AMC Highland Center at Crawford Notch

If you think I look like the hiking type, you’d better get your eyes checked. Nope, I stayed at the Highland Center for a wedding. An epic one at that. From what I can tell, the bride and groom were satisfied with how things turned out, but I’ll review strictly as a guest.
First and foremost, apologies to any actual hikers who turned up looking for a bed or a meal the days we were there. We had the run of the entire place and outsiders were shit out of luck.
This gorgeous lodge is located right off Route 302 and back during peak foliage season the surrounding landscape was absolutely breathtaking. A friend and I shared a four-​person room with two bunk beds. It would have been cramped if there had actually been four of us, but it was tolerable with only two. The beds were comfy as well.
We were directly across the hall from the women’s bathroom, which was clean and had ample stalls and showers. It was also spacious enough for all the primping that went on in there and the throwing back of pre-​wedding shots of moonshine.
The staff did an exceptional job with the menus for the welcome and reception dinners. The groom worked with them on it and the food was surprisingly delicious. We all had the tasty and plentiful breakfast buffet in the mornings.
While this experience sadly can never be recreated, I’d consider returning for another mountain getaway. However, their normal rates are rather high for my frugal ways. But all you engaged kids out there should check out this lodge as a potential venue. It’s somewhat unorthodox but believe me when I say you will have the time of your life.

The AMC huts are awesome. The problem with the Highland Center is that it is staggeringly expensive. My family of 4 stayed there for 2 nights and it topped $ 800. That is an outrageous weekend away. The food is good hut food. The beds are very comfortable hut beds. The shared bathrooms are very clean and well maintained. Is the experience worth $ 800? No way.

We stopped for some snacks and we just loved the southwest chicken panini sandwich. Excellent, nothing less.

The AMC hut system is a pretty awesome way to explore the White Mountains of NH. They offer lodging, dining, shopping (nice gift shop containing hiking/​outerwear merchandise), and even hold workshops and guided hikes. I am a member of the AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) and they are a pretty great organization that provides educational programs, trail maintenance, and other ecology programs. My membership provides me with ten percent off merchandise and a discount if I were to stay at the hut over night. This hut has a nice lodge with a roaring fire and clean restrooms, which are great after a long hike or snow shoe trip. The staff are always friendly and seem to really love their job. I can’t say much for the food or bunks because I’ve never stayed over night or eaten here, but I have had some great experiences with the staff and purchasing items in the gift shop.

I’ve been to a few hotel/​lodges and this one was BY FAR the best! We stayed for one night prior a mt. Washington climb. Staff was friendly, breakfast was good and filling and most importantly, it was the CLEANEST lodge i ever encountered! ⁵⁄₅

Great selection of mountain living themed merchandise. Prices were a little higher than I would have liked to pay so I didn’t buy much. I like that it goes toward maintaining the trails and the White Mountain area. The man behind the counter was not friendly at all. Stared at me when I smiled and said hello when I entered the store and didn’t say one word as I paid. Kind of off putting. Nice assortment of postcards and information on the walls about Mt Willard.

I’ve stayed at the lodge a few times. It has its drawbacks. It can be really noisy due to the doors that slam and the kids running around. But one thing that I remember as being good was the food. Last night we were there and I have to say that the food was not good. Dinner was some steamed vegetables (carrots + broccoli), pasta with sauce and meatballs, rice, ham, and some burrito. Oh yes, there was a pretty plain salad and a cake with blue berries. Frankly, for the price, some plain pasta with sauce seemed a bit disappointing. The steam vegetables could have been from a bag of frozen veggies. The cake was dry and tasteless. I’m not sure what happened, but the food at the Highland Lodge has really gone downhill. I didn’t eat the breakfast but my daughter did and said that it was equally bad.

I just spent a week in the White Mountains, and this AMC lodge was both a delight and a thorn in my experience up there.
This place was a «nature lodge» if you will… yet when compared to the other 8 AMC huts, was quite lacking in the sustainability department. Here, your sheets are fresh daily, not all lights are on timers, napkins and paper towels are wasted, and not very much emphasis is given to avoiding waste or using renewable energy.
On the flip side, after a few days of really roughing it in the huts — where you don’t get fresh sheets, and the toilets don’t flush — this was a nice surprise! The hot showers & breakfast buffet hit the spot. But, please don’t confuse this place with going camping!

Peakbagging in White Mountains for the weekend. We finished with Hale early and decided to have the Breakfast Buffet at te AMC Highland Center at Crawford Notch before going for Carrigain. The breakfast experience was horrible, we should have just eaten our whole wheat pitas and peanut butter.
— There is no indication of where to go for the Breakfast Buffet or where to pay. We waited at the front desk for several minutes before someone showed up to only pick up the phone and ignore us. I asked about the buffet as clearly we were pressed for time and wanted to get back on the mountains (thats why you come to the Whites, right?).
— Once we were told where to go, there was no one by the cash register and no signs or anything indicating the process. We just ended up piling our plates with food. The cook looked at us and said «you know this is a buffet, you can come back for more later».
— When the cashier did show up, we paid. Nearly 30 $ for 2 people to have breakfeast! This is really really expensive considering you can get 1 $ english muffin sandwhiches with ham, egg, and cheese in Woodstock. What makes the situation worse, is that they dont take Discover Card and they didnt advertise the price anywhere for the Breakfast Buffet.
— The food was bleh. Ended up eating like a vegetarian since the only meats were frozen sausage patties and bacon. If I am paying nearly 15 $ for breakfast, at least give me some real Canadian Bacon, ham, or kielbasa. The eggs looked like they may have been real but very consistent in mixture… would have preferred made to order eggs for paying 15 $. The food was all bland, had to use half the bottle of Tobasco to make it tolerable.
— When we went up for seconds, they were closing the Breakfast Buffet. The same guy that yelled at us earlier for taking so much food was heard snickering to others in the back of the kitchen — «the buffet is closed you know». If he knew the buffet was closing like 20 minutes after we got our 1^st round, why would he yell at us for taking too much food and that we can come back for seconds.
The whole exeperience was just horrible.
* Bad quality.
* Bad service.
* High cost.
* No value.
Just eat the Cliff Bars you packed from home for breakfast. You would be better off!

Good AMC lodge. Went here on a trip with my school’s outdoor club. CLose to a few good easy hikes. However, bit too leaisurely for someone more interested in more challenging hikes such as myself. However, for groups with begginer hikers, this is a great lodge to go to with accessible trails. Food is good too.

This is an Appalachian Mountain Club lodge. It runs many outdoor educational programs for adults and children. I have stayed here at 3 different occasions, all were in the shared rooms with bunkbeds. All 3 times were fine. For persons who prefer privacy there are private rooms available but they go quick so advance registration is required. I have seen those rooms too and they looked fabulous. Whether you like to take it easy on the outdoors or are earthy-​crunchy and just need a night of a bed and hot water this place is perfect.
This is a great place to stay to introduce family and friends to outdoor activities like hiking or snowshoeing, etc. The lodge has gear for rental which is great for beginners who haven’t accumulated all that is necessary. One weekend my well-​worn boots died (rest in peace buddy) and I borrowed theirs, which I liked so much, I bought the same one when I got home.
This lodge is a central place for so many trails that one of the most difficult things is to decide which one to go on. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable of the area and give good safe advice.