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63-517: The presence of the notch was recorded in 1784 by Jeremy Belknap, but its isolation prevented further development for several years. The construction of New Hampshire Route 16 has led to increased accessibility and a rise in tourism. Its location makes it a hub for hiking and skiing. The notch separates the Presidential Range , which forms the western wall, from the Wildcat Range , which forms

126-541: A large, groomed trail system that also includes the lower half of the Auto Road. Several warming huts are scattered around the trail system, including scenic Great Angel Cabin, with views of the Great Gulf and surrounding peaks. Great Glen also permits biking on the trails during the summer, and is the only mountain bike facility in the notch. Another cross-country trail system exists in the town of Jackson , extending as far as

189-418: A layer of glacial till was deposited, including several glacial erratics. A notable glacial erratic in the area is Mount Washington's Glen Boulder. The notch first appears in recorded history in 1784, when an expedition led by Jeremy Belknap camped in the notch before ascending to the summit of Mount Washington through Huntington Ravine. Pinkham Notch was far more isolated than neighboring Crawford Notch ; as

252-698: A massive increase in tourism. Meanwhile, logging began in the Pinkham area. After almost total deforestation of the White Mountain region, the White Mountain National Forest was created in 1911, and the Mount Washington area was added to the national forest in 1914. With the preservation of the area, emphasis shifted from logging to recreation. The Appalachian Mountain Club converted a logging camp near

315-407: A northern hardwood forest. This forest type is primarily deciduous and consists mostly of sugar maple , American beech , and yellow birch . There is also a proliferation of understory and forest floor plants; common examples include wild sarsaparilla , painted trillium , hobblebush , and Indian cucumber-root . The northern hardwood forest also contains the greatest diversity of animal life in

378-431: A result, conifers, or " softwoods " become the dominant species. Two trees, red spruce and balsam fir , are present throughout this zone, with paper birch , striped maple and mountain ash present in its lower levels. Like the hardwood forest below it, the spruce-fir forest also holds understory plants; commonly found are wood sorrel , Indian pipes , Canada mayflowers , and bluebead lilies . Fungi are also common in

441-453: A result, the first settler of Pinkham Notch came in 1827, 43 years after habitation of Crawford Notch. The first settler, Hayes Copp, built a homestead in the then-uninhabited area, near where the Dolly Copp campground stands today. Copp and his wife lived alone in the wilderness until Daniel Pinkham completed the first road through the notch between in 1836, finally providing a link between

504-462: A result, the flora and fauna, of Pinkham Notch varies greatly with elevation. As elevations increase on the walls of the notch, climate and ecosystems change to those of increasingly northern occurrence. Biomes range from a low-elevation northern hardwood forest at the base of Mount Washington to alpine-Arctic vegetation near the summit comparable to vegetation found at the latitude of Labrador . The lowest elevations of Pinkham Notch are occupied by

567-408: A short petiole . The winter twigs are distinctive among North American trees, being long and slender ( 15–20 millimetres or 5 ⁄ 8 – 3 ⁄ 4 inch by 2–3 mm or 3 ⁄ 32 – 1 ⁄ 8  in) with two rows of overlapping scales on the buds. Beech buds are distinctly thin and long, resembling cigars; this characteristic makes beech trees relatively easy to identify. The tree

630-619: A uniform, smoother headwall that is known for its high-quality skiing. After passing the Gulf of Slides , a smaller and lesser-known cirque, the notch opens up and continues until Jackson . The eastern slope of the notch consists of the Wildcat and Carter-Moriah Ranges , slightly lower than the Presidential Range to the west. The Wildcat Range consists of five peaks, named A, B, C, D, and E from northeast to southwest in order of height. Wildcat A

693-442: Is monoecious , with flowers of both sexes on the same tree. The fruit is a small, sharply-angled nut , borne in pairs in a soft-spined, four-lobed husk. It has two means of reproduction: one is through the usual dispersal of seedlings, and the other is through root sprouts, which grow into new trees. Trees in the southern half of the range are sometimes distinguished as a variety, F. grandifolia var. caroliniana , but this

