[5] Conservationist and community activist Katherine Sleeper Walden was instrumental in securing at-risk land for the forest, including thousands of acres in the region surrounding the locally famous Bowl near Wonalancet.

[6] While sometimes called a park,[7] it is a national forest, used for logging and other limited commercial purposes in addition to recreational activities.

It is home to wildlife species including bald eagle, raccoon, beaver, white-tailed deer, moose, black bear, coyote, peregrine falcon, Canadian lynx, river otter, bobcat, gray and red foxes, fisher, mink and porcupine.

[9] US Forest Service signs on hiking trails at tree line state that the mountain summit areas have "the worst weather in America".

[10] The claim is also used by the observatory[11] near the summit of Mount Washington which once recorded a surface wind speed of 231 miles per hour (372 km/h).