This Historic Cog Prepare Climbs to the ‘High of New England’ and Has A few of the Most Wonderful Fall Foliage Views

The Mount Washington Cog Railway is the place historical past, innovation, and scenic fall foliage come collectively—forming an unforgettable autumn journey on New Hampshire’s Mount Washington, the tallest mountain in New England.

“It’s the world’s first mountain-climbing railroad, and it was invented by New Hampshire native Sylvester Marsh, who thought there needs to be a better approach than mountain climbing for individuals to go to the summit,” Tim Lewis, a retired broadcast journalist and journalism educator at Northern Vermont College–Lyndon, tells Journey + Leisure. “The thought got here to him throughout a hike up Mount Washington in 1857, when unhealthy climate closed in on him and a good friend, and the pair barely made it to the 2 accommodations—the Summit Home and Tip High Home—on prime of the 6,288-foot peak.”

Lewis, whose father, Norman “Jitney” Lewis, ran steam trains on the Mount Washington Cog Railway between 1950 and 1967, identifies as a “Cog Child.” At the moment, he’s a Mount Washington Railway prosopographer (a job not affiliated with the railroad) and founding father of The Jitney Years mission, researching the 1000’s of people that labored on the railroad over time.

What to Count on

At present, greater than 150 years later, guests proceed to go to this a part of New Hampshire and board one of many Mount Washington Cog Railway’s custom-built biodiesel locomotives. From the bottom station to the summit, the prepare climbs about three miles.

“‘The Cog’ takes you to the summit of Mount Washington by way of a consistently altering panorama. You start on the base surrounded by the sensible colours proper up shut,” says Kate Sullivan, the host of New Hampshire Life. “Because the prepare climbs, you’ll discover the temperature drop and the forest change—from dense timber to the open alpine zone, the place you’re above the tree line with huge views in each path. In each season, this view is my favourite, however in fall it’s wonderful.”

Lewis provides that you simply’ll see colourful leaves for the primary mile and a half of the journey. “After you cross Jacob’s Ladder [the steepest section of the Cog Railway], you might be heading into the alpine zone… the forest and the leaves at the moment are all under you,” he says.

Whereas “The Cog” is open year-round, the autumn months, Lewis says, are higher weather-wise. “It’s crisper and, on good days, clearer with visibility going miles additional than through the hazy days of summer time,” he explains. However the climate can be extremely variable. “You have to be prepared with coats, gloves, and layers to maintain you comfy as these adjustments happen. Snow and ice should not uncommon. That occurs in summer time months as nicely,” he provides. Notably, the services on the summit are closed from late October by way of the start of Might; throughout this time of 12 months, the prepare terminates at Waumbek Station, which sits at 4,000 toes.

If there’s one option to describe the ascent, it might be “steep.” The common grade is over 25 %, and a few sections even go as much as 37.4 %. All the journey is about three hours, with passengers spending one hour on the very prime; right here, you’ll be able to discover Mount Washington State Park’s Sherman Adams Customer Heart, the rooftop commentary deck, the Mount Washington Observatory, and the Tip High Home Museum. There are additionally present retailers and meals concessions.

Tickets, Seating, and Schedule

Reserving tickets upfront is really helpful, however not required. Throughout the primary season, departures run on the hour, from 9 a.m. to three p.m. Passengers are requested to reach on the station no less than 45 minutes early to select up tickets and discover. Base ticket costs differ between $60 and $100—in early October 2025, a regular mid-week grownup ticket is $100—and, upon reserving, you’ll be able to choose your platform, as a few totally different trains depart on the identical time, and your seat.

So far as the place you need to sit, Lewis and Sullivan have just a few suggestions. “I personally like sitting near the entrance. I like looking the perimeters but additionally the primary window, so I can watch it climb or descend the tracks. I additionally like being close to the information; the trip doubles as a shifting historical past lesson, with tales in regards to the railway and loads of enjoyable info in regards to the mountain’s timber, wildlife, and environment,” says Sullivan.

When debating whether or not to select the left or the appropriate facet, you may be assured understanding that each supply some type of unimaginable view. “Contained in the coach, I’m keen on the left facet; as you face up the mountain, Burt’s Ravine falls away from the observe above Waumbek Station, and the northern Presidential Vary and Nice Gulf seem after Skyline,” says Lewis, referencing an space above the tree line at an elevation of about 5,500 toes. “The precise facet provides you a more in-depth take a look at the change within the natural world as you climb into the alpine zone, plus a fantastic view of the Appalachian Mountain Membership’s Lake of the Clouds Hut on the far ridge at Jacob’s Ladder.”