Base map: USGS The National Map (public domain). Switch to OpenTopoMap with the layer button. Use for orientation only; carry a proper map and compass.
Summit weather
Loading the National Weather Service forecast for the summit…
Forecast: National Weather Service (api.weather.gov), for the 2.5 km forecast grid cell at the summit coordinates, which accounts for elevation. Mountain weather changes fast; check again before you go.
Trailheads: USDA Forest Service. Pass requirement: WMNF list of fee sites; at other trailheads we don't know of a fee. Check the official page before you go.
Sunrise & sunset today
Calculating…
Calculated in your browser for the summit coordinates (standard sunrise equation, Eastern Time). From a high summit with an open horizon, the sun appears a few minutes earlier and sets a few minutes later than the sea-level times shown here; the extra minutes are estimated from the summit's height.
Safety
Consider a hikeSafe card. It's sold by NH Fish and Game and helps cover the cost of a search and rescue if you need one, under NH rules. Carry the ten essentials, tell someone your plan and know when to turn back.
Huts, shelters & campgrounds nearby
Lakes of the Clouds Hut(Hut, Appalachian Mountain Club) — 1.8 mi
Shelter 1(Shelter, Appalachian Mountain Club) — 2.2 mi
Shelter 2(Shelter, Appalachian Mountain Club) — 2.2 mi
Shelter 3(Shelter, Appalachian Mountain Club) — 2.2 mi
Harvard Cabin(Hut, Harvard Mountaineering Club) — 2.2 mi
Shelter 4(Shelter, Appalachian Mountain Club) — 2.3 mi
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), typical home, as of the month shown; when Zillow has no figure for a town, we show the Census ACS 5-year median home value (table B25077). Income: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year 2020–2024 (via Census Reporter), table B19013. Population: same ACS 5-year release, table B01003.
Straight-line distance from the summit. Lakes and towns: NH Fish and Game fishing guide data. Boat launches: NH Fish and Game public access sites. Swimming: NH Fish and Game access sites and NH DES monitored public beaches. No badge means access is unknown, not that there is none. Check local rules before you go.
66.8 miles of USDA Forest Service–managed trail: the full length of every USFS trail segment that comes within 2 miles of the summit (computed from USFS trail GIS data).
Trail (USFS name)
Total length
Dry River Trail
8.4 mi
Crawford Path
7.7 mi
Gulfside
5.4 mi
Castle
4.6 mi
Westside
0.9 mi
Tuckerman Crossover
0.8 mi
Mt Monroe Loop
0.6 mi
Jewell Spur
0.3 mi
Lengths are each trail's full mapped length in USFS GIS data, not a summit route. Difficulty ratings are not published in this data, so we leave them out.
Summit sunrise & sunset by month
Mid-month
Sunrise
Sunset
Turn around by*
Jan
7:17 AM
4:29 PM
2:29 PM
Feb
6:46 AM
5:12 PM
3:12 PM
Mar
6:59 AM
6:50 PM
4:50 PM
Apr
6:03 AM
7:27 PM
5:27 PM
May
5:19 AM
8:03 PM
6:03 PM
Jun
5:00 AM
8:30 PM
6:30 PM
Jul
5:14 AM
8:27 PM
6:27 PM
Aug
5:47 AM
7:52 PM
5:52 PM
Sep
6:22 AM
6:58 PM
4:58 PM
Oct
6:58 AM
6:03 PM
4:03 PM
Nov
6:40 AM
4:19 PM
2:19 PM
Dec
7:13 AM
4:06 PM
2:06 PM
Computed for the summit coordinates with the NOAA solar formula, Eastern Time (DST applied). *Rule of thumb: be heading down at least 2 hours before sunset; start early enough to reach the summit before this time.
Best month to hike
Sep — the month with the fewest wet days (≥1 mm precipitation) among months where the average summit high reaches 50°F.
Month
Avg high
Avg low
Wet days
Jan
12°F
-5°F
39%
Feb
14°F
-4°F
42%
Mar
22°F
5°F
42%
Apr
33°F
17°F
48%
May
48°F
30°F
46%
Jun
55°F
39°F
53%
Jul
61°F
45°F
55%
Aug
59°F
43°F
50%
Sep
53°F
37°F
34%
Oct
41°F
26°F
44%
Nov
28°F
14°F
40%
Dec
17°F
2°F
46%
2006–2025 daily ERA5 reanalysis from the Open-Meteo archive, adjusted to summit elevation. Reanalysis smooths mountain weather; summits like Mount Washington are often colder and windier than shown.
Mountains for hikers & skiers
