Mount Pierce (New Hampshire) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Pierce |
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Mount Pierce as seen from Mount Jackson
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 4,310 ft (1,310 m) |
| Prominence | 235 ft (72 m) |
| Listing | White Mountain 4000-footers |
| Geography | |
| Location | Bean's Grant, Coös County, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Parent range | Presidential Range |
| Topo map | USGS Stairs Mountain |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hike (Crawford Path) |
Mount Pierce is a cool mountain in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains in New Hampshire. It stands about 4,310 feet (1,314 meters) tall! This mountain is a popular spot for hikers and offers amazing views of the surrounding area.
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What's in a Name?
This mountain has had a few different names over time. It was once called Mount Clinton. This name honored DeWitt Clinton, who was a governor of New York in the 1800s.
But in 1913, the mountain got a new name: Mount Pierce. It was renamed after Franklin Pierce, who was a U.S. President from 1853 to 1857. President Pierce was special because he was the only U.S. president born in New Hampshire. It took many years for everyone to start using the new name, but now it's official!
Discovering the Trails
Mount Pierce is a great place for hiking adventures. The easiest way to reach the top is from a parking lot on Mount Clinton Road. This road is just off Route 302.
The Historic Crawford Path
The main trail to the summit is called the Crawford Path. This path is super old! It's the oldest hiking trail in the United States that people still use today. It was first created in 1819 by two brothers, Abel and Ethan Crawford. They were pioneers in the White Mountains. When they first made the path, they called Mount Pierce "Bald Mountain."
Connecting Trails
Other famous trails also meet near Mount Pierce. The Appalachian Trail, a very long hiking trail that goes from Georgia to Maine, passes by. The Webster Cliff Trail also comes from Mount Jackson in the south. These trails meet the Crawford Path just north of the summit. From there, they continue towards the northeast.
Exploring Nearby Peaks
If you keep going northeast from Mount Pierce, you'll find two other awesome mountains: Mount Eisenhower and Mount Monroe. All three of these peaks are part of a special hiking challenge. Hikers try to reach the top of all the mountains in New Hampshire that are over 4,000 feet tall. This challenge is called "peak-bagging," and these mountains are known as four-thousand footers.
