Mount Pierce

Mount Pierce is a 4,310-foot mountain in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains, located in Coös County, New Hampshire. Formerly known as Mount Clinton, it was renamed to honor President Franklin Pierce (the only U.S. President from New Hampshire). Mount Pierce is one of the southern Presidentials and has a gentle, open summit with excellent views northward to Mount Washington and the higher Presidentials, as well as westerly views toward the Willey Range. The Appalachian Trail traverses its summit as part of the Crawford Path. Mount Pierce is part of the Presidential Range, formerly known as Mount Clinton. In the 19th century, this peak was named for DeWitt Clinton, a prominent New York politician and governor (1825–1828). However, in 1913 the name was officially changed to honor Franklin Pierce, the 14th President of the United States and the only U.S. President born in New Hampshire. The change was championed by local historians and the Appalachian Mountain Club, and it was timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Pierce’s birth. Mount Pierce’s history as Mount Clinton included the establishment of the Clinton-Gibbs Trail in the late 1800s (an early route up from Crawford Notch). The mountain’s gentle, open summit has long been a highlight for hikers traversing the Crawford Path, which crosses it. In fact, the Crawford Path – cut in 1819 by Abel and Ethan Crawford – is the oldest continuously maintained hiking trail in America and runs right over Pierce on its way to Mount Washington. Near the summit of Pierce, one can still find the foundation of the old Summit House (a small shelter built in the 1800s for guests traveling the Crawford Path, now gone). When the name changed to Pierce, a new sign was erected, and since then New Hampshire has proudly pointed out that one of its own presidents is represented on the Presidential Range. The views from Pierce, especially toward Mount Washington and Mount Eisenhower, have delighted visitors since the Crawford family used to guide tourists up here on horseback nearly two centuries ago.