Gorham, New Hampshire

About Gorham

Gorham was incorporated in 1836 and grew as a railroad town in the 19th century before tourism took over. Part of the White Mountain National Forest lies inside the town line, and the nickname 'Switzerland of America' dates from the hotel era. Main Street (Route 2/16) runs through a compact village of diners, an Italian place, a butcher shop and motels.

The Mt. Washington Auto Road, opened in 1861 and billed as the first man-made attraction in the United States, is the town's main draw. Its base, with the Glen House hotel and Great Glen Trails across the road, sits south of the village on Route 16 toward Pinkham Notch.

Berlin, the larger mill city, is six miles north and has the area's bike shop and the Androscoggin Valley Chamber of Commerce. Moose Brook State Park is on the west side of town.

Riding in Gorham

The Presidential Rail Trail and the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail give flat to rolling gravel riding out of the village along the Androscoggin, and the town's own Gorham NH Outdoors site maps the in-town trailheads and parking. Great Glen Trails at the Auto Road base rents bikes for its carriage roads and singletrack.

Road riders come for the Auto Road itself, but it is a toll road, and the hillclimb is the one day a year it is reserved for bikes. Route 16 through Pinkham Notch and Route 2 along the river are the paved options; both carry traffic. Summer is short, mud season is real, and the summit is a different climate from the valley.

Getting to Gorham

Portland, Maine (PWM) is the closest airport at about 67 miles, roughly an hour and a half by car. Manchester-Boston Regional (MHT) is about 102 miles and Boston Logan about three and a half hours. Route 16 from the south and Route 2 from the east and west are the roads in. There is no transit to speak of; you need a car, and for the hillclimb you need a driver anyway.