Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
World War I Firing Walls
Cercle solaire du Kiischpelt
Kiischpelt’s Solar Circle
Front of the monument from the ground
Niederwald Monument
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The Big Well
This Kansas Town Advertised the World’s Largest Well. It Wasn’t.
about 7 hours ago
Rats didn’t take over the city by being foolhardy.
Do New York City Rats Deserve Their Bad Rap?
1 day ago
The Secret Gardens Saving the World’s Rarest Plants
1 day ago
Solo travel can be challenging and sometimes lonely, but it also often leads to the greatest adventures.
Dear Atlas: How Do I Unplug on a Solo Trip?
2 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States New Hampshire Jackson Lizzie Bourne Memorial

Lizzie Bourne Memorial

Near the summit of Mount Washington, a stone monument remembers a life lost to one of the mountain's infamous storms.

Jackson, New Hampshire

Added By
bakedinthehole
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The memorial with the modern-day summit area in the background   bakedinthehole / Atlas Obscura User
The memorial with the modern-day summit area in the background   bakedinthehole / Atlas Obscura User
With the cog railway behind it   bakedinthehole / Atlas Obscura User
The poem   bakedinthehole / Atlas Obscura User
Above us all   bakedinthehole / Atlas Obscura User
Bourne’s original wooden marker, now in the Mount Washington Cog Railway Museum   bakedinthehole / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

High above the White Mountains that cut across the Granite State stands the deadliest mountain (per vertical foot) of any mountain on Earth. Despite only being America's 59th most prominent point, hikers, mountaineers, and outdoorsmen nationwide know to fear and respect Mount Washington, home of the "worst weather in the world." Not far from the mountain's summit, a memorial to a hiker who succumbed to one of the mountain's deadly storms serves as a reminder of the power of nature.

Mount Washington is the crown jewel of the White Mountains' Presidential Range. The range is infamous for its extreme weather, and is frequently used by hikers to train themselves for the treacherous conditions of mountains like Everest and K2.

The mountain's infamy has paradoxically attracted tourists from across the globe to travel up its deadly summit. On any given day, hundreds of people visit the 6,288-foot peak via the Mount Washington Cog railway or simply by driving up the Mount Washington Auto Road. But a certain amount of glory belongs to those who can reach the mountain's top with just two legs and a sense of determination. So often, however, is glory a thin line between life and death.

In the nearly 200 years of recorded history of the White Mountains, over 160 people have perished on the White Mountains, and over three-quarters of those deaths occurred on its most feared summit. Such is history that the names of so many of the deceased are all that remain. Even more infrequent than recorded names are the recorded stories of the departed. Thus, it is all the more impressive that the legend of Lizzie Bourne has remained a staple of the Mount Washington story for over a century.

Bourne, her cousin, and her uncle would begin a trek up from the Glen House (at the mountain's base) at around 2 p.m. on September, 14, 1855. Eight hours later, she would be dead, as the party's late start meant they couldn't reach the mountain's peak until after nightfall. A violent storm and bitter cold slammed the mountain around 10 p.m., at which point Bourne had died from exposure. Ill-equipped with the average dress of a woman of her era, she didn't stand a chance against the mountain.

As the sun rose the next morning, her relatives (who had made it to the top without her) found Bourne's body only a few hundred yards from the summit—roughly 10 more minutes of walking before the safety of the Tip Top House. Her body was removed from the mountain and buried in her native Kennebunk, Maine. Additionally, her family built a modest memorial to Bourne on the spot where she was discovered: A small pile of rocks and a wooden sign to commemorate her life. 

Bourne was not the first person to die on Mount Washington, nor did she die the mountain's most painful death, but her status as the first woman (in recorded history) to perish on Washington made her a symbol of adversity in White Mountain culture. Every day, hikers add rocks to the ever-growing memorial mound. Recently the original wooden sign was swapped out with a more permanent metal one (the original being on display at the Mount Washington Cog Railway Museum). While Bourne's body does not rest above the clouds near the top of the great mountain, her spirit always will. The memorial contains the following verse: "Here in the twilight cold & gray lifeless and beautiful she lay / And from the sky serene and far a voice fell like a shooting star / EXCELSIOR"

Related Tags

Extreme Sports Rocks Mountains Memorials

Know Before You Go

Access to the memorial itself can be dangerous and risky, there is no clear path. While only a short distance from the top of the mountain, it is advised visitors exercise extreme caution when traversing to see the memorial. The safest way to view the memorial is as a passenger on the Mount Washington Cog Railway, which passes only inches away from it.

Community Contributors

Added By

bakedinthehole

Published

September 28, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.cowhampshireblog.com/2008/01/15/death-on-mt-washington-the-tale-of-lizzie-bourne/
Lizzie Bourne Memorial
Jackson, New Hampshire, 03846
United States
44.272098, -71.302047

Nearby Places

Mount Washington

Jackson, New Hampshire

miles away

Thompson Falls

Jackson, New Hampshire

miles away

Garnet Pool

Greens, New Hampshire

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Jackson

Jackson

New Hampshire

Places 3

Nearby Places

Mount Washington

Jackson, New Hampshire

miles away

Thompson Falls

Jackson, New Hampshire

miles away

Garnet Pool

Greens, New Hampshire

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Jackson

Jackson

New Hampshire

Places 3

Related Places

  • Taipei, Taiwan

    Xianjiyan: Rock of the Deity’s Footprint

    A rock, a temple, and a window into Taiwan’s rich cultural mythology—wrapped in a serene city escape.

  • The blue spruce on the right symbolizes the spirit of John Denver.

    Aspen, Colorado

    John Denver Sanctuary

    Fill up your senses in this beautiful riverside garden, dedicated to the works of singer-songwriter John Denver.

  • Memorials at the symbolic cemetery

    Vysoké Tatry, Slovakia

    Symbolic Cemetery at Popradské Pleso

    A serene memorial that honors the adventurous spirits of climbers who lost their lives in the High Tatras.

  • The tip of Kilimanjaro

    Potsdam, Germany

    Tip of Mount Kilimanjaro

    A stone from Africa's tallest peak is immortalized in a Potsdam palace—but is it actually the mountaintop?

  • Peter Grubb Hut

    Norden, California

    Peter Grubb Hut

    This trailside hut was built in the late 1930s as a memorial to a young hiker.

  • Dolores, Colorado

    Memorial Rock

    A boulder so big and tough, they had to turn it into a landmark.

  • Crossing the Nelson Rocks Via Ferrata bridge

    Circleville, West Virginia

    Nelson Rocks Via Ferrata

    This harrowing climb along West Virginia's jagged spires is one of the only Via Ferrata on America's east coast.

  • Prominent “fang.”

    Nye County, Nevada

    Fang Ridge

    Red rock "fangs" jut out of the desert near the Extraterrestrial Highway.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.