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Is a permit required? Can it be self-issued? Is there a quota/limit on the number of hikers or permits available each day? I have to be in Portsmouth for a wedding over labor day weekend and I'm thinking of doing Huntington Ravine on Sept 6. I expect there will be lots of people to contend with, possible parking hassles, but what else? I don't want to drive 2 hours and strike out getting a permit...

Park at trailhead, hike the ravine with no issues or red tape. Get there early for decent parking.

Don't worry too much about the crowds on this trail.

You won't have much trouble once on the HR trail itself. However......parking at the Pinkham Notch visitor center on Labor Day weekend will more than likely be quite a challenge.

Great choice. We hiked that a few weeks back. Pinkham was absolutely packed with cars that day. However, we did not come across one other group while on the HR trail. It definitely has some aggressive sections. Maybe it scares people off or maybe many just head to the Tuckermans because of the name.

Thanks all, I have a follow-up question re parking on Labor day: I have to drop someone off at Manchester airport in the morning and may not be able to get to Pinkham notch until fairly late, like 9:00 am. What is the parking situation there? If the lot is full, is there any fall-back strategy? Can one park along the road without being ticketed?

People frequently park up on the shoulder when the lot gets full. Another option is to park at the Wildcat ski area which is practically across the street and should have tons of space.

Super, thanks for the info!