4,340 ft | Willey | 2 routes
As of October 16, 2026
Trail conditions on Mount Field are currently rated Difficult. At 8:40 PM ET it was 47°F at the summit (4,340 ft), feeling like 37°F, with WSW winds at 21 mph. The shortest of 2 listed routes is Mount Field via Avalon Trail: 5.5 miles round trip with 2,382 ft of elevation gain, taking about 3-5 hours. Mount Field (4,340 ft) is #23 of 48 on the NH 48 list. See the hour-by-hour Mount Field weather forecast for summit temps, wind chill, and the best hiking window.
Feels like 37°F
Recent Precipitation
Rain: 0.09" (24h) · 0.66" (48h)
Snow: 0.4" (24h) · 0.4" (48h)
Conditions summary as of October 17, 2026
A cold front brings rain changing to snow with a freezing line falling to trailhead elevations by Saturday, so snow and ice will accumulate at all elevations along with strong winds and upslope snow showers. Saturday is poorly suited for hiking; Sunday looks calmer and clearer, but trails will still be icy and snow-packed and daylight is limited to about 11 hours.
Temperatures drop roughly 1.8°F per 1,000 ft, and the freezing line falls to trailhead elevations by Saturday, so expect snow and ice the whole way up. Pack layers for a summit wind chill in the teens and add or shed layers at treeline, where winds increase most. Mount Field itself has no above-treeline exposure, so the open-terrain wind hazard is lower than on exposed peaks, but ice and snow conditions are the same.
Best Hiking Window
Sunday late morning through mid-afternoon, once skies clear and winds ease, with a start after sunrise (about 7:00 AM) and a descent well before the 6:00 PM sunset. Saturday is not recommended.
Last synthesized Oct 16, 8:40 PM ET
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: Kedron Flume Trail, Ethan Pond Trail, Willey Range Trail, Avalon Trail, A-Z Trail
Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail
“Inspired by a recent Uki write up, I finally gave Kedron Flue Trail a shot and loved it! Some very nice switch backs, great footing, even in a storm, and an overall pleasant experience. And much like Uki mentioned, the climb up to Willey is doable even with the ladders in very, very rough shape. Willey Ridge Trail still gets me every time. There's always a few slips, rolled ankles and general slow going. Someday I'll accept it for what it is, but until then I'll just share the lessons it taught me today: -Never eat a jalapeno beef stick 3 mins before hiking -When a Nor'easter cancels your Ferncroft plans, totally fight back further north -Always go out in bad conditions in early Autumn to be humbled before the winter hiking season -The run from Crawford Notch to Willey house will make you feel like an Olympian”
Trail: Garfield Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, herd path, Frost Trail, Gale River Trail, Gale River Road
Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable
“FOT 48! Lots of folks out as expected. 38 @ the start but it warmed up quickly. Dry to start really fast to the top, love this trail. Lots of folks on top @ 9, windy cool but views were amazing. Lingered longer than I planned then across the ridge. Careful down the waterfall, not too bad just slow. Mud in all the usual spots, more than 3 weeks ago. Once again went right by West Peak spur. Up to East great views as always. Puds seem to get easier the more I do them. The last .6 miles to hut always kick my ass. Dropped pack at hut for quick trip to top. Great spot for the flag, just off summit in open area, it could be seen from the hut….so cool. Was planning on South & North Twin but I was past my turnaround time & really wasn’t feeling it. Quick down Gale River, this trail too is made for speed. Lots of roadside parking here too. Quick walk to car to end a perfect weather day.”
Trail: Kedron Flume Trail, Ethan Pond Trail, Willey Range Trail, A-Z Trail, Mt. Tom Spur, Avalon Trail
Conditions: Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable
“I was part of a Flags on the 48 hike for Field. Our group was large so we broke up into smaller crews. Our crew opted to ascend Willey first and then make our way to Field. Kedron Flume trail is so lovely. The footing is excellent. It gets steep fast but we really liked the trail and the crew was so much fun that the time flew by. We made it to Willey and took a few quick pictures and headed to Field. The stretch between Willey and Field as some muddy sections and is tight in places but is just so pretty. We made it to Field with our flag sections just in time and our flag was flying at 11:59am. Jo-Ann sang the National Anthem and many words and stories were shared. It was a very moving experience. We visited with all the folks hiking past and then at 2pm, broke down the flag and broke up into groups again. Some headed straight down but our smaller crew headed to Tom. The footing between Field and Tom is amazing and made for very fast travel. The Mt Tom spur is in great shape and we tagged the peak and headed down. The A-Z trail down from Mt. Tom also has really good footing and the Avalon trail is positively cruisy from there. This was an absolutely incredible day with wonderful and kind people. Flags on the 48 is such a meaningful way to commemorate the events of 9/11. Huge thanks to Jo-Ann and George for all the planning and organization that went into the day. See you again next year. We all agreed that they are stuck with us.”
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Trail reports across the Whites this week · Trailhead parking
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17°F
Summit low
Microspikes
Summit lows near 17°F, so expect ice on rock and the upper trail.
58 mph
Summit gusts
Waterproof shell
Daytime gusts near 58 mph above treeline, and a shell is what blocks it.
-4°F
Wind chill
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.
Part of the Willey Range, often combined with Willey and Tom for a triple-peak day.
Elevation
4,340 ft
Range
Willey
Rank
#23 of 48
Difficulty
Easy
Coordinates
44.1965, -71.4332
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Avalon Trail (2.5 mi) · Willey Range Trail (3.0 mi)
AI-generated from public data. Always verify conditions before heading out — backcountry weather can change quickly.