Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness
South of Mount Washington, at 6288 feet the highest in the northeast, the large glacial cirque known as Oakes Gulf lies at the headwaters of the Dry River. This river - and just to the east the Rocky...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | New Hampshire |
| Size | 27,605 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1975, by Congress |
| Center point | 44.1776, -71.3220 |
| 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.
Where to camp
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 14 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Show 4 moreHide
2 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 2 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 2 dispersed campings. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 4 miDry River Shelter #3 ↗Dispersed camping
- 7 miFourth Iron Campground ↗Dispersed camping
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedTnc W Branch 3 Rx
24 mi from the center point · 59 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
- 0.8 miTip-Top House ↗Sargent's Purchase, NH
- 0.9 miBartlett Roundhouse ↗Bartlett, NH
- 1.7 miCrawford Depot ↗Carroll, NH
- 6 miFabyan Guard Station ↗Carroll, NH
- 6 miRussell--Colbath House ↗Albany, NH
- 7.1 miAbenaki Indian Shop and Camp ↗Conway, NH
- 7.7 miEastern Slope Inn ↗North Conway, NH
- 7.9 miNorth Conway Depot and Railroad Yard ↗North Conway, NH
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness?
27,605 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness in?
New Hampshire.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1975.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Black Mountain Cabin, 4.8 miles out. 14 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.
Source: Where to camp
Where are the trailheads in Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness?
The Forest Service lists 2 recreation sites here, including 2 dispersed campgrounds. Each one links to its Forest Service page.
Source: Trailheads and sites
How do I get to Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 44.178, -71.322. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Tnc W Branch 3 Rx at 24 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 10 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Are there historic places near Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness?
15 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Tip-Top House and Bartlett Roundhouse.
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.
- 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.