Cog Railway
Base Road, Six miles off Route 302
Bretton Woods NH 03575
(800) 922-8825

You're on vacation, let someone else do the driving, and enjoy the spectacular scenery as you take a historic train ride up the tallest mountain in the Eastern United States. The summit features a restaurant, modern facilities and a museum. The Marshfield Station includes a small museum devoted to the history and development of "The Cog."

The construction of the cog railway was an engineering marvel in the mid-1800s. This was the first railway designed to climb a mountain, and it remains an intriguing destination today. Rugged Mount Washington, famous for its height, sheer drops, and unforgiving weather was conquered by modern science, and has captured the public imagination for over 140 years. The first locomotive chug to the summit in 1869 was nick-named "Old Peppersass." Coal engines replaced wood-fired locomotives in 1910, and today environmentally friendly biodiesel engines complete a number of the runs.

Seasoned travelers on the Cog Railway will tell you not to book far in advance. Watch the weather, and pick a clear day, rather than planning months ahead and hoping for the best. The weather at the base of Mount Washington can be misleading, because strong winds and cold can await visitors at the summit no matter how summerlike the weather may seem below.

The three hour round trip includes a one hour visit at the summit. The cost is $62 per person.