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756-741: Is a controlled-access toll highway known as the Spaulding Turnpike . Between Milton and Chocorua , and between Conway and Glen , it is known as the White Mountain Highway . It is known as Chocorua Mountain Highway between Chocorua and Conway and various other local names before crossing into Maine about 20 miles (32 km) south of the Canadian border. Portions of NH 16 run concurrent with U.S. Route 4 (US 4), US 202 , NH 25 , and US 302 , and US 2 . The southern terminus of NH 16

819-405: Is an important tree in forestry . The wood is hard and difficult to cut or split, although at 43 pounds per cubic foot (0.69 g/cm ) it is not exceptionally heavy, and it also rots relatively easily. It is used for a wide variety of purposes, most notably bentwood furniture as beech wood easily bends when steamed. It also makes high quality, long-burning firewood. Like European beech bark,

882-626: Is at the Portsmouth Traffic Circle , intersecting with Interstate 95 and the US 1 Bypass . The northern terminus is at the Maine state line near Wentworth Location , where it continues as Maine State Route 16 . There are three auxiliary routes of NH 16, two loops labeled 16A and one labeled 16B. For the section of NH 16 between Portsmouth and Milton , see the Spaulding Turnpike article. From Milton , NH 16 continues north, roughly paralleling

945-635: Is believed to have spanned the width of the North American continent all the way to the Pacific coast before the last ice age . Two subspecies are generally recognized: The genus name Fagus is Latin for "beech", and the specific epithet grandifolia comes from grandis "large" and folium "leaf", in reference to the American beech's larger leaves when compared to the European beech . The American beech

1008-481: Is famous for its extremely steep backcountry skiing. Long lines are common during the peak spring-skiing season of April and May. Wildcat Mountain offers groomed ski trails and lifts, and is a better choice for less-experienced skiers. The centerpiece of the ski-area is the gondola , which runs during the summer, and offers views of the Presidentials with no expended effort. For Nordic skiing, Great Glen Trails offers

1071-469: Is known as Black Mountain Road, Moody Farm Road, and Carter Notch Road. The entire route has also been known as Five Mile Circuit Road, in reference to its length. In addition to its present designation, NH 16B has been assigned to several old alignments of NH 16, but those other routes are no longer officially designated as such. In Ossipee , NH 16B was once the designation for an old alignment of NH 16 through

1134-405: Is more often associated with sugar maple (forming the beech–maple climax community ), yellow birch , and eastern hemlock , typically on moist, well-drained slopes and rich bottomlands. Near its southern limit, it often shares canopy dominance with southern magnolia . Although it has a reputation for slow growth (sometimes only 13 feet in 20 years), rich soil and ample moisture will greatly speed

1197-510: Is native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to southern Ontario in southeastern Canada, west to Wisconsin and south to eastern Texas and northern Florida in the United States, as well as the states of Hidalgo, Veracruz, Tamaulipas, Puebla, San Luis Potosí, and Tabasco in Mexico. Mature specimens are rare in lowland areas as early settlers quickly discovered that the presence of

1260-582: Is no longer any signage along the road indicating that the road was designated NH 16B. The other road followed what is now NH 125 between NH 16 near Union and NH 153 in Union, as well as NH 153 from NH 125 north to NH 16 in Wakefield . The section of NH 125 in Carroll County is still shown as NH 16B on several maps. American beech Fagus grandifolia var. typica Rehder Fagus grandifolia ,

1323-578: Is not considered distinct in the Flora of North America. The Mexican beech ( F. grandifolia subsp. mexicana ), native to the mountains of central Mexico , is closely related, and is treated as a subspecies of American beech, but some botanists classify it as a distinct species. The only Fagus species found in the Western Hemisphere (assuming the Mexican subspecies is treated as such), F. grandifolia

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1386-601: Is not signed as such anywhere along the route. This is a rare instance of a hidden route in New Hampshire and is interesting in that a duplicate state numbering has been given precedence over a unique federal one. The northern segment of NH 16A is a loop road in Jackson that is 1.029 miles (1.656 km) long. This road leaves NH 16, travels east to meet both the southern and northern termini of NH 16B (separated by just 500 feet (150 m)) and returns to NH 16, passing through

