Lion Head

New Hampshire, United States, North America

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Presidential Range
- Additional Parents
- White Mountains (NH/ME)
- Mount Washington
Lion Head

Page Type:	Mountain/Rock
Lat/Lon:	44.26500°N / 71.293°W
Activities:	Hiking
Season:	Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Elevation:	5091 ft / 1552 m
	Sign the Climber's Log!

Overview

Lion Head is the very distinctive peak on the eastern flank of Mount Washington. It stands as a landmark between the two most well known glacial cirques on the mountain: Tuckerman Ravine and Huntington Ravine. The view of Lion Head from the bottom of Tuckerman Ravine is quite impressive, and it dominates the sky above the Hermit Lake area.

Lion Head

Two prominent trails ascend Mount Washington at Lion Head. The Tuckerman Ravine Trail, which routes below Lion Head, is the most popular way up the mountain, and so most people who travel it get their first views of Lion Head while moving through this area; especially at the Hermit Lake shelters. The Lion Head Trail itself traverses up the steep slopes just

Hut
before reaching the bowl of Tuckerman Ravine and ascends very steeply up Lion Head itself. The Lion Head Trail is the most popular route to the summit of Mount Washington during winter months. It’s also the safest route to the top of Washington when the ground is icy and the weather is dicey.

The peak is wide and exposed, lying just above tree line. On clear days, the views from Lion Head are phenomenal, with many local peaks visible from the top. The broad plateau that slopes up from Lion Head and toward the summit of Washington is an area called “The Alpine Garden”, which is home to a great show of alpine wildflowers during the spring and summer months.

Lake

During warm weather, the trails around Lion Head are distinct and easy to follow. In cold weather, when the ground is obscured by deep snow, the trail is still relatively easy to follow via the system of Cairns erected along the route.

Getting There

Most people access Lion Head via the system of trails that begin at the Pinkham Notch Visitors Center at Joe Dodge Lodge. A great number of routes and loops can be made from this trailhead.

Joe Dodge Lodge

Red Tape

Camping and wood/charcoal fires are not allowed in the "Cutler river drainage" (except at Harvard Cabin and Hermit Lake). "The Forest Protection Area of the Cutler River Drainage extends from the summit of Mount Washington east to Pinkham Notch. The northern boundary is the Nelson Crag ridge; the southern boundary is the Boott Spur ridge. The Area includes Tuckerman and Huntington Ravines, the Alpine Garden, and all trails within this area." This is in addition to the regular WMNF ban on camping above treeline (which in winter is relaxed when there is at least 2 feet of snow over the campsite)

Trail

Camping

No camping above treeline. Various shelters, lean-tos, huts, and lodges are available all around the White Mountains.

Into Tuckerman

External Links

The White Mountains National Forest

Hike the Whites

The AMC Huts

AMC-New Hampshire Chapter

Mount Washington State Park

Vist the White Mountains

Mount Washington Observatory