Sailors approaching East Coast harbors frequently mistake the pale peaks of the White Mountains—the highest range in the northeastern United States—for clouds. It was 1642 when explorer Darby Field could no longer contain his curiosity about one mountain in particular. He set off from his Exeter homestead and became the first European to climb what would later be called Mt. Washington. The 6,288-foot peak must have presented Field with formidable obstacles—its summit claims the highest wind velocity in the world ever recorded (231 mph in 1934) and has the potential to see snow any time of the year.

Today an auto road and a cog railway lead to the top of Mt. Washington, and people come by the tens of thousands to hike and climb, photograph the vistas, and ski. The peak is part of the Presidential Range, whose summits are named after early presidents, and part of the White Mountain National Forest, which has nearly 800,000 acres that extend from northern New Hampshire into southwestern Maine. Among the forest's scenic notches (deep mountain passes) are Pinkham, Kinsman, Franconia, and Crawford. In and around these notches, you'll find trailheads for short hikes and multiday adventures and excellent opportunities for photographing the majestic White Mountains.

This section of the guide begins in North Woodstock, off Interstate 93, and then follows portions of the White Mountains Trail, a 100-mile loop designated as a National Scenic and Cultural Byway.