1449-595: Is now the northern stretch of NH 108. In Rochester, NH 16 used the present alignment of NH 125 through downtown and north into Milton where it met the current alignment north of the Turnpike. After NH 16 was rerouted, the section between downtown Dover and NH 125 in Rochester became a northward extension of NH 108. From downtown Rochester the alignment to Milton is now part of NH 125. Between the Rochester/Milton town line and

1512-473: Is the highest, at 4,422 feet (1,348 m). From the main ridge, the slopes drop very steeply, but not precipitously, to the floor of the notch. The Wildcat Mountain Ski Area occupies the western slopes of Wildcat up to the col between D and E peaks. As the notch rounds E peak, the slope becomes extremely steep, and Wildcat Ridge begins to drop to the end of the notch. The Carter-Moriah Range lies to

1575-783: The American beech or North American beech , is the only species of beech native to North America. Its current range comprises the eastern United States, isolated pockets of Mexico and southeastern Canada. Prior to the glacial maximum of the Pleistocene epoch , the tree flourished over most of North America, reaching California. Fagus grandifolia is a large deciduous tree growing to 16–35 metres (52–115 feet) tall, with smooth, silver-gray bark . The leaves are dark green, simple and sparsely-toothed with small teeth that terminate each vein, 6–12 centimetres ( 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 – 4 + 3 ⁄ 4 inches) long (rarely 15 cm or 6 in), with

1638-604: The height-of-land into what is now the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center in 1921. The Appalachian Trail was built through the visitor center, making it an important trailhead for ascents of Mount Washington. Meanwhile, ski trails began to be constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps on Wildcat Mountain, and the ski resort was opened in 1958. Pinkham Notch is easily accessible by New Hampshire Route 16 . Numerous opportunities for recreation exist in

1701-461: The American beech and also to the related European beech . The beech leaf-miner weevil , a species native to Europe, has been identified in North America as a cause of defoliation of American beech trees. American beech trees have small gaps and crevices at the base of their trunks in which the pest overwinter before eventually making their way to the buds of the trees and finally laying eggs on

1764-466: The American beech bark is smooth and uniform, making it an attraction for people to carve names, dates, decorative symbols such as love hearts or gang identifiers, and other material into its surface. One such beech tree in Louisville, Kentucky , in what is now the southern part of Iroquois Park , bore the legend " D. Boone kill a Bar 1803." The beech finally fell over in 1916 during a storm; its age

1827-622: The Copp homestead and civilization. In 1851, a railroad was built to Gorham , and a hotel, the Glen House , was constructed to accommodate passengers. Mount Washington was the main attraction in the area; a bridle path was constructed from the Glen House to hotels on the summit, which was later improved into what would become the Mount Washington Auto Road . Completion of the road in 1861 led to

1890-574: The European beech scale insect, Cryptococcus fagisuga , attacks the bark, creating a wound that is then infected by Neonectria ditissima or Neonectria faginata , two species of fungi . This causes a canker to develop and the tree is eventually killed. Beech leaf disease is caused by the nematode Litylenchus crenatae mccannii . It was discovered in Ohio in 2012 and identified as far south as Virginia in 2022. Beech leaf disease causes severe damage to

1953-547: The Maine border. After crossing the border the road becomes Maine State Route 16 and heads east toward Rangeley . From 1922 until 1926, most of the original surface alignment of NH 16 from Portsmouth to the intersection with NH 26 in Errol was known as New England Interstate Route 16 , the "East Side Road". In 1926, the New England road marking system was superseded by the system of United States Numbered Highways , and many of

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2016-648: The Maine border. In Wakefield , the road takes a turn to the northwest heading towards Ossipee . NH 16 turns back to a northerly heading near Tamworth , then makes a turn eastward in Albany to reach Conway . NH 16 turns north again in Conway, entering the region known as the Mount Washington Valley, and begins a concurrency with US 302 at the south end of the village of North Conway . North of North Conway, in Bartlett ,

