Mt. Eisenhower: Diapensia Shrubland & Alpine Tundra System
Description: The open summit of Mt. Eisenhower is a great example of an exemplary diapensia shrubland, a common and diagnostic community of the larger alpine tundra system here and in the rest of the Presidential Range. Here, the dominant plant species is the low-growing and cushion-like diapensia (Diapensia lapponica). Other common species include mountain cranberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) and three-toothed cinquefoil (Potentilla tridentata). Several rare species can also be observed here, including the inconspicuous but nevertheless appealing mountain firmoss (Huperzia appalachiana). A small but also exemplary alpine/subalpine bog system occurs about 0.25 miles north of the summit of Mt. Eisenhower, at Red Pond.
Directions: From the parking area along Clinton Rd, hike to summit on the Edmands Path. It is 2.9 miles from the parking area to the open crest of the ridge, and another 0.25 miles to the summit.
Landowners: White Mountain National Forest
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Link: www.hikethewhites.com/ike.html
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