The Presidential Traverse: An Epic Endurance Day Hike in the White Mountains
- Stephen Warner
- Dec 26, 2023
- 11 min read
Updated: Apr 3
This grueling but stunning day hike—spanning eight of New Hampshire’s highest peaks—is a true test of endurance and willpower. Expect rough terrain, constant elevation changes, and unpredictable weather as you trek over 20 miles in a single day. But bag them all, and you’ll have completed one of New England’s most iconic adventures.
Trail Info
Trailhead Name | Presidential Traverse |
Distance | 21 miles / 34 km (point to point) |
Estimated time | 12+ hours |
Elevation gain | 9,000 ft / 2,750 m |
Highest point | 6,288 ft / 1,917 m (Mount Washington) |
Permits / fees | No |
Parking | North terminus: Off highway by Valley Way Trail South terminus: Off highway by AMC Highland Center |
Toilets? | At huts along trail |
Dog friendly? | Yes |
This trail which shows the route to Mount Jackson (optional)
Leg Info
Leg Name | Distance* | Elevation gain | Water stops** |
Valley Way to Madison | 3.8 mi /6.1 km | 4,000 ft / 1,360 m | Madison Hut (3.3 mi /5.3 km) |
Star Lake to Adams | 1 mi /1.6 km | 1,000 ft / 340 m | Madison Hut (0.5 mi/ 0.8 km) |
Gulfside to Jefferson | 2.1 mi /3.4 km | 800 ft / 270 m | None |
Gulfside to Washington | 3.1 mi / 5 km | 1,400 ft / 480 m | At summit (3.1 mi / 5 km) |
Crawford Path to Monroe | 1.5 mi / 2.4 km | 300 ft / 100 m | Lake of the Clouds (1.5 mi / 2.4 km) |
Crawford Path to Eisenhower | 2.2 mi / 3.5 km | 300 ft / 100m | None |
Crawford Path to Pierce | 2.6 mi / 4.2 km | 300 ft / 100m | None |
Webster-Jackson to Jackson | 2 mi / 3.2 km | 400 ft / 135 m | Mizpah Hut (0.5 mi / 0.8 km) |
Webster-Jackson to finish | 2.5 mi / 4 km | - | The first bar you see |
*These distances and elevation numbers are estimates based on available data. They should be used to give a sense of how long or challenging each leg is, but shouldn't be considered 100% accurate.
**Measured from the beginning of the leg
Know before you go
Start early if you plan to do this as a day hike. Even if the numbers haven’t already made it obvious—this hike is no joke. This is still the single most amount of elevation gain I've ever done in a single day. My friend (who had thru-hiked the PCT) said this may have been his hardest day of hiking ever. It will take longer than you think, even if you are a seasoned hiker.
Pick a clear day for the attempt and be prepared with warm gear. Obviously you want those killer views, but the Presidential Range is notorious for extreme weather conditions. (Mount Washington recorded the highest ever wind speed in a non-hurricane ON EARTH). People have died from exposure in July on this range. So check the weather before you begin and have warm gear in your pack.
There are places to fill up water and get food along the trail. While I always recommend bringing more than you need, this hike is unique in that there are water fill ups and places to purchase food along the way. This will allow you to calibrate your pack so you can save a few pounds.
This is a point to point hike so logistics planning is required. The typical route is to go north to south, beginning at the Valley Way trailhead and staging a car at your exit point near the AMC Highland Center. Note, there is a shuttle system in this area, but given the likely late finish time, you may miss that last shuttle so a staged car, or a nice friend, is a better option.
Skipping Mount Jackson will save you three miles (18 miles one way). Depending on who you ask, this summit may or may not be considered part of the official Presidential Traverse. You can make a game time decision as the routes down from the decision point lead to similar exit points.
Consider breaking up the trip into multiple days. There's two reasons for this. First, you might enjoy it more. By peak 6, I found myself focused more on finishing than enjoying the hike. Second, the shelters maintained by the Appalachian Mountain Club are awesome! They're so cozy and have everything you need for a night. If I was ever to do this again, I'd take 2-3 days and enjoy myself.
A different way to go about bagging these peaks
If you are making your way down the NH 48 list, the Pressie Traverse is the most efficient way to bag these peaks. However, there's plenty of other combo routes to hit these summits. If I was bagging these peaks separately, I'd do it like this:
Route | Distance (all out & back) | Elevation gain |
9.1 mi / 14.6 km | 5,000 ft / 1,500 m | |
5.7 mi / 9.2 km | 3,000 ft / 910 m | |
9.2 mi / 14.8 km | 4,200 ft / 1,280 m | |
8.6 mi / 13.8 km | 3,300 ft / 1,000 m | |
6.6 mi / 10.6 km | 2,400 ft / 730 m |
Doing some quick math and thinking, “Wow, that’s way more distance and elevation than the Pressie”? You’re absolutely right. These alternate routes add to ~39 miles (63 km) and ~18,000 feet (5,500 m) of elevation gain. That’s about 90% more distance and nearly double the elevation gain compared to the single-day Presi push.
Maybe you like pain. But if you’re looking to knock out these summits efficiently, I highly recommend doing the Traverse.
The Trail
#1 Madison (5,367ft / 1,636m)
The start of our morning looked like this. A lovely sunrise on what would be a gorgeous early September day. Despite the pristine weather, there were some metaphorical dark clouds on the horizon. We started too late. We didn’t hit the trail until almost 6:30, and with the sun setting around 7, we had just over 12 hours of daylight. Seems like plenty of time, but this trail takes longer than you think.
The first peak on this classic traverse is Mount Madison. We followed the Valley Way Trail to Madison Hut, then took a quick out-and-back to the summit. This leg features the most consistent elevation gain of the entire hike—over 4,000 feet—just to reach the ninth-highest peak in New Hampshire. So much for a warmup.
The trail climbs steeply with almost no switchbacks (classic New England), and a mix of dirt, roots, mud, and rocks. Fortunately, it was still cool in the morning, so getting our hearts pumping actually felt good. Just keep an eye on the junctions and follow signs for Valley Way and Madison Hut.
Once you reach Madison Hut, hang a left for the final 0.5-mile push to the summit. Great spot to drop your pack if you want to save some energy.
The ascent to Madison involves some light scrambling over big boulders, but once you break treeline and start soaking in those panoramic views of the Whites, any fatigue fades fast.
Peak #1—done! Time for the next
#2 Adams (5,774ft / 1,760m)
#3 Jefferson (5,712ft / 1,741m)
#4 Washington (6,288ft / 1,917m)
#5 Monroe (5,384ft / 1,641m)
#6 Eisenhower (4,780ft / 1,460m)
#7 Pierce (4,310ft / 1,310m)
#8 Jackson (4,052ft / 1,235m)
SS Reflections
The Presidential Traverse still stands as my most impressive single-day hiking achievement. I’ve never gained more elevation in one go, and even my longest days on the Colorado Trail didn’t ask this much of my body.
Sometimes I think I was so focused on finishing that I didn’t pause enough to fully soak in the beauty of the range. But then I remember what we accomplished—and I can’t help but smile. At the time, I told myself, “Never again.” But now, writing this and reflecting… a little voice in my head whispers, “Maybe. Just maybe.”
Other Helpful Resources
Alpha Guide's detailed post about doing the traverse
This Appalachian Trail website that allows you to reserve some of the huts you could stay at along the Presidential Traverse