The first-EVER Mount Washington Cog Railway is one of the world’s great rail adventures, and an exhilarating journey through history, technology and nature. AN ENGINEERING marvel of the Industrial Revolution, “The Cog” has been making its dramatic ascent through three climate zones to the 6288’ summit of the highest peak in the ...

The summit of Mount Washington has a well-earned reputation for having the world’s worst weather, and even in the middle of summer, conditions above tree line are significantly colder and windier (and sometimes wetter) than those at the base station.

Today, more than 150 years later, the Mount Washington Cog Railway continues to thrill passengers from all over the world with its dramatic ascent to the summit of the highest peak in the Northeast. The Cog is the first mountain-climbing cog railway in the world.

Taking the Cog Railway you will have approximately 1-hour to explore the summit. Start with the Sherman Adams Visitor Center and the Extreme Mount Washington weather exhibit. Tour the Tip-top house and send a postcard from the summit Post office.

Open year-round, Marshfield Station features the Cog Railway Museum, a gift shop, a convenience store/food court. Beer and wine are also available.

The Mount Washington Cog Railway is in a remote mountainous area that is poorly mapped by GPS services. Access to Marshfield Base Station is from Route 302 near the Omni Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods and is prominently …

Inside, you’ll find the Cog Railway Museum, a food court/convenience store, restroom facilities, and knowledgable, friendly Coggers happy to answer your questions. It’s also the ideal base camp for winter hiking, snowshoeing, backcountry skiing or snowboarding!

Today, two coal-fired steam locomotives (both manufactured in New Hampshire at the Manchester Locomotive Works) continue to work the rails on Mount Washington: MW2 (Ammonoosuc), built in 1875, and MW9 (Waumbek), built in 1908.

Reaching the summit of Mount Washington on foot is a wonderful experience, but it’s a climb, not a walk in the woods, and it is difficult. In the best conditions, strong hikers might make it to the top in two hours, average hikers could take between four …

In the White Mountains of New Hampshire, tourism was on the rise, mostly made possible by the rapid expansion of rail travel throughout the Northeast. By 1869 there were hundreds of hotels and inns in the region (two of them on the summit), and the most luxurious of …