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Mt. Washington Volunteer Ski Patrol
Camping in Tuckerman and Huntington Ravines"
The east side of Mount Washington is the most heavily used back-country area on the White Mountain National Forest. On a sunny, spring day, 3,500 people may visit Tuckerman Ravine! Until 1972, there were no restrictions on overnight use in the area and it showed. Vegetation was trampled, soil eroded to bare rock, and trees were killed. Restrictions on camping have allowed many damaged and over used areas in and around the Ravine to recover from over use.
To protect the area, the U.S. Forest Service has established the Cutler River Drainage Area Forest Protection Area. Certain activities are restricted or prohibited in Forest Protection Areas on the White Mountain National Forest.
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.
Camping is permited only at the following locations:
- Harvard Cabin
(Huntington Ravine): this cabin is administered by the
Harvard Mountaineering Club under a special use permit with the U.S.
Forest Service. The cabin is open from December 1 to March 31 . The
cost is $10 per person per night for a tentsite and $15 per person
per night inside the cabin. The cabin caretaker collects the fee.
Visitors intending on staying at the Harvard Cabin need to register
by signing into the logbook in the basement level of the AMC Pinkham
Notch Visitor Center. Sign-up is on a first come, first served
basis. Pets are not permitted overnight.
- Hermit Lake
Shelters (Tuckerman Ravine): there are 8 lean-to style
shelters and 3 tent platforms administered by the Appalachian
Mountain Club (AMC) under a special use permit with the U.S. Forest
Service. A fee of $10 per person per night is charged. If you plan to
stay in a shelter or on a tent platform, visitors must purchase a
ticket in advance at the AMC front desk in Pinkham Notch. The
shelters are open year round and are available on a first come,
first served basis. While the facilities at Hermit lake can
accomodate up to 100 people, it is common for the spaces to fill
early, especially on busy weekends. When the shelters are full,
there are no other camping options in the area. If you arrive at
Hermit Lake without a ticket and the shelters are full, you will
have to go back down to Pinkham Notch and find another legal camping
option. During busy times, advanced trip planning will be critical.
Pets are not permitted overnight at the shelters. For more
information contact AMC at (603) 466-2725.
Camping within 1/4 mile of Route 16 from Glen Ellis Falls north, where it passes through National Forest, is not permitted.
Campfires are not permited anywhere in the Cutler River Drainage.
Please note that areas above treeline in the Cutler River Drainage are closed to camping regardless of snow cover.
These restrictions are designed to protect over-used and fragile areas. Please remember that no amount of regulation can preserve the backcountry unless each of us makes a personal effort to lessen our impact. Always plan your trip well in advance to be prepared for whatever you might encounter. Learn to be a "Leave No Trace" hiker.
Violating the Cutler River Drainage Forest Protection restrictions is punishable by fine pursuant to 16 USC 551. The area is frequently patrolled.