Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness
South of Mount Washington, at 6,288 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 Branch–carve sharply down through the heart of this Wilderness and offer contrast to the surrounding long, high ridgelines of the Southern Presidentials and Montalban Ridge. The Dry River is something of a misnomer, as anyone who has tried to cross it after a period of even moderate rain can attest. This, and the many other streams in this Wilderness are flashy and swift, and run cold and clear from snow that melts well into the summer.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | New Hampshire |
| Size | 27,605 acres |
| Designated | 1975, by Congress |
| Center point | 44.18° N, 71.32° 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 10 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 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.
Trails
16 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 64 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Davis Path ↗ | 14.4 | |
| Rocky Branch Trail ↗ | 9.6 | |
| Dry River Trail ↗ | 8.9 | |
| Webster Cliff Trail ↗ | 5.7 | |
| Isolation Trail ↗ | 5.3 | |
| Avalanche Brook Ski Trail ↗ | 4.7 | |
| Mount Parker Trail | 3.8 | |
| Mount Langdon Trail | 2.9 | |
| Mount Clinton Trail | 2.7 | |
| Mount Eisenhower Trail | 2.4 |
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
43 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
- 0.8 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.
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 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?
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 Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 44.178° N, 71.322° W. 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 2026-11-01, the nearest Coffee Pond Fire at 43 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness?
The National Register has 15 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.
- 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.