Intro: What IS the Presidential Traverse?

A Presidential Traverse is a ridgeline hike of the Presidential Mountain Range in the White Mountains of New Hampshire that crosses the summit of all peaks named for a U.S. president. Not all of the mountains in the Presidential Range are named for a president, however. Additionally, the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) requires that a peak have 200ft of prominence to be considered an independent mountain peak. As a result, some of the named “peaks” in the Presidential Range are technically sub-peaks of other mountains.

The peaks that hikers would encounter along a Presidential Traverse are listed below from north to south. Those named for presidents, and therefore essential to a “presidential” traverse, are listed in bold. Those that are traditionally referred to by an independent name but are actually sub-peaks of other mountains are listed in italics. Those that are not named for a president but are independent peaks are underlined. The peaks are: Madison, Adams, Jefferson, Clay (sub-peak of Washington), Washington, Monroe, Franklin (sub-peak of Monroe),Eisenhower, Pierce, Jackson (named for geologist Charles Thomas Jackson, not president Andrew Jackson), Webster (named for famous New Hampshire politician Daniel Webster). Most Presidential Traverses do not cross the final two peaks, Jackson and Webster, because while they are in the Presidential Range, they are not named for presidents. Additionally, crossing Jackson and Webster would bring the total mileage over 20 miles.