2079-801: The New England Routes, including NH 16, became state highways with the same number. NH 16 formerly served as a non-tolled alternative to the Spaulding Turnpike between Dover and Rochester . In the early 1990s, NHDOT rerouted NH 16 onto the turnpike as a concurrency for the full length of the turnpike. The old alignment is now made up of several different roads. After crossing the Little Bay Bridge northbound from Newington to Dover, historic NH 16 traveled along Dover Point Road into downtown Dover to an intersection with NH 108 , where that route used to terminate. NH 16 continued along Central Avenue north through Somersworth and into Rochester on what

2142-591: The Presidential Range before crossing the notch and ascending to the summits of the Wildcat Range. There are also less challenging hikes that are equally scenic, yet better suited for families with young children. Popular objectives include Glen Ellis Falls, a waterfall on the Ellis River, and Square Ledge, with an impressive view of Mount Washington for modest effort. The area also has many opportunities for both alpine and Nordic skiing. The bowl of Tuckerman Ravine

2205-496: The Wentworth Golf Club. The local name for this route is Village Road. New Hampshire Route 16B is a 5.381-mile-long (8.660 km) long state highway located entirely in Jackson . Although the road is signed north–south, NH 16B is a nearly-complete loop, beginning and ending at intersections with NH 16A roughly 500 feet (150 m) apart. Heading counterclockwise on NH 16B (signed "north") from NH 16A, NH 16B

2268-597: The area varies by altitude and the orientation of the land. A weather station has operated at around 2,000 feet since 1930. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Pinkham Notch has a subarctic climate , abbreviated "Dfc" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Pinkham Notch was 93 °F (34 °C) on July 20, 1982, while the coldest temperature recorded was −32 °F (−36 °C) on February 16, 1943. The climate, and as

2331-478: The area. Mount Washington is a common objective, and is often climbed from Pinkham Notch. There are numerous trail approaches from the Appalachian Mountain Club 's visitor's center. Although trail distances seem short, the trip to the summit should not be underestimated; most trail approaches involve at least 4,000 vertical feet (1,200 m) of climbing, including an ascent of the rocky summit cone and

2394-584: The base of the Mount Washington Auto Road . Route 16 meets US 2 in Gorham , sharing a short concurrency along Gorham's Main Street. Leaving US 2, Route 16 continues north along the Androscoggin River to the city of Berlin , then follows the river north through the towns of Milan and Dummer , and the township of Cambridge , into the town of Errol . From Errol NH 16 continues northeast to Wentworth Location and

2457-495: The boulder-strewn upper slopes. Weather changes very quickly, one must be prepared for extreme conditions, and fatalities are not unknown. The Tuckerman Ravine Trail is the most popular trail in the notch, ascending to the summit via the headwall of Tuckerman Ravine. The Huntington Ravine Trail is widely considered the most difficult trail in New Hampshire, making its way up the precipitous headwall of neighboring Huntington Ravine, where there are several rock climbing opportunities. On

2520-417: The constant exposure to the wind. Most plants in this area are perennial; the growing season is far too short to allow for annuals. Alpine plants usually occur in communities spaced between barren talus slopes. Cushion-shaped Diapensia lapponica usually grows in communities in the windiest areas, and in less exposed sites sedge , heath , snowbank, and alpine bog communities can be found. Pinkham Notch

2583-657: The eastern wall. Two rivers drain the notch; the Ellis River drains the south end and is a tributary of the Saco , and the Peabody River drains the north end and is a tributary of the Androscoggin . The bulk of the western slope of the notch is formed by Mount Washington , the highest peak in the northeast United States, reaching 6,288 feet (1,917 m) above sea level. Mount Washington rises more than 4,000 feet (1,200 m) above

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2646-464: The elevation at which this occurs is known as tree line , and usually occurs at around 4,500 ft (1,400 m) in the White Mountains, depending on wind exposure. On the highest slopes of the west wall of the notch, trees are unable to grow, and an " alpine zone " of alpine-Arctic vegetation exists. Vegetation in this zone tends to be lichens , sedges or small, low-lying plants that can resist

2709-510: The floor of the notch. A number of glacial cirques are found on this side of the notch. The Great Gulf and its tributary cirques form the largest cirque in the White Mountains. South of the Great Gulf is Huntington Ravine , with a rocky, precipitous headwall renowned for its rock and ice climbing. The slope then dips into the Ravine of Raymond Cataract, a non-glacial "V-shaped" valley with a notable waterfall. After this comes Tuckerman Ravine , with

