2,830 ft | Benton | 0 routes
As of October 5, 2026
Trail conditions on Black Mountain (Benton) are currently rated Moderate. It's 45°F (feels like 36°F) with S winds at 13 mph. See the hour-by-hour Black Mountain (Benton) weather forecast for summit temps, wind chill, and the best hiking window.
Black Mountain (Benton) weather forecast
Hourly summit temps, wind chill & freezing level, trailhead to summit
Best time to hike Black Mountain (Benton)
Month-by-month conditions from our daily records
Feels like 36°F
Recent Precipitation
Rain: 0.09" (24h) · 0.09" (48h)
~2.8°F drop per 1,000ft
Conditions summary as of October 5, 2026
Cool early-October conditions with a clear sky now and fog forecast for Monday, with lows near freezing and a hard freeze on Tuesday morning. Wind chill at the summit drops into the 20s, and light recent rain plus cold nights could leave damp or frosty rock and leaves. Plan on a daylight-hours hike with fall-weight layers; roughly 11.6 hours of daylight leaves modest margin.
Expect roughly 3 degF colder at the summit than the trailhead, with stronger winds (about 32 mph vs 26 mph) and wind chill near 20 degF versus 25 degF. Start with a moderate base layer and pack an insulating layer and windproof shell to add before exposed or breezy sections and at the summit.
Best Hiking Window
Late morning through mid-afternoon on Monday, after fog lifts and temperatures peak near 50 degF, or Wednesday midday when the high reaches about 56 degF; start early enough to finish well before the 6:23 PM sunset.
Last synthesized Oct 5, 7:20 AM
Planning a hike here this week?
Trailblazer adds the full 7-day summit forecast, the best day to go for every peak, and conditions for each route up.
Trail: Guinea Pond Trail, Black Mountain Pond Trail, Algonquin Trail, road walk
Conditions: Dry Trail
“Up Guinea Pond Trail, left on Black Mtn Pond Trail, up and down Algonquin Trail, and a short road walk back to the car. This route is very gradual for the first four miles or so (to Black Mountain Pond). Then it gets your attention by climbing the ledges south of Black Mountain (1000 feet in 0.8 miles). As you climb, the views from the ledges get progressively better. I enjoyed lunch from one of the ledges just below the intersection with Algonquin Trail. From that intersection to Sandwich Dome, Algonquin Trail is a 1.7 mile ridge walk, mostly in the trees with minor ups and downs. Below the intersection with Black Mountain Pond Trail, Algonquin Trail is very steep and scrambly. It makes for a slow descent, but it is a lot of fun. (I learned after the hike that Algonquin is one of the electives on the T25 list.) After the steep bits, Algonquin trail is a more gradual descent to Sandwich Notch Rd. Obviously, most people climb Sandwich Dome from the north. If you are looking for a bigger challenge, I definitely recommend this route. It features a beautiful Black Mountain Pond, varied terrain, and countless views. Despite the reputation for being notoriously wet in the Guinea Pond and Black Mountain Pond areas, take plenty of water. I didn't find any water flowing fast enough to put through a filter.”
Trail: Chippewa Trail
Conditions: Dry Trail
“Surprised by how completely dry everything was after it absolutely stormed last night. Very dry grippy slabs and no mudpits anywhere made for summit zoomies up and down”
Trail: Wildcat River Trail, Bog Brook Trail, bushwhack
Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable
“Followed the previous report to the hairpin and started whack to recognized HP. Chose to take a straight line down to logging road system shown on Gaia to shave mileage on return and saved a mile off rather than going back the way we came. Found good and just ok woods until logging road system where things turned wet and nasty until logging road Wildcat Brook 233 which is an excellent road.”
Tap a day header to expand to 3hr or hourly detail
Today Oct 5 | Tomorrow Oct 6 | Wednesday Oct 7 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | |
| Temperature & Wind | |||||||||
| Weather | cloudy | cloudy | cloudy | cloudy | cloudy | cloudy | cloudy | cloudy | drizzle |
| Temp °F hi / lo | 49° 47° | 49° 38° | 36° 30° | 30° 29° | 36° 31° | 40° 37° | 45° 41° | 56° 46° | 54° 53° |
| Chill °F | 39° | 25° | 14° | 13° | 17° | 25° | 34° | 37° | — |
| Wind mph | 24 | 32 | 33 | 35 | 27 | 26 | 13 | 27 | 32 |
| Gust mph est. | 36 | 42 | 40 | 42 | — | — | — | 32 | — |
| Storm risk | mod | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Precipitation | |||||||||
| Precip in (rain/snow) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Chance of precip | 24% | 12% | 1% | - | - | - | 1% | 1% | 5% |
| Freezing ft | 5,123 ft | 3,883 ft | 9,954 ft | ||||||
| Conditions | |||||||||
| Cloud cover | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Vis mi | 9 | clear | clear | clear | clear | clear | clear | clear | clear |
| UV | 2 | 5 | — | 2 | 4 | — | 3 | 5 | — |
Tap a day header to expand AM/PM/Night detail
| Elevation | Today Oct 5 | Tomorrow Oct 6 | Wednesday Oct 7 |
|---|---|---|---|
| lo/hi °F · wind mph & dir · chill °F | |||
| Summit 2,830 ft | 47/49° 24 | 29/30° 35 | 41/45° 13 |
| 2,500 ft | 47/49° 22 | 30/32° 33 | 41/45° 12 |
| Trailhead 2,000 ft | 48/51° 17 | 32/34° 28 | 40/47° 11 |
4 more days of forecast: plan around the weather window, not just tomorrow.
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29°F
Summit low
Microspikes
Summit lows near 29°F, so expect ice on rock and the upper trail.
11h 28m
Daylight
Headlamp
Sunset around 6:17 PM, so a late start or a slow descent ends in the dark.
The rest of the list: Winter gear guide · How I pick gear
Conditions synthesized from: NWS Higher Summits Forecast, NOAA Open-Meteo, Mount Washington Observatory, NETC Trip Reports, NOHRSC Snow Depth, Mt. Washington Avalanche Center, USGS Stream Levels, OpenWeather Air Quality.
AI-generated from public data. Always verify conditions before heading out — backcountry weather can change quickly.
No routes available for this peak.
Rising to 2,830 feet in the Benton Range of northwestern New Hampshire, this moderately challenging summit offers a rewarding outing for hikers seeking a less-trafficked alternative to the region's more celebrated peaks. The mountain is part of the 52 With a View (52 WAV) peak list, recognizing its notable panoramic perspectives. The trail ascends through northern hardwood and conifer forest before reaching open ledges that reward hikers with expansive views of the surrounding hills and valleys. The above-treeline exposure near the summit provides a sense of openness uncommon for a peak of this elevation. The hike strikes a balance between accessibility and genuine mountain character, making it appealing to intermediate hikers building experience or enthusiasts working through the 52 WAV list. Its location in the quieter Benton Range ensures a relatively peaceful experience away from the crowds common on the White Mountains' major routes.
Elevation
2,830 ft
Range
Benton
Difficulty
Moderate
Coordinates
44.0674, -71.9426
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1 incident on file · drawn from NH Fish and Game releases and regional reporting
46-year-old female hiker from Acton, MA
Hillary Reid, 46, slipped and fell on icy rocks on the Chippewa Trail on Black Mountain, sustaining an injury. After attempting to continue, she and her partner called for help. Conservation Officers and Pemigewasset Valley Search and Rescue Team volunteers carried her down steep, icy terrain to the trailhead, where she was transported to Cottage Hospital in Woodsville, NH.