Planning a Trip

Backcountry Fees--The White Mountain National Forest requires anyone using the backcountry -- whether for hiking, mountain biking, picnicking, skiing, or any other activity -- to pay a recreation fee. Anyone parking at a trail head must display a backcountry permit on the car dashboard. Those lacking a permit face a fine. Permits are available at ranger stations and many stores in the region. An annual permit costs $20, and a 7-day pass is $5. You can also buy a day pass for $3, but it covers only one site. If you drive somewhere else later in the afternoon and park, you'll have to pay $3 again. You're much better off with a 7-day pass. For information, contact the Forest Service's White Mountains office (tel. 603/528-8721; www.fs.fed.us/r9/white).

Ranger Stations & Information--The Forest Service's central White Mountains office is at 719 N. Main St. in Laconia (tel. 603/528-8721), near Lake Winnipesaukee. Your best general source of information is the Saco Ranger Station, 33 Kancamagus Hwy., 100 yards west of Route 16, Conway (tel. 603/447-5448). Other district offices are Androscoggin Ranger Station, 300 Glen Rd., Gorham (tel. 603/466-2713); Ammonoosuc Ranger Station, 660 Trudeau Rd., Bethlehem (tel. 603/466-2713); and Pemigewasset Ranger Station, Route 175, Holderness, near the Plymouth town line (tel. 603/536-1310). The Evans Notch Ranger Station (tel. 207/824-2134), which covers the Maine portion of the White Mountains (about 50,000 acres), is in Bethel, 18 Mayville Rd., off Route 2 north of town.

Additional info and advice on recreation in the White Mountains are available at the AMC's Pinkham Notch Visitor Center (tel. 603/466-2727), on Route 16 between Jackson and Gorham. The center is open daily from 6am to 10pm.

Specialized Guidebooks--For serious exploration of the White Mountains, you'll need supplemental guides and maps to keep you on track. Here's a short list of recommended guides, most of which are available at area bookstores:

AMC White Mountain Guide (Appalachian Mountain Club, 1998). This comprehensive 576-page book is full of detailed information on all the hiking trails in the White Mountains; it is the definitive hiker's bible for the region.

White Mountains Map Book (Map Adventures, 2000). This colorful, sharply printed map features 386 hiking trails, distances, and a GPS grid. The text offers an overview of what you'll find on 76 day-hikes, along with info on camping. It's a good choice for those planning 2 or 3 day hikes.

50 Hikes in the White Mountains (Backcountry Publications, 1997). The fifth edition of this popular guide, written by Daniel Doan and Ruth Doan MacDougall, offers a good selection of mountain rambles in the high peaks region around Mount Washington. You'll find everything from easy strolls to overnight backpacking trips.

Ponds & Lakes of the White Mountains (Backcountry Publications, 1998). The White Mountain high country is studded with dramatic tarns (many left by retreating glaciers). This 350-page guide by Steven D. Smith offers 68 trips to help get you there.

Waterfalls of the White Mountains (Backcountry Publications, 1999). Waterfall lovers will get their money's worth from Bruce and Doreen Bolnick's guide to 100 mountain waterfalls, including roadside cascades and backcountry cataracts.