2772-466: The hardiest trees remain in the forest, which is composed almost exclusively of balsam fir. Most of the understory plants and animals from the upper spruce-fir zone, however, can be found in this forest. Moisture causes nutrients to be stripped from the soil and brought to lower elevations, and decomposition takes place at a rate that is too slow to replenish them. In the upper reaches of the balsam fir zone, winds and temperatures are extreme enough to force

2835-408: The moist environment. Most of the animals in the spruce-fir forest have ranges that extend into the balsam fir forest higher up. Warblers are abundant; more than ten species exist in this forest type. Other common birds include brown-capped chickadees , spruce grouse , and yellow-capped woodpeckers. Mammals include the red squirrel and the pine marten . As elevation continues to increase, only

2898-603: The north of Wildcat Ridge, forming the eastern side of Pinkham Notch all the way to the Androscoggin River. From south to north, the peaks overlooking the notch are Carter Dome (4,832 ft / 1,473 m), Mount Hight (4,675 ft / 1,425 m), South Carter Mountain (4,420 ft / 1,347 m), Middle Carter Mountain (4,600 ft / 1,402 m), North Carter Mountain (4,530 ft / 1,381 m), Imp Mountain (3,720 ft / 1,134 m), and Mount Moriah (4,049 ft / 1,234 m). The weather in

2961-419: The northern hardwoods in what is known as the "transition zone". As elevation within this zone increases, species from the lower hardwood forest begin to drop out. By 2,500 feet (760 m), yellow birch is the only deciduous species that remains, and the forest becomes a spruce-fir forest. As elevation increases, the forest is subjected to colder temperatures, increased moisture, and acidic, infertile soils. As

3024-591: The northern terminus of the Spaulding Turnpike, NH 125 carries the White Mountain Highway moniker. The Conway Bypass is a proposed re-routing of NH 16 around Conway and North Conway . While preliminary work has been done, the bypass is still in planning stages. New Hampshire Route 16A is a designation held by two separate state highways in New Hampshire . Although not directly connected,

3087-568: The notch. Mammals include chipmunks , raccoons , white-tailed deer , black bears , and moose . There are also a large number of birds in this forest; frequently seen are red-eyed vireos, hermit thrushes , and ovenbirds . Amphibians are also found in the northern hardwood forest. Red efts, the terrestrial stage of development for the red-spotted newt , congregate in large numbers after heavy rains; also present are American toads , spring peepers , and wood frogs . At around 2,000 feet (610 m), species from higher forest zones begin to mix with

3150-527: The other side of the notch, the Wildcat Range is a popular objective. The five summits can be reached via the Wildcat Ridge Trail; the first two miles are extremely difficult, and require skill on short, yet exposed, rock scrambles . This part of the trail is frequently bypassed by following the ski area's Polecat Trail to the summit of D Peak. The Appalachian Trail , which extends over 2,150 miles (3,460 km) from Georgia to Maine , runs along

3213-508: The primary foods of the now-extinct passenger pigeon ; the clearing of beech and oak forests is pointed to as one of the major factors that may have contributed to the bird's extinction. Some Lepidoptera caterpillars feed on beeches. Deer occasionally browse on beech foliage, but it is not a preferred food. Beech bark disease has become a major killer of beech trees in the Northeastern United States. This disease occurs when

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3276-624: The process up. American beech favours a well-watered, but also well-drained spot and is intolerant of urban pollution, salt, and soil compaction. It also casts heavy shade and is an extremely thirsty tree with high moisture requirements compared to oaks, so it has a dense, shallow root system. The mast (crop of nuts) from American beech provides food for numerous species of animals. Among vertebrates alone, these include various birds including ruffed grouse and wild turkeys, raccoons, foxes, white-tailed deer, rabbits, squirrels, opossums, pheasants, black bears, and porcupines. Beech nuts were one of

