Veterans Memorial Highway

The Toll House

Anytime we see the sun peek through the clouds we rush around to do something that needs a clear day for the optimum experience. Today was such a day and we took advantage of a clear blue sky to drive up the Veterans Memorial Highway to the top of Whiteface Mountain. Since we had hiked up a few days ago, the summit was sort of anticlimactic, but the highway was a great experience and I am glad we did it.

A wind-swept tree

The entrance to the Highway is through the gate at the Toll House. This Alpine-style gatehouse sits on the bank of the small Lake Stevens. The road from here to the summit is 5 miles in length with numerous pull-outs, most with picnic tables, for a view of the valley below or the mountain above. Even though the sun was out, there was a fog or haze settled on the valley, so it was not so good for photos. So I pointed my camera at several small waterfalls along the road or at the castle and summit house at the top.

End of the road at the castle and parking lot.

The castle is at the end of the road. It has two drive-through arches to create a U-turn area so you are set for the return trip down the mountain. The castle has restrooms, a gift shop, and small snack bar. From here there are two options to get to the summit—ride the elevator or walk. We took the elevator up. To get to the elevator we walked about 300 feet through a tunnel into the mountain. The elevator whisked us up quickly to the summit house. We walked the half mile “trail” back down to the castle after a few minutes on the top.

A drive-thru castle

In the tunnel to the elevator

The summit area of Whiteface, as well as the other high peaks in the area, is classified as an Alpine zone. Although at first glance it may look like a rock surface, there is actually a shallow layer of soil and on this soil is a whole different world of vegetation that struggles for survival in a harsh climate. We stayed on the rock, of course, to protect the vegetation, but I was able to get a couple photos of these delicate flowers no more than a couple inches off the ground. In the Alpine zone, if there are trees at all, they are short and scrawny. The winds have blown these trees into unnatural shapes creating a strange, sort of alien landscape.

Waterfall photo stop

The highway itself is paved but a very rough drive. The pavement is buckled in many places—probably a result of frost heaves. However, it was plenty wide with a stone wall along the edge in most areas so you don’t get that feeling like you might fall to the valley below. The pull-outs were long and deep giving plenty of room for several cars. It was not a heart stopping drive like Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. We enjoyed it.

Tundra flower