Unlike Any Other Driving Experience
No visit to the White Mountains is complete without a drive on the legendary Mt. Washington Auto Road. First opened in 1861, the Auto Road is America’s oldest man-made tourist attraction. You’ll experience the dramatic beauty of the mountains, or the weather that Mount Washington is so famous for.
Earn the iconic “This Car Climbed Mt. Washington” bumper sticker!
What to expect on the “Road to the Sky”
- access to the highest summit in the Northeast in the comfort of your own car or by booking a guided tour.
- scenic drive through four distinct ecological zones
- 7.6 mile journey that gains over 4,000′ in elevation
Book Your Guided Tour or Learn more about Driving Yourself Now!
Construction of the road started in 1853 with a charter from the State of New Hampshire. We opened in August of 1861 when the first passengers went to the summit by a team of horses and a specially-built carriage by the Abbot-Downing Company of Concord.
Over the years, the Auto Road has witnessed the evolution of transportation as it has progressed from horse drawn vehicles to steam engines and internal combustion to hybrid and electric powered vehicles.
The Auto Road and the Glen House Hotel first came into joint ownership in 1906 when Elihu Libby purchased the rights to the Auto Road. It is Elihu’s descendants that own and operate the Auto Road, Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center, and the Glen House Hotel today.
As a family-owned company, we have been providing safe access to the summit of Mt. Washington for over 115 years, and we plan to continue this operation for many generations to come.
We take pride in our stewardship of this incredible attraction which brings visitors to the region from around the world.
In 2022 we completed a 30-year project with the final stretch of pavement on the Auto Road, improving the driving experience for guests and our partners including the NH State Park, Mt. Washington Observatory, US Forest Service, and Appalachian Mountain Club.
We play a vital role in the fabric of the north country and our philanthropy supports a long list of non-profit organizations including the Mount Washington Observatory, Coös County Family Health Services, Adaptive Sports Partners of the North Country, Tin Mountain Conservation Center, Granite Backcountry Alliance, and the New Hampshire ATV Club.
With over 100 employees between the three entities, we play a vital role in the economy of the region. Many of our employees pride themselves in the fact that they have been working here for multiple decades.
We are dedicated to the long-term health and preservation of the environment in which we operate, and we are committed to building a green-energy future.
The buildings on our property are all powered by a hydroelectric generating station and a solar array that came online in 2023. The Glen House Hotel is heated and cooled with geothermal energy. Many of the vans that take our guests to the summit are powered by propane, a cleaner burning and more efficient fuel than gasoline.
Our campus provides a total of seven EV charging stations, collectively the most in New Hampshire’s north country. Over the next three years, we plan to make significant investments in more solar energy with the goal of becoming carbon neutral.
Planning your Pinkham Notch adventure? Make sure to check out our sister company, Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center. Great Glen Trails is a human-powered recreation destination with activities for all ages and abilities in the summer and winter seasons.
Click Here to Read More About the History of the Mount Washington Auto Road!
