No Parking Pass/Fee areas in White Mt. region

This isn’t to fire the passions of those for or against the parking pass but merely to make an accurate list of those areas not requiring the parking pass/fee. This should be a helpful post for future reference. With a pass on my vehicle I rarely pay attention to whether it is needed or not but since it has expired I’m considering where I can park with out it.

I’m listing areas I am pretty sure of and adding a ‘??’ before those I am unsure about. I will update this top post with any definitive yea or nay. I will add any more that I missed.

No pass / fee required:

Rte. 93 (and access from)
Rte. 93 (and access from)
Kinsman Ridge – northern end
Greenleaf trailhead
Lafayette / Lonesome Lake parking lots
Liberty Springs trailhead / Whitehouse parking lot

Skookumchuck (Rte. 3)
Trailheads accessing Mt. Moosilauke (except Beaver Brook trailhead) (Rte. 112 & 118)
Mt Tecumseh ski area

Rte. 116
Mt Kinsman Trail
Bridal Veil Falls/Coppermine Brook Trail
Reel Brook Trail

Rte. 16 (and access from)
Pinkham Notch Lodge lot
Wildcat ski parking lot
Imp Face trailheads
Northern end of Carter-Moriah trailhead
Middle/Peaked Mtn, Black Cap, Kearsarge North (Hurricane Mtn. Road)

Bog Brook Trail (back side of Carter Notch)

Ferncroft lot (Rte. 113A)
Flat Mountain Pond trailheads

York Pond Road trailheads (Rte. 110)
There is no fee tube at the trailhead for York Pond Trail, Unknown Pond Trail, and Bunnell Notch Trail near the Berlin Fish Hatchery.
Mill Brook Trail
N end of Unknown Pond Trail

Rte. 112 (Kanc)
Lily Pond (N end of Livermore Trail)
S end of Sawyer River Trail (fee sign gone)
Pine Bend Brook Trail (side of hwy parking)

Rte. 302
"Five Corners" at Gale River Road (winter)
Black Brook trail
Hwy lot across from Webster-Jackson trailhead
Ethan Pond trailhead
Kedron Flume trailhead
Davis Path
Carrigain Brook Road off Sawyer River Rd (no longer a fee sign for whole road)
Nancy Pd Trail
Mt Tremont Trail
Mt Langdon Trail

Cherry Mtn Trail W (Rte. 115)

Rte. 2 (and access from)
Howker Ridge trailhead
Appalachia
Castle Ridge/Ravine trailhead
Starr King Trail (fee sign removed)
Crescent Range trailheads

- Wildcat (ski area)

Plenty of non 4k peaks too
- Middle/Peaked Mtn, Black Cap, Kearsarge North in Conway area
- Ossipee Range
- Squam Lakes region

Anything within the Franconia Notch and Crawford Notch State Parks are free since the tag is for trailheads on FEDERAL land (obviously State Parks are,well.....state owned). So this means everything from the Indian Head trail north to the rtists Bluff loop is free and everything from Arethusa Falls to the Webster Jackson (which is technically not in the state park so I am curious as to why it is not included) is free.

Brian

not to nit pick, but does the Beaver Brook side of Moosilauke need a fee/pass?
It a great idea to have this listed here for reference!

Jason Berard said:

not to nit pick, but does the Beaver Brook side of Moosilauke need a fee/pass?

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To my recollection there is no fee required at that trailhead which is parking for Moosilauke and southern end of Kinsman Ridge (thus listed already).

Edit: It looks like the fee is still required here

carole said:

No pass / fee required:
Trailheads accessing Mt. Moosilauke
Kinsman Ridge – either end
Hancock Overlook lot on Kanc

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There was a press release announcing no fee at Kinsman Notch and Hancock Overlook but in fact fees are charged both places. I finally found out that the press release was issued before the last higher-up was consulted and he wouldn't agree with the fee removal, but of course no press release was issued to correct it. Kinsman Notch has outhouse and trashcan and perhaps can justify a fee, while Hancock Overlook has no services and is free for short-term parking although there is no sign to this effect.

To climb Hancocks last fall, I parked on a wide shoulder just below the 1/4 mi fee zone, similarly for Beaver Brook last winter I parked at the plowed Beaver Pond parking about .3 miles away

?? Liberty Springs trailhead
?? Northern end of Carter-Moriah trailhead
?? Ferncroft lot
?? Ethan Pond trailhead

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Yes, these are all free
also:
"Five Corners" at Gale River Road (winter)
Carrigain Brook Road for Carrigain (no longer a fee sign for whole road)
Skookumchuck
Mt Kinsman Trail
Lily Pond (N end of Livermore Trail)
S end of Sawyer River Trail (fee sign gone)
Wildcat ski area
Black Brook Trail (back side of Carter Notch)
Kedron Flume Trail
Davis Path
Appalachia
Castle Ridge/Ravine trailhead
Starr King Trail (fee sign removed)
Cherry Mtn Trail W
Bunnell Notch Trail

RoySwkr said:

Yes, these are all free
also:
Carrigain Brook Road for Carrigain (no longer a fee sign for whole road)

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? Do you mean Sawyer River Road?

