Beans Purchase is an uninhabited township in Coös County, situated wholly within in the White Mountain National Forest and much of it also within the Wild River Wilderness (map). The township contains about 65.3 square miles and is located between Route 16, and the Maine/NH border, SSE of Gorham. No services are available.

The township contains only a single seasonal road: its 4.3 miles are maintained by the National Forest Service and were badly weather damaged in 2017. Repairs are expected to be completed sometime in the summer of 2018.

The township is popular with hikers, is crossed by several trails, and has six free first-come-first-served campsites at Perkins Notch. It's notable for its many mountain peaks, including Mt. Moriah (3983 ft.), Middle Carter Mountain, (4541 ft.) Carter Dome (4826 ft. and the highest point within the township), and North Baldface (3606 ft ft.) and is crossed by a portion of the Appalachian Trail.

It also contains Wildcat Mountain (4,422 ft.), home to the famous ski area of the same name. The ski area base and lodge facilities however, lay outside the township.

The beginning of the Wild River starts here at No Ketchum Pond and travels about 17 miles before emptying into the Androscoggin River at Gilead, Maine.

For several years the area had significant logging operations, supported by the many miles of tracks of the Wild River Railroad. A large fire, accidentally started by loggers, destroyed unharvested timber in 1903 and the land was then sold to the White Mountain National Forest between 1912 and 1918.

Resources
Beans Purchase Arial Photos
Beans Purchase Topographical Maps
Wild River Wilderness & Carter-Moriah Range Loop Hike


Updated 7/3/18