The White Mountain Trail offers New England s most rugged mountain scenery as it travels easily through three historic notches or mountain passes. Views abound of villages and unspoiled National Forest. Stops include views of Mount Washington and the grand Mount Washington Hotel, mountain cascades, wildlife, and the Appalachian Trail.

Federal Highway Administration, America’s Byways
Length
100 mi / 160.9 km
Time to allow
2.5 hours to drive this byway.
Fees
There are no fees for driving the byway; however, unattended cars in the National Forest need a recreation pass.

Who looks after this road

  • White Mountains Visitor Center · 800-346-3687, 603-745-8720

We publish 14 places that sit on this road, listed in the order you meet them. This is not a route and not a drive time — it is the names, so you can put them into whatever navigation you already use.

“Off” is a straight line from the place to the road, rounded. It is not a driving distance, and the road itself is a simplified centre line, so treat a mile or two as noise.

  1. King PineNH8 miles offSki or bike

    Beginner-friendly at Purity Spring Resort

    Kind
    Ski Areas
  2. Fryeburg FairME7 miles offAnnual event

    fair at Fryeburg Fairgrounds

    When
    October
    Since
    1851
    Runs for
    more than one day
  3. Cranmore Mountain ResortNH2 miles offSki or bike

    Walkable from North Conway village

    Kind
    Ski Areas
    Bike park in summer
    Summer bike park
  4. North Conway (White Mountains)NHon the road

    In our guide: 3 parks · 1 animal attraction

  5. Black MountainNH8 miles offSki or bike

    Historic sunny mountain in Jackson village

    Kind
    Ski Areas
  6. Living Shores AquariumNH1 mile offAnimals

    Indoor walk-through aquarium of over 32,000 sq ft, next door to Story Land in Glen. Last entry 4:30 p.m. Winter weather policy: the aquarium closes whenever school district SAU 9 closes on a weekday, but it operates all Saturdays and Sundays plus school and holiday vacation weeks; extreme weather can still close it on a weekend or vacation day, and closures are announced on its social channels. Stingray and tortoise feeding is a $9.99 add-on in limited quantity. 'Nightmare At The Aquarium' is a separate 21+ after-hours event at $29.99. The stored URL livingshores.com is correct; it is the row's source_url livingshoresaquarium.com that is the secondary domain. The site refuses plain automated fetches with 403 but reads normally in a browser.

    Hours
    Daily 10-5, last entry 4:30
    Adult
    27.99
    Child
    27.99
    Season
    Open year-round; seven days a week from Father's Day through Labor Day; Friday-Monday for the rest of the year with special hours in holiday and school-vacation periods
  7. Story LandNHon the roadFun park

    Site says 2026 season has ended; see you in 2027.

    Season
    Seasonal
  8. Attitash Mountain ResortNH1 mile offSki or bike

    Mount Washington Valley resort with two peaks

    Kind
    Ski Areas
  9. Omni Mount Washington ResortNHon the roadSki or bike

    Grand 1902 hotel facing the Presidential Range

    Kind
    Historic Mountain Lodges
  10. Bretton WoodsNH1 mile offSki or bike

    Largest NH area; beside Omni Mount Washington Hotel

    Kind
    Ski Areas
  11. Cannon MountainNH1 mile offSki or bike

    State-owned; steep terrain and aerial tramway

    Kind
    Ski Areas
  12. Franconia Notch State ParkNHon the road

    No guide of our own yet — the name is here so you can find it.

  13. Loon MountainNH3 miles offSki or bike

    Popular White Mountains resort off I-93 Kancamagus

    Kind
    Ski Areas
    Bike park in summer
    Summer bike park
  14. Waterville Valley ResortNH9 miles offSki or bike

    Self-contained resort village off I-93

    Kind
    Ski Areas
    Bike park in summer
    Summer bike park