Mount Jefferson (New Hampshire)
Encyclopedia
Mount Jefferson is located in Coos County
, New Hampshire
, and is the third highest mountain in the state. The mountain is named after Thomas Jefferson
, the third president of the United States, and is part of the Presidential Range
of the White Mountains
. Mount Jefferson is flanked by Mount Adams
(to the north) and Mount Clay
(to the south).
The mountain has several interesting features, making it a popular hike. Two distinct ridges lead to its summit: Ridge of the Caps and Castle Ridge. The mountain is also surrounded by the three dramatic glacial cirque
s of Jefferson Ravine, Castle Ravine, and the Great Gulf
. Finally, Monticello Lawn is a large expanse of alpine sedge and rush near the otherwise talus
-covered summit cone. When viewed from the south, the mountain features an arrow-shaped bald patch pointing to the summit of the mountain.
Mount Jefferson has a direct ascent along the Caps Ridge Trail, whose base, Jefferson Notch, is the highest point of any public highway in New Hampshire at 3009 feet (917 m). This route, gaining only 2700 feet (823 m) vertically to the summit, makes for the easiest ascent of any Presidential mountain. However, climbing over the "caps" involves some exposed scrambling and can be steep and challenging at times.
Coos County, New Hampshire
-National protected areas:*Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge *Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge *White Mountain National Forest -Demographics:...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, and is the third highest mountain in the state. The mountain is named after Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
, the third president of the United States, and is part of the Presidential Range
Presidential Range
The Presidential Range is a mountain range located in the White Mountains of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Containing the highest peaks of the Whites, its most notable summits are named for American Presidents, followed by prominent public figures of the 18th and 19th centuries.Mt...
of the White Mountains
White Mountains (New Hampshire)
The White Mountains are a mountain range covering about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. Part of the Appalachian Mountains, they are considered the most rugged mountains in New England...
. Mount Jefferson is flanked by Mount Adams
Mount Adams (New Hampshire)
Mount Adams, elevation above sea level, is a mountain in New Hampshire, the second highest peak in the Northeast United States after its nearby neighbor, Mt. Washington. Located in the northern Presidential Range, Mount Adams was named after John Adams, the second president of the United States....
(to the north) and Mount Clay
Mount Clay
Mount Clay is a peak located in Thompson and Meserve's Purchase in Coos County in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains of New Hampshire...
(to the south).
The mountain has several interesting features, making it a popular hike. Two distinct ridges lead to its summit: Ridge of the Caps and Castle Ridge. The mountain is also surrounded by the three dramatic glacial cirque
Cirque
Cirque may refer to:* Cirque, a geological formation* Makhtesh, an erosional landform found in the Negev desert of Israel and Sinai of Egypt*Cirque , an album by Biosphere* Cirque Corporation, a company that makes touchpads...
s of Jefferson Ravine, Castle Ravine, and the Great Gulf
Great Gulf
The Great Gulf is a glacial cirque, or amphitheater-like valley head formed from a glacier by erosion, located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire...
. Finally, Monticello Lawn is a large expanse of alpine sedge and rush near the otherwise talus
Scree
Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
-covered summit cone. When viewed from the south, the mountain features an arrow-shaped bald patch pointing to the summit of the mountain.
Mount Jefferson has a direct ascent along the Caps Ridge Trail, whose base, Jefferson Notch, is the highest point of any public highway in New Hampshire at 3009 feet (917 m). This route, gaining only 2700 feet (823 m) vertically to the summit, makes for the easiest ascent of any Presidential mountain. However, climbing over the "caps" involves some exposed scrambling and can be steep and challenging at times.
See also
- List of mountains in New Hampshire
- four-thousand footersFour-thousand footersThe term Four-Thousand Footers refers to a group of forty-eight mountains in New Hampshire at least 4,000 feet above sea level...
- White Mountain National ForestWhite Mountain National ForestThe White Mountain National Forest is a federally-managed forest contained within the White Mountains in the northeastern United States. It was established in 1918 as a result of the Weeks Act of 1911; federal acquisition of land had already begun in 1914. It has a total area of...