Thank you for your additions. I will add all a bit later to the first post.

carole said:

? Do you mean Sawyer River Road?

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At one time all of Sawyer River Road was a fee zone but the last couple times I was there that sign was gone and there were only fees at official trailheads.

So there is a fee at Signal Ridge Trail but if you use Carrigain Brook Road instead (see WMG or search trip reports here) you avoid the fee

RoySwkr said:

So there is a fee at Signal Ridge Trail but if you use Carrigain Brook Road instead (see WMG or search trip reports here) you avoid the fee

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Okay. I assume that is the name of the road about 1+ mile further in from the Signal Ridge Trail. It's not named on my maps.

I was at Beaver Brook the other day and I noticed the pay tube was still there...I didn't notice if the signs were still up to self register... so perhaps
it adds to the confusion when the tubes are still in place.

(Wonder how much it cost to put all those tubes at trailheads...oh well.....)

RoySwkr said:

Yes, these are all free
also:

Black Brook Trail (back side of Carter Notch)

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Is this the East Branch Trail off Slippery Brook Road or is this something further in. I have no listing for Black Brook Trail.

carole said:

Is this the East Branch Trail off Slippery Brook Road or is this something further in. I have no listing for Black Brook Trail.

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What I meant was the Bog Brook Trail
http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=44.2143&lon=-71.19563&size=l&u=4&datum=nad83&layer=DRG

There is a true Black Brook Trail which comes & goes from the guidebook which is also free
http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=44.28828&lon=-71.4939&datum=nad83&u=4&layer=DRG&size=l&s=50

Maybe what you should do is list all trailheads and list whether free/QWMNF fee/other fee. perhaps ME or DM would even host it

Bridal Veil Falls/Coppermine Brook Trail (Franconia) is on town land.

I love free parking as much as the next guy.
( especially from the " monopoly guy " )
However, for a day hike, why limit your options to what's free?
I don't mind throwing a few bucks in the fee-tube for a days parking.
Multi-night I can understand.
The last time my sticker ran out, I stopped at the Kanc off of 93. Had a new sticker and was back on the highway in 6 minutes.

I've never heard of Carrigain Brook Road...?

-Pine Bend Brook Tr on the Kancamagus is free.

happy trails

In the same neighborhood as the aforementioned Ferncroft, I kinda, sorta recall that the Flat Mountain Pond Trail parking lot on the Whiteface Intervale Road is fee-free. If you know differently, please speak up -- I haven't been there in a while.

Bunnell Notch Trail? Past the fish hatchery? I got a warning when I parked there in ’02 without having a parking pass. There was no collection tube, either. No ticket, just a warning.

Maybe it would be easier to list the places where passes are required.

I have added the info supplied so far. Thanks everyone. Any more additions?

Raymond said:

Maybe it would be easier to list the places where passes are required.

Click to expand...

Maybe another day

forestgnome said:

I've never heard of Carrigain Brook Road...?

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That's a surprise as it's your kind of place, 2007 WMG p. 225 bottom

Raymond said:

Bunnell Notch Trail? Past the fish hatchery? I got a warning when I parked there in ’02 without having a parking pass. There was no collection tube, either. No ticket, just a warning.

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YMMV, there is a fee sign at Mill Brook Trail parking but no sign or tube at Bunnell Notch Trail and I didn't get a ticket in 2 visits but of course that proves nothing

If you were at Bunnell Notch maybe carole should return "???"

carole said:

No pass / fee required:

Click to expand...

Rte. 116
>>Reel Brook Trail

Rte. 16 (and access from)
??York Pond Road trailheads (Rte. 110)
>> I believe Mill Brk Trail is free but Bog Dam Road is a fee road
>> N end of Unknown Pond Tr in Stark is free
>> Bunnell Notch Trail see note above
>> Mt Cabot Trail

?? Flat Mountain Pond Trail
>> probably both ends free

Rte. 302
>> Nancy Pd Tr
>> Mt Tremont Tr
>> Mt Langdon Tr

>> Mt Tecumseh ski area

Again, thank you, RoySwkr.

Anyone have any current experience at these trailheads to know whether a fee is required?

(Rte. 113A)
?? Flat Mountain Pond Trail

(Rte. 110)
??York Pond Road trailheads
??Bunnell Notch Trail