4,328 ft | Franconia | 3 routes
As of October 17, 2026
Trail conditions on Mount Flume are currently rated Difficult. At 3:20 AM ET it was 26°F at the summit (4,328 ft), feeling like 11°F, with NW winds at 24 mph. The shortest of 3 listed routes is Flume and Liberty Loop: a 9.4-mile loop with 3,539 ft of elevation gain, taking about 5