Mount Washington Auto Road: how far paved?

[Robin]

We want to drive the toll road up Mt Washington but will be in a hire
car we cannot use on unpaved roads. (As visitors from the UK we do
not want to ignore that prohibition.) I have found that the road is
partly unpaved but have not found details of just which parts. Does
anyone know please where the first unpaved section is? And if we are
likely to be able to park there during the Columus Day weekend?

--
Robin

[David Bennetts]

"Robin" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> We want to drive the toll road up Mt Washington but will be in a hire
> car we cannot use on unpaved roads. (As visitors from the UK we do
> not want to ignore that prohibition.) I have found that the road is
> partly unpaved but have not found details of just which parts. Does
> anyone know please where the first unpaved section is? And if we are
> likely to be able to park there during the Columus Day weekend?
>
> --
> Robin

It would seem that about 2.5 miles of the upper section is unpaved - see
http://mtwashingtonautoroad.com/index.php?module=SimpleNews&func=display&sid=85&theme=Auto%20Road%20Theme
or http://tinyurl.com/2r7den
Parking is also very limited at the top.

As an alternative to driving, take the historic steam cog railway. Well
worth the experience!
See http://www.thecog.com/ Hope you get a better view than we did, when the
mountain was enshrouded by fog.

Regards

David Bennetts
Australia


As an alternative, take the historic cog railway.

[k[_1_]]

"David Bennetts" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Robin" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>> We want to drive the toll road up Mt Washington but will be in a hire
>> car we cannot use on unpaved roads. (As visitors from the UK we do
>> not want to ignore that prohibition.) I have found that the road is
>> partly unpaved but have not found details of just which parts. Does
>> anyone know please where the first unpaved section is? And if we are
>> likely to be able to park there during the Columus Day weekend?
>>
>> --
>> Robin
>
> It would seem that about 2.5 miles of the upper section is unpaved - see
> http://mtwashingtonautoroad.com/index.php?module=SimpleNews&func=display&sid=85&theme=Auto%20Road%20Theme
> or http://tinyurl.com/2r7den
> Parking is also very limited at the top.
>
> As an alternative to driving, take the historic steam cog railway. Well
> worth the experience!
> See http://www.thecog.com/ Hope you get a better view than we did, when
> the mountain was enshrouded by fog.
>
> Regards
>
> David Bennetts
> Australia
>
>
> As an alternative, take the historic cog railway.
This is good advice. The road is partly gravel, but is considered a paved
road because of the gravel. Still, it's not a lot of fun for the driver,
while you will provide a thrill to your passengers. That mountain has its
own weather, and several of the world's extremes have been recorded there.

I would think that a car rental agreement in New Hampshire might prohibit
'off-road' but hardly 'unpaved roads', since so much of the state has the
latter.

The auto road on Mt. Washington isn't as rough as some Interstates, and
trust me ... you won't want to take it at much more than a walking pace
anyhow.

That said, the cog rail is the way to go for most people, and a thrill in
its own right. At Columbus Day it may be the only way, because snow is
entirely possible on the road.

[Clive]

On Aug 22, 9:33 pm, Robin > wrote:
> We want to drive the toll road up Mt Washington but will be in a hire
> car we cannot use on unpaved roads.

It has been my experience that driving on good quality dirt roads,
which are marked on State maps, is acceptable to car rental
companies.

There are occasions when entire sections of the highway are excavated
down to the dirt, and all cars have to follow a pilot car along the
dirt road. It would be impractical for car rental companies to insist
that this is not allowed.

The private Mount Washington Auto Road is 8 miles long (16 miles
return), and I think most (if not all) car rental companies would
allow their cars to use it. You could always ask the car rental
company.

The Mount Washington Auto Road is worth the effort (and cost), and
nowhere near as frightening as the hype infers. It's not much
different from many country lanes in the UK. I suggest you go for it!

Clive

[Clive]

On Aug 23, 9:46 am, Clive > wrote:
> On Aug 22, 9:33 pm, Robin > wrote:
>


> There are occasions when entire sections of the highway are excavated
> down to the dirt, and all cars have to follow a pilot car along the
> dirt road. It would be impractical for car rental companies to insist
> that this is not allowed.

In my previous post, I was meaning "sections of the highway" being the
public highway. I was not referring to the Mount Washington Auto Road
at that point.

Clive

[- Bobb -[_2_]]

>> "Robin" > wrote in message
>> oups.com...
>>> We want to drive the toll road up Mt Washington but will be in a hire
>>> car we cannot use on unpaved roads. (As visitors from the UK we do
>>> not want to ignore that prohibition.) I have found that the road is
>>> partly unpaved but have not found details of just which parts. Does
>>> anyone know please where the first unpaved section is? And if we are
>>> likely to be able to park there during the Columus Day weekend?
>>>
>>> --
>>> Robin

http://www.mtwashingtonautoroad.com/ for info / to contact them directly.

For video footage, check google / youtube:
Just do a SEARCH on google - video for
" Mount Washington " for overall movies ( Cog / view/ road)
or
"Mount Washington Road " for just driving scenes

Here you can see - on a bad day it's not worth going: (driving or cog)
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoI...


here is other footage/ views of top and Cog ride on a clear day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pmyw7iHH7Ng
snowy day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2yxQ-R9x5E

We just did the COG trip in July and it was great - about $60 per person.
Same as if you get driven:
http://www.mountwashingtonautoroad.com/Page-25.html

For specific info/ photos etc
http://mountwashington.org/photos/

For the road: here's a map
http://www.mountwashington.com/autoroad/tour/index.html

In relation to the summit, the Cog Railway is 'on the other side' of the
mountain - maybe 130 degrees sw of auto road entrance, so don't drive to
one thinking you'll choose when you get there. Two separate businesses in
2 different towns.

[garciyalater@hotmail.com]

just wash the car and pay extra for the undercarriage wash....if they
give you a hard time, just tell them you went through a construction
site.....

my understanding is that the difference is between "maintained" and
"unmaintained" and dirt roads which are scraped and re flattened are
fair game for rentals.....


Chuck