Mount Field

Mount Field is a 4,340-foot mountain in the Willey Range of the White Mountains, located in Grafton County, New Hampshire. It was named in honor of Darby Field, who in 1642 became the first European (recorded) to climb Mount Washington. Mount Field is the highest peak of the Willey Range and is often hiked along with its neighbors Mount Tom and Mount Willey. The summit of Mount Field is wooded, but a short spur path leads to an outlook with views towards Mount Washington and the surrounding area. Mount Field is the highest peak of the Willey Range, situated in the center of Crawford Notch State Park. It was named in honor of Darby Field, who in 1642 became the first European (recorded) to climb Mount Washington. The naming was proposed by 19th-century historians to commemorate Field’s achievement, and the U.S. Geographic Board officially adopted “Mount Field” by the early 1900s. Interestingly, Darby Field likely never climbed Mount Field itself – his route up Washington was from the east – but his surname fits nicely alongside Mount Washington’s other neighboring tributes (like Mount Willey and Mount Tom). Mount Field’s summit is wooded with limited views; however, just below the top a spur path leads to a fine outlook facing Mount Washington. The Willey Range has a poignant history: on the night of August 28, 1826, a catastrophic landslide in Crawford Notch killed the Willey family (for whom nearby Mount Willey is named). That event, which occurred just across the notch, was witnessed by early notch residents and brought national attention to the White Mountains. By the time tourism blossomed in mid-century, trails were being built in this area. In 1845, Professor Edward Tuckerman cut a crude path toward Mount Field’s summit (though it only became popular much later). The current Mount Field summit loop (via the Avalon and Willey Range Trails) was completed by the AMC around 1900. Mount Field also had a fire tower on its summit in the early 1900s – a simple wooden platform on tree stumps – but it was abandoned by the 1940s as visibility was poor due to regrowth. Today, Mount Field is often hiked together with Mount Tom and Mount Willey, offering a journey through history-laden forests that the Crawford and Willey families once knew well.