White Mountains Hut Traverse

White Mountains Hut Traverse is a point-to-point hut-to-hut hiking route through New Hampshire’s White Mountains, linking the AMC High Huts in sequence. The curated length for this traverse is 72.95 km (about 45 miles).

Expect a demanding traverse that largely follows the Appalachian Trail or uses closely connected parallel trails to keep the line moving. It runs across the Presidential Range and also includes steep terrain tied to the Garfield Ridge corridor.

Typical planning is 3 to 4 days for a backpacking-style traverse, with the alternative being a single massive push for trail runners who can cover the big day distances between huts.

The route’s east endpoint is Carter Notch Hut and the west endpoint is Lonesome Lake Hut, with all eight High Huts in between. Overnight stays are the key “resupply and rest” points on the route, with huts serving as places to eat and recover during multi-day plans.

The hut system behind this route is a set of eight mountain huts in New Hampshire, maintained by the Appalachian Mountain Club and positioned at intervals for thru-hikers to use during an extended northbound walk. Many huts are in full-service operation seasonally, while some stay open year-round as self-service options.

Carter Notch Hut is the easternmost hut in the chain and is open year-round. Lakes of the Clouds Hut is the highest and largest hut in the system and sits near the summit area of Mount Washington, while Madison Spring Hut is one of the older hut sites and is accessed most directly from the Valley Way trail from the Appalachia parking area.

More information: Visitor information, Wikipedia, Route: White Mountains Hut Traverse (NH)