White Mountain National Forest · New Hampshire, Maine

Crawford Path

7.7 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 31028 · trail class 3 · typical grade 8-10% · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, bike

Trailhead Crawford Path Trailhead (Rte 302) Drive there

Crawford Connector Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

The historic Crawford Path leaves from Rte. 302, but most traffic leaves from the Connector trailhead as it is a large parking area with bathroom facilities. It connects with the true Crawford Path in 0.4 miles.

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Crawford Path Trailhead (Rte 302) the Forest Service's write-up

Recreation fee charged. See fee schedule. (link)

The Crawford Path was originally built during the 1800’s and used as a horse trail over the southern Presidential Range to the summit of Mount Washington. In commemoration of its 175th anniversary, the Crawford Path was designated a National Recreation Trail In 1994. This 8.5 mile spectacularly scenic trail is the oldest, continuously maintained, hiking path in America. The section just north of Mt. Pierce to the summit of Mt. Washington is a segment of the Appalachian Trail.

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Other trails from the Crawford Path Trailhead (Rte 302)

All 512 trails in White Mountain National ForestFind a trailForest on fs.usda.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.