Town
Where to Stay in Gorham
Gorham is a small town on the north side of the White Mountains, where Route 2 meets Route 16, with restaurants, outfitters and grocery stores on and around Main Street. Hikers use it as a base for the Northern Presidentials: Madison, Adams and Jefferson rise a few miles to the southwest. The Mount Washington Auto Road is about 15 minutes south on Route 16, and the Appalachian Trail crosses Route 2 a few miles east, in Shelburne. Gorham Motor Inn, a motel on Main Street with a seasonal pool, has ATV and snowmobile trails across the street, and restaurants and shops within walking distance.
Why Stay in Gorham
- •Gorham Motor Inn's rooms are in the $ band, with restaurants and shops within walking distance.
- •The Northern Presidential summits (Madison, Adams, Jefferson) are all within 15 miles via Route 2 or Route 16.
- •Gorham has grocery stores, diners and outfitters for resupplying before longer backcountry trips.
- •The White Mountain National Forest's Androscoggin Ranger District office is on Route 16 a few miles south of town, with maps and trail information.
What Makes This Area Interesting
- •Mount Washington Auto Road: 15 minutes south on Route 16 to the base in Pinkham Notch; open May through October.
- •Great Gulf Wilderness: the glacial cirque between Mount Washington and the Northern Presidentials, designated as wilderness in 1964, with its trailhead on Route 16 south of Gorham.
- •Randolph Mountain Club trails: a network on the Northern Presidentials, about 15 minutes west in Randolph, maintained by the club since 1910, with four cabins and shelters.
- •Shelburne Birches: a stand of white birches beside Route 2, a few miles east in Shelburne.
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Frequently Asked
Summer hiking season runs from July through September, and foliage usually peaks in late September. In winter, the Presidential summits are dangerous and suited only to experienced, well-equipped mountaineers.
About 3 hours, either up Route 16 through North Conway and Pinkham Notch or by I-93 and Route 2. From New York City, about 6 hours.
Yes — the Auto Road base is 15 minutes south, and the Great Gulf trail approaches Washington from the north with less traffic than the Tuckerman Ravine routes. For the Northern Traverse (Adams, Jefferson, Madison) it's the obvious base.