Mankind is not easily humbled, but colossal Mount Washington is one physical feature that can do it. It’s 6,288 feet tall, massive at its base, has been buffeted by a 231-mph wind, and is said to be “home of the world’s worst weather.” Now that the Old Man of the Mountain has met his maker, Mountain Washington is about as iconic as it gets in New Hampshire.

Hiking 8 miles or more to the top tests humans, largely because fast-changing weather can overwhelm the unprepared. About 150 are known to have died on the mountain. An auto road and a cog railway provide easier access, but it’s a day trip only for all but a relative few who stay at hikers’ huts on the mountain, or the very few who stay at the weather observatory on top.

The owners of the Mount Washington Cog Railway hope to add to the mountain experience, with a 35-room hotel 5,600 feet up on the railway right-of-way. “The state is not investing the money in facilities that are needed to serve the tourists that are coming here,’’ said Wayne Presby, president of the railway company.

In this case, the state is entirely right. It’s hard to imagine how Mount Washington can in any way be improved through more tourist services, but there’s much that could be done to degrade it. According to The Associated Press, environmentalists and hikers who are campaigning against the proposed hotel say it would hurt scenic views and damage fragile alpine ecology. Environmental groups fear that it would threaten plants, birds and butterflies, including, according to the AP, “40 plant species that are found nowhere else in the state, as well as two butterfly species found nowhere else in the world.” To put the view and the environment at risk seems beyond senseless.

There have been accommodations on the mountain previously, including the Summit House that burned in 1908. In the mid-19th century, Mount Washington was one of the earliest tourist destinations in America. That was in an era when people were confident they could tame nature, even the great peaks, and enjoy adventures with all — or most of — the comforts of home.

But over time, people have come to recognize the greater challenge of appreciating nature without harming it. If anything, we hope, people are coming to emphasize protection over exploitation, although this is tested again and again as commercial interests pursue profits. As for Mount Washington, people can already get to the peak in several ways, or they can admire it from afar — either way gaining valuable perspective on how large the mountain is, and by comparison how small they are. People should visit respectfully, and respectfully leave.