Mount Washington Auto Road

The Mount Washington Auto Road — originally the Mount Washington Carriage Road — is a 7.6mi toll road that extends from New Hampshire Route 16 in Green's Grant, just north of Pinkham Notch, westward across Pinkham's Grant and Thompson and Meserve's Purchase to the summit of Mount Washington in the White Mountains of the US state of New Hampshire. The road climbs 4618ft from an altitude of 1527ft at the bottom to 6145ft at the top, an average gradient of 11.6%. The road was completed and opened to the public in 1861.OperationsThe Auto Road may be traversed by private vehicles, and there are also guided tours in vans, called stages. The toll on private cars includes a bumper sticker with the text, "THIS CAR CLIMBED MT. WASHINGTON". Beware that on a usual day no bikes are allowed on the road. The exception is only the "Annual Mt. Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb".Weather sensorsThe road has a series of sensors located at various altitudes along it. The sensors transmit weather data via a solar-powered radio link.EventsThe oldest auto race in the United States, the Mount Washington Hillclimb Auto Race, was hosted on the auto road in 1904.Every year in June, the mountain road is host to the Mount Washington Road Race, an event which attracts hundreds of runners.