3339-428: The southern NH 16A loop departs and rejoins NH 16 / US 302 before the road makes a westward hook. In Glen , NH 16 turns north from US 302 and heads toward Jackson , where the northern NH 16A loop is located, as well as NH 16B , which is a loop that begins and ends at NH 16A. Continuing north, NH 16 passes through Pinkham Notch , to the east of Mount Washington , New Hampshire 's highest peak, and intersecting with

3402-560: The summit of Wildcat Mountain. New Hampshire Route 16 New Hampshire Route 16 ( NH 16 ) is a 154.771-mile (249.080 km), north–south state highway in New Hampshire , United States, the main road connecting the Seacoast region to the Lakes Region and the White Mountains . Much of its length is close to the border with Maine . The section from Portsmouth to Milton

3465-439: The tree indicated good farmland. The American beech is a shade-tolerant species, commonly found in forests in the final stage of succession . Few trees in its natural range other than sugar maple match it for shade tolerance. Ecological succession is essentially the process of forests changing their composition through time; it is a pattern of events often observed on disturbed sites. Although sometimes found in pure stands, it

3528-639: The tree is about 40 years old. Large crops are produced by 60 years. The oldest documented tree is 246 years old. The fruit is a triangle-shaped shell containing 2–3 nuts inside, but many of them do not fill in, especially on solitary trees. Beech nuts are sweet and nutritious, can be eaten raw by wildlife and humans, or can be cooked. They can also be roasted and ground into a coffee substitute . The leaves are edible when cooked. The inner bark can be dried and pulverized into bread flour as an emergency food. Numerous place names in North America are named Beechwood . In John Steinbeck 's novel East of Eden ,

3591-494: The trees into stunted, "bonsai-like" shapes. Known as krummholz , from the German word for "crooked wood", trees in this area are often bent into bizarre shapes by the combined effects of wind, temperature, and airborne ice particles. Branches that are perpendicular to the prevailing winds are often killed, leaving "flag trees" that point in the direction of the wind. Eventually, conditions become extreme enough to prevent any tree growth;

3654-409: The trees. Despite their high moisture needs, beeches succumb to flooding easily and their thin bark invites damage from animals, fire, and human activities. Late spring frosts can cause complete defoliation of the tree, although they typically recover by using reserve pools of sugar. The trunks of mature beeches often rot and develop cavities that are used by wildlife for habitation. American beech

3717-494: The two routes are linked by their parent route, New Hampshire Route 16. The southern segment of NH 16A is a loop road, known locally as the Intervale Resort Loop , entirely in the town of Bartlett . It splits off from U.S. Route 302 and NH 16, runs parallel to the highway for 2.484 miles (3.998 km), then rejoins US 302 and NH 16. Officially, this section of NH 16A is also designated U.S. Route 302 Business , but

3780-402: The underside of the leaves. Once hatched, the larvae mine the leaves, causing destruction to the foliage. Beech blight aphids colonize branches of the tree, but without serious harm to otherwise healthy trees. Below these colonies, deposits of sooty mold develop caused by the fungus Scorias spongiosa growing saprophytically on the honeydew the insects exude. This is also harmless to

3843-596: The village of Center Ossipee that has been bypassed by the present NH 16 southwest of Ossipee Lake . The route, 2.52 miles (4.06 km) in length, is still called "Route 16B" on street blade signs. Two other roads have also held the NH 16B designation. One is a local road called Old Rochester Road in Somersworth and Old Dover Road in Rochester , paralleling the Spaulding Turnpike in those two towns from NH 108 to NH 125. There

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3906-537: Was estimated at around 325 years. Its trunk is now on display at the Filson Historical Society . It is sometimes planted as an ornamental tree, but even within its native area, it is planted much less often than the European beech. Although American beech can handle hotter climates, its European cousin is faster-growing and more pollution-tolerant, in addition to being easier to propagate. American beech does not produce significant quantities of nuts until

3969-525: Was originally a riverine, "V-shaped" valley until the Laurentide Ice Sheet shaped it into its current form, a "U-shaped" valley. This shaping occurred during the Wisconsinian Ice Age , 25–50,000 years ago. The geology of the region became greatly altered by this event; much of the weaker rock was stripped from the region, leaving only highly-resistant mica schist . As the glaciers retreated,

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