The Mount Washington Auto Road—originally the Mount Washington Carriage Road—is a private toll road in southern

Coos County, New Hampshire Coos may refer to: People * Cowasuck, also known as Cowass or Coös, an Algonquian-speaking Native American tribe in northeastern North America * Coos people, an Indigenous people of the Northwest Plateau in Oregon * Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lo ...

that extends from

New Hampshire Route 16 New Hampshire Route 16 (NH 16) is a , north–south State highway#United States, state highway in New Hampshire, United States, the main road connecting the Seacoast Region (New Hampshire), Seacoast region to the Lakes Region (New Hampshire), L ...

in Green's Grant, just north of Pinkham Notch, westward across Pinkham's Grant and Thompson and Meserve's Purchase to the summit of Mount Washington in the White Mountains of the US state of

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

. The road climbs from an altitude of at the bottom to at the top, an average gradient of 11.6%. The road was completed and opened to the public in 1861.

Operations

The Auto Road may be traversed by private vehicles, and there are also guided tours in vans, called stages. The toll on private cars includes a bumper sticker with the text, "THIS CAR CLIMBED MT. WASHINGTON". No bicycles are allowed on the road, except for participants during specific bicycle events.

Weather sensors

The road has a series of sensors located at various altitudes along it. The sensors transmit weather data via a solar-powered radio link.

Events

The oldest auto race in the United States, the Mount Washington Hillclimb Auto Race, was hosted on the auto road in 1904. Every year in June, the mountain road is host to the Mount Washington Road Race, an event which attracts hundreds of runners. In July, the mountain road hosts Newton's Revenge, and in August the Mount Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb, both of which are bicycle races that run the same route as the road race. The hillclimb's most notable victor to date has been former

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...

contender Tyler Hamilton. The climb is regarded as one of the world's toughest for cyclists—it features a greater altitude gain, and is steeper, than the Mortirolo Pass, the

Monte Zoncolan Monte Zoncolan () is a mountain in the Carnic Alps, located in the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy, with an elevation of . It is one of the most demanding climbs in professional road bicycle racing, having been used in the Giro d'Italia ...

, and the Alto de El Angliru, and is far steeper than any of the famous climbs featured in the Tour de France. Another event, although not a race, is the annual MINIs On Top event. Now in its twelfth year, the drive to the summit began with 73 BMW MINI Cooper and Cooper S vehicles and now exceeds 200 cars. The only reason more MINIs do not drive to the summit is the fact there is not enough space to hold all the cars, despite their diminutive size. MINIs On Top (or MOT) is held the Saturday of Father's Day weekend every June.

Climate

This climate table contains interpolated data for the 1991-2020 data normals for the summit of Mount Washington Auto Road. The road summit has a

subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a continental climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Dfc''), closely bordering on a

tundra climate The tundra climate is a polar climate sub-type located in high latitudes and high mountains. It is classified as ET according to the Köppen climate classification. It is a climate which at least one month has an average temperature high enough ...

(

''ET'').

Gallery

File:2016-09-03 13 12 32 View of Mount Washington, New Hampshire from the bottom (east) end of the Mount Washington Auto Road in Green's Grant Township, Coos County, New Hampshire.jpg, Sign at the bottom of the road, with Mount Washington visible ahead File:Up the Mount Washington Auto Road.jpg, Fred Marriott in a Stanley Steamer during the 1905 Climb to the Clouds File:Mt Washington Auto Road Entrance.JPG, Entrance to the Mount Washington Auto road File:Mt Wash road view.JPG, View along the roadway. File:Mount Washington Bumper Sticker.JPG, Mount Washington bumper sticker

References

External links

Mount Washington Auto Road official website
{{Coord, 44, 17, 17.07, N, 71, 16, 45.37, W, region:US-NH_type:landmark, display=title 1861 establishments in New Hampshire Auto Road Non-freeway toll roads Toll roads in New Hampshire Tourist attractions in Coös County, New Hampshire Transportation in Coös County, New Hampshire