America's Oldest Maintained Hiking Trail Is A Centuries-Old Journey Up New Hampshire's White Mountains

With over 4,000 miles of hiking paths, it's not surprising that New Hampshire is home to the oldest maintained hiking trail in the United States. Located in the White Mountains, the 8.5-mile Crawford Path was first cleared in 1819 so folks could reach the summit of Mount Washington. The trail's origins actually date back to 1791, when Abel Crawford bought land at the base of the Presidential Range. The Crawford family later opened a popular mountain accommodation, where they hosted five American presidents and writers like Nathanial Hawthorne. After watching countless folks try to summit the 6,288-foot Mount Washington without success (or even finding a trail), Abel and his son Ethan decided to clear a path for hikers. 

Thus, the Crawford Path was born, although it was initially rough since it was both wet and hard to find, until the Crawfords laid down corduroy to secure it. The Crawfords significantly shaped the area, offering accommodations along the path, including at the summit of Mount Washington. Henry David Thoreau even hiked this trail in 1858 to climb Mount Washington, although in typical Thoreau fashion, he shirked the comfortable accommodations to camp under the stars instead. In 1840, the Crawfords turned it into a bridle path and 74-year-old Abel was the first to do it on horseback, but it was turned back into a hiking-only path in 1870.

Over two centuries later, the difficult Crawford Path offers hikers spectacular views of ravines and peaks, as they navigate this trail through the beautiful but dangerous terrain of the Presidential Range. A section of the Crawford Path is on the Appalachian Mountain Trail, and there are seasonal shelters along the way, although instead of accommodations up top, you'll find the Mount Washington Observatory instead.

The Crawford Path is about 16 miles out-and-back, and the trailhead is across from the AMC Highland Center at the base of the mountain. There's a parking lot at the trailhead, where you have to pay a small fee to park. The second half of the hike, about five miles from the junction at the top of Mount Pierce to Mount Washington, is part of the Appalachian Trail, which you'll recognize by the white trail blazes. Part of the Crawford Path takes you through a shaded wood, until you break the tree line and enter the more exposed and therefore more difficult portion of the trail.

The weather in the White Mountains, especially around Mount Washington, is notoriously unpredictable. As an example, the fastest gust of non-cyclone wind ever recorded on Earth at the time was on Mount Washington in 1934 at a terrifying 231 mph. The winds can be so intense, in fact, that you'll find a historic 20th-century building chained in place on the summit, which was the original site of the Mount Washington Observatory.

While this hike may not hold the title of America's second toughest trail that another White Mountain loop has, it's still worth being extra prepared as the weather can change on a dime, even in the summertime. Be sure to pack weather-proof gear, particularly for the more exposed sections of the hike, and bring hiking poles to navigate the sometimes very large rocks.

For those tackling the Crawford Path, one of the most convenient accommodation options is opposite the trailhead: the AMC Highland Center (that's the Appalachian Mountain Club, not the movie theatre chain, importantly). Built on the site of the original Crawford House Hotel that led to the creation of this historic trail to begin with, the AMC Highland Center is open year-round. A buffet breakfast and dinner are included with your stay (plus lunch for an extra fee), and complimentary gear rental is available. There's also an apparel store and knowledgeable staff to help plan your hike.

While the majority of the Crawford Path is the same trail first blazed by Abel and Ethan Crawford, there's one section that deviates the original path: The section between Mount Monroe and the Westside Trail was shifted from an exposed ridge to take you down to the Lakes of the Clouds. That means hikers can find a shelter in this location at an elevation of over 5,000 feet, about seven miles up from the starting point. The AMC Lakes of the Clouds is the organization's most popular hut, which offers spectacular mountain and sunset views. It's open seasonally for the summer from early June to mid-September, although there's an emergency winter refuge room in the cellar if needed.

Near the start of the Appalachian Trail portion of the Crawford Path is a seasonal shelter open during the summer, which is the best time of year to hike the Appalachian Trail anyway. Open from June through mid-October, the AMC Mizpah Spring Hut offers food, water, and a resting place for the summer and part of the fall. Note that it doesn't have an emergency winter shelter, so plan accordingly.