New Hampshire 4000 Footers
The New Hampshire Four Thousand Footer list, officially known as the White Mountain Four Thousand Footers, was created by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC). And the objective is to hike all 48 mountains on the list, and once completed a hiker may apply for a patch and scroll through the AMC Four Thousand Footer Club. For a mountain to be included on the list, it must be at least 4000 feet in height and have a minimum of 200 feet prominence. And yes, there are worthy mountains that don't make the list because of the prominence rule. Below is the list of 48 four thousand footers and random tidbits of history about each mountain.
Peakbagging in the White Mountains dates back to 1931 when Nathaniel L. Goodrich, in an Appalachia article, suggested a list of 36 mountains to hike. Goodrich’s list was the starting point for the White Mountain 4000 footers list we know today. The official White Mountain 4000 footers hiking list, published in Appalachia in June 1958, originally consisted of 46 mountains. Galehead was added in 1975, and Bondcliff added in 1980. At the time, Franconia Ridge and the Presidential Range were seeing heavy use, and the intent of this list was to disperse hikers across the White Mountains.
New Hampshire 48 4000 Footers
(officially known as the White Mountain Four Thousand Footers)
# | Mountain | Elevation (feet) | Range | County | History Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Washington | 6288 | Presidential Range | Coos County | Highest mountain in New England |
2 | Adams | 5774 | Presidential Range | Coos County | Named after John Adams, 2nd president of the United States |
3 | Jefferson | 5712 | Presidential Range | Coos County | Named after Thomas Jefferson, 3rd president of the United States |
4 | Monroe | 5384 | Presidential Range | Coos County | Named after James Monroe, 5th President of the United States |
5 | Madison | 5367 | Presidential Range | Coos County | Named after James Madison, 4th President of the United States |
6 | Lafayette | 5260 | Franconia Range | Grafton County | Highest summit on Franconia Range and was referred to as the Great Haystack by earlier settlers |
7 | Lincoln | 5089 | Franconia Range | Grafton County | Named after Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States |
8 | South Twin | 4902 | Twin Range | Grafton County | Some say the Twins are named after the town, but there is no verification of this information |
9 | Carter Dome | 4832 | Carter-Moriah Range | Coos County | Fire Tower on summit form 1907-1947 |
10 | Moosilauke | 4802 | Moosilauke Range | Grafton County | Tip Top house on the summit burned in 1942 |
11 | Eisenhower | 4780 | Presidential Range | Coos County | Named after President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States |
12 | North Twin | 4761 | Twin Range | Grafton County | Some say the Twins are named after the town, but there is no verification of this information |
13 | Carrigain | 4700 | Carrigain Range | Grafton County | Named after Phillip Carrigain, New Hampshire Secretary of State from 1805–1810 |
14 | Bond | 4698 | Twin Range | Grafton County | Named after Professor George P. Bond |
15 | Middle Carter | 4610 | Carter-Moriah Range | Coos County | Named after Dr. Ezra Carter, a Concord physician OR named after a hunter named “Carter”. We may never find the answer |
16 | West Bond | 4540 | Twin Range | Grafton County | Named after Professor George P. Bond |
17 | Garfield | 4500 | Franconia Range | Grafton County | Named after President James Garfield, 20th President of the United States |
18 | Liberty | 4459 | Franconia Range | Grafton County | Flume, Lafayette, Liberty and Little Haystack Mountain were referred to as the Haystacks by earlier settlers |
19 | South Carter | 4430 | Carter-Moriah Range | Coos County | Named after Dr. Ezra Carter, a Concord physician OR named after a hunter named “Carter”. We may never find the answer |
20 | Wildcat | 4422 | Carter-Moriah Range | Coos County | Wildcat Mountain consists of five sub-peaks - A, B, C, D, and E. Only A and D qualify for the 4,000 footer list |
21 | Hancock | 4420 | Hancock Range | Grafton County | Named after John Hancock, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States |
22 | South Kinsman | 4358 | Kinsman Range | Grafton County | Named after Nathan Kinsman, an early resident of Easton, New Hampshire |
23 | Field | 4340 | Willey Range | Grafton County | Highest peak of the Willey Range |
