Great Gulf Wilderness
Cradled within the rugged crescent of New Hampshire's Presidential Range lies the Great Gulf Wilderness. This peaked carpet begins at Mount Washington, unfurling north and east to cover the flanks of Mounts Jefferson, Adams, and Madison. Then, finally, it enfolds the Great Gulf, the largest cirque in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The small and beautiful Spaulding Lake lies on the floor of this steep-walled bowl and is drained eastward by the West Branch of the Peabody River. Many rivulets tumble into the Peabody from both sides of the glacially carved valley.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | New Hampshire |
| Size | 5,658 acres |
| Designated | 1964, by Congress |
| Center point | 44.30° N, 71.28° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 10) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
None of the 4 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 dispersed camping. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 1 miOsgood Tentsite ↗Dispersed camping
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
20 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 49 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Great Gulf ↗ | 6.6 | |
| Randolph Path ↗ | 6.1 | |
| Gulfside ↗ | 5.3 | |
| Madison Gulf ↗ | 4 | |
| Air Line | 3.7 | |
| Israel Ridge Path | 3.6 | |
| Daniel Webster-Scout | 3.2 | |
| Osgood ↗ | 3.2 | |
| Howker Ridge | 3.1 | |
| Six Husbands | 1.8 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- WildfireCoffee Pond Fire
45 mi from the center point · 10 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 0.3 miTip-Top House ↗Sargent's Purchase, NH
- 6.4 miCrawford Depot ↗Carroll, NH
- 6.9 miNoyes, George Washington, House ↗Gorham, NH
- 7.8 miFabyan Guard Station ↗Carroll, NH
- 10.4 miHoly Resurrection Orthodox Church ↗Berlin, NH
- 10.9 miSt. Anne Church ↗Berlin, NH
- 11.1 mi
- 11.2 miMeadow Bridge ↗Shelburne, NH
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for New Hampshire
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Great Gulf Wilderness?
5,658 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Great Gulf Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Great Gulf Wilderness in?
New Hampshire.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Great Gulf Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1964.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Great Gulf Wilderness?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Great Gulf Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 44.301° N, 71.281° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Great Gulf Wilderness right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Coffee Pond Fire at 45 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Great Gulf Wilderness?
The National Register has 15 listings within 15 miles, including Tip-Top House and Crawford Depot.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.