Jewell Trail, White Mountains – Established in 1934, the roughly 3.7 mile long Jewell Trail begins at a trailhead on Base Station Road in Chandler's Purchase, New Hampshire. It travels up an unnamed ridge of Mount Clay, eventually ending at the Gulfside Trail; the Gulfside Trail is a segment of the scenic Appalachian Trail. Upon reaching the junction with the Gulfside Trail, many hikers continue on to Mount Washington.
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) were involved in the building of the trail. The CCC was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States; they built bridges, roads, trails, and many other structures in the New Hampshire White Mountains.
The Jewell Trail is named for Sergeant Winfield S. Jewell, a native of Lisbon, New Hampshire. He was an Army Signal Corps observer on Mount Washington from 1878-1880. And on April 12, 1884, while on the Greely expedition (Lady Franklin Bay Expedition) to the Arctic, Jewell died of starvation. Out of the 25 men on the three-year Greely expedition (1881–1884), only six survived.
Of the 3.7 miles of trail, roughly .5 miles of the trail is in the alpine zone. On clear days there is an exceptional view of the southern Presidential Range (above). The upper section of the trail is also a great area to watch the sunset.
To license any of the above images for usage in publications, click on the image. View more scenes from along this trail here.
Happy image making..
© Erin Paul Donovan. All rights reserved | Historic Information Disclaimer | White Mountains History
Bibliography:
Putnam, William Lowell. The Worst Weather on Earth: A History of Mount Washington Observatory. New York, NY: The American Alpine Cub, Inc., 1991.
“The Greely Expedition.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/greely/.
Owner of ScenicNH Photography LLC
Erin Paul is a professional photographer, writer, and author who specializes in environmental conservation and historic preservation photography mainly in the New Hampshire White Mountains. His work is published worldwide, and publication credits include: Appalachian Mountain Club, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Backpacker Magazine, and The Wilderness Society. He has written two photo history books about the White Mountains: the East Branch & Lincoln Railroad (2018) and Franconia Notch (2024).
ScenicNH Photography LLC
Specializing in environmental conservation and historic preservation photography mainly in the White Mountains region of New Hampshire, Erin Paul’s photography and writing focuses on the history of the White Mountains, and telling the story of abandoned places and forgotten historical sites.