24 | Osceola | 4340 | Sandwich Range | Grafton County | Named for the early-19th century Seminole leader |
25 | Flume | 4328 | Franconia Range | Grafton County | Flume, Lafayette, Liberty and Little Haystack Mountain were referred to as the Haystacks by earlier settlers |
26 | South Hancock | 4319 | Hancock Range | Grafton County | Named after John Hancock, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States |
27 | Pierce | 4310 | Presidential Range | Coos County | Named after President Franklin Pierce, 14th President of the United States |
28 | North Kinsman | 4293 | Kinsman Range | Grafton County | Named after Nathan Kinsman, an early resident of Easton, New Hampshire |
29 | Willey | 4285 | Willey Range | Grafton County | Named after the Willey family, who were all killed in a landslide in 1826 |
30 | Bondcliff | 4265 | Twin Range | Grafton County | Named after Professor George P. Bond |
31 | Zealand | 4260 | Twin Range | Grafton County | Wooded summit |
32 | North Tripyramid | 4180 | Sandwich Range | Grafton County | Named by the cartographer Arnold Guyot |
33 | Cabot | 4170 | Pilot Range | Coos County | Named after Sebastian Cabot, the famous pilot |
34 | East Osceola | 4156 | Sandwich Range | Grafton County | Very steep trail from Greely Ponds |
35 | Middle Tripyramid | 4140 | Sandwich Range | Grafton County | Named by the cartographer Arnold Guyot |
36 | Cannon | 4100 | Kinsman Range | Grafton County | Also known as Profile Mountain. Location of the Old Man of the Mountain profile (Collapsed May 3, 2003) |
37 | Wildcat, D Peak | 4070 | Carter-Moriah Range | Coos County | Wildcat Mountain consists of five sub-peaks - A, B, C, D, and E. Only A and D qualify for the 4,000 footer list |
38 | Hale | 4054 | Twin Range | Grafton County | Named after Rev. Edward Everett Hale (1802-1909) |
39 | Jackson | 4052 | Presidential Range | Coos County | Named after Charles Thomas Jackson, a 19th century New Hampshire state geologist |
40 | Tom | 4051 | Willey Range | Grafton County | Named after Thomas Crawford, son of Abel Crawford |
41 | Moriah | 4049 | Carter-Moriah Range | Coos County | In the Bible, Moriah is where Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac. Not sure if there is a connection |
42 | Passaconaway | 4043 | Sandwich Range | Grafton County | Named after Passaconaway, a 16th-century sachem of the Pennacook tribe |
43 | Owl's Head | 4025 | Pemi Wilderness | Grafton County | Named after a rock formation on its southern end. The infamous August 1907 Owl’s Head Mountain fire in the Pemigewasset Wilderness was started by a lightning strike on the eastern side of Owl’s Head Mountain in an area that had been previously logged by J.E. Henry and Sons. |
44 | Galehead | 4024 | Twin Range | Grafton County | Wooded summit |
45 | Whiteface | 4020 | Sandwich Range | Grafton County | Wooded Summit |
46 | Waumbek | 4006 | Pliny Range | Coos County | Highest peak in the Pliny Range |
47 | Isolation | 4004 | Presidential Range | Coos County | Highest peak in the Montalban Ridge |
48 | Tecumseh | 4003 | Sandwich Range | Grafton County | Named after the Shawnee leader Tecumseh (1768–1813). Interestingly, Chief Tecumseh spent most his life around the Ohio Territory, and likely never visited New Hampshire. August 2019, actual new height of Mount Tecumseh is 3,997 feet. |
Back to Mountain and Trail History
The landscape of the New Hampshire White Mountains is incredible, and hiking lists only scratch the surface. Instead of attempting another list open up a map and pick random locations in the White Mountains to visit. This approach will help disperse hikers across the White Mountains. And in the long run, it will lessen the impact that is being done to some areas of the White Mountains.
Notes:
• ScenicNH Photography is in the business of photography. We create awareness for historic preservation and environmental conservation.
• For more information and a downloadable application, see the AMC Four Thousand Footer Club website.
• As you explore the White Mountains, keep in mind the removal of historic artifacts from federal lands without a permit is a violation of federal law.
• ScenicNH Photography has no affiliation with any of the hiking lists or their creators, nor do we endorse them.
• We are human and this information is subject to errors and omissions, and this hiking list may not be up to date.
• See more of our ongoing history work at the projects page.