White Mt. NF--Mt. Madison North Side

White Mt. NF--Mt. Madison North Side

Low and Burbanks Grant, New Hampshire 03593

Mount Madison (4000Footers) webpage
White Mountain National Forest Official Website

About this Location

Mount Madison is a 5,367 foot mountain in Thompson, New Hampshire, Coös County in the White Mountains. It is the northernmost mountain in the Presidential Range.

It is named after the fourth president of the United States, James Madison. All Mountains in the Presidential Range are named for U.S. presidents, with the tallest mountain, Mount. Washington, named for the first president, the second tallest, Mount Adams, for the second president, and so on. However due to an error, Mount Monroe, named after the fifth President, James Monroe, is actually 22 feet (6.7 m) taller than Mount Madison.

There are many hiking trails on and around Mount Madison to choose from including part of the Appalachian Trail. The Madison Spring Hut is just 0.4 miles below the summit of Mount Madison and between Mount Adams. It is maintained by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC). You can enjoy the Ice Caves via the Shortline Trail or Mossy Falls on the same trail.

About White Mountain National Forest

See all hotspots at White Mountain National Forest

In the decades prior to 1911, the unregulated logging practices of private timber companies in the White Mountains had resulted in a damaged landscape susceptible to both fire and flood. Fires had burned thousands of acres, and flash floods affected the water power necessary to the mills of major industrial centers downstream, such as Manchester, New Hampshire, and Lowell, Massachusetts. Concerns over losses to industry, business, and tourism, and the growing conservation movement led to citizen action. The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) and Society for Protection of New Hampshire Forests (SPNHF) spearheaded an effort to ensure the permanent protection of the White Mountains from further depredation. After years of lobbying and intense public pressure, Senator John Weeks of Massachusetts, a native of Lancaster, New Hampshire, introduced legislation that became known as the Weeks Act. The Weeks Act was passed by Congress in 1911, appropriating 9 million dollars to purchase 6 million acres of land in the Eastern U.S. In turn, this led to the creation of the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) in 1918, and twenty-one other national forests throughout the north and southeast. Many of the groups who were instrumental in the passage of the Weeks Act, including the SPNHF and the AMC, are still active today, and the WMNF has grown from 7,000 acres to almost 800,000. Today, the reforested mountains and hillsides supply forest products and provide magnificent recreational opportunities while maintaining healthy watersheds and ecosystems.

Features

  • Restrooms on site

  • Wheelchair accessible trail

  • Entrance fee

Content from Mount Madison (4000Footers) webpage and White Mountain National Forest Official Website

Last updated November 22, 2023