- Presidential Range
The Presidential Range is a
mountain range located in the White Mountains of the state ofNew Hampshire , almost entirely in Coos County. The most notable summits of the range are named for prominent Americans, either public figures of the 18th and 19th centuries or Presidents.Notable summits
These summits include, in sequence from southwest to northeast:
* Mt. Webster — afterDaniel Webster
* Mt. Jackson* — afterCharles Thomas Jackson (19th c. geologist)
* Mt. Pierce* — afterFranklin Pierce (formerly Mt. Clinton — afterDeWitt Clinton )
* Mt. Eisenhower* — afterDwight Eisenhower
* Mt. Franklin — afterBenjamin Franklin
* Mt. Monroe* — afterJames Monroe
* Mt. Washington* — afterGeorge Washington (a general at time of naming, and only later a president)
* Mt. Clay — afterHenry Clay (State changed name to Mt. Reagan afterRonald Reagan ; U.S. government still recognizes Clay name)
* Mt. Jefferson* — afterThomas Jefferson
* Mt. Sam Adams — afterSamuel Adams
* Mt. Adams* — afterJohn Adams
* Mt. Quincy Adams — afterJohn Quincy Adams
* Mt. Madison* — afterJames Madison Mt. Adams has, besides its main summit, four subsidiary peaks that are also commonly recognized by name; two, Sam Adams and John Quincy Adams, are listed above. The third and fourth are:
*Adams 4 ("Mt.Abigail Adams " has been proposed)
*Adams 5The summits marked with an asterisk (*) are included on the
peak-bagging list of 4,000-foot and higher mountains in New Hampshire; the others are excluded, in some cases because of lesser height and in others because of more technical criteria.Other summits
Aside from the notable summits, the geological Presidential Range contains a number of additional named peaks. Several of these peaks, drained on their west faces by the Dry River, are less accessible than the main and most visited ridge of the range and are therefore likely to be neglected, or mentioned as an afterthought, in discussing the range as whole.
Subsidiary peaks of Mount Washington:
* Ball Crag (6,106 ft)
* Nelson Crag (5,620 ft)
*Boott Spur (5,500 ft)North from Mount Washington:
* Mt. Bowman (3,449 ft) (spur of Mount Jefferson)South from Mount Washington:
* Engine Hill (3,100 ft)
* Maple Mountain (2,601 ft)
* Iron Mountain (2,726 ft)
* Montalban Ridge:
** Mt. Isolation (4,004 ft)*
** Mt. Davis (3,819 ft)
** Stairs Mountain (3,463 ft)
** Mt. Resolution (3,415 ft)
* Bemis Ridge:
** Mt. Crawford (3,119 ft)
** Mt. Hope (2,505 ft)
* Mt. Parker (3,004 ft)
* Mt. Langdon (2,390 ft)
* Mt. Pickering (1,945 ft) (family name of first president of Appalachian Mountain Club)
* Mt. Stanton (1,716 ft)The summits marked with an asterisk (*) are included on the
peak-bagging list of 4,000-foot and higher mountains in New Hampshire; the others are excluded, in some cases because of lesser height and in others because of more technical criteria.Watersheds
The Presidentials separate drainage via the Saco and
Androscoggin River s into theAtlantic Ocean on the coast ofMaine , from drainage into the Israel andAmmonoosuc River s, thence into theConnecticut River , and thence intoLong Island Sound .Feats
The so-called "Presidential Traverse" is a challenging hike that crosses the entire 19 miles of the ridge, hitting each major summit along the way. It can be done in a single day in summer or two days in winter conditions, and has resulted in several rescues of lost, overdue or injured hikers.
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