of the height and air pressure change, but, once they’re out of the car, the temperature change. It can be 80 degrees in Gorham, at the bottom of the mountain, and 50 or below at the top on a summer day.
Nature Spots Top the List
The analysis shows that the outdoors and nature are the most popular searched-for spots, with residents of 20 states searching for a nature spot more than any other tourist attraction.
Two sites – Niagara Falls and Glacier National Park – were each the top searched-for destinations of four states.
Beaches, cultural destinations and classic tourist spots that were pretty much invented to make a buck are also on the list.
“Tourist attractions are perhaps the most important factor when it comes to deciding where to visit on vacation,” said a Family Destination Guide spokesperson. “However, this study also highlights how many of the top tourist spots for each state are ones that are nearby or within the state, indicating that there are many vibrant, attractive and interesting tourist spots throughout America.”
New Hampshire and Maine (Acadia National Park) are the only two New England states where residents chose an attraction in their state. That probably has more to do with the lure of the attraction – two of New England’s most spectacular spots – than state loyalty.
The top New England state searches were:
- Connecticut – Museum of Modern Art (location, New York)
- Maine – Acadia National Park (location, Mount Desert Island, Maine)
- Massachusetts – Universal Orlando Studios (Florida)
- New Hampshire – Mount Washington (Coos County, New Hampshire)
- Rhode Island – (Las Vegas strip, Nevada)
- Vermont – Niagara Falls (New York, Canada)
For a full list of the top sites in all 50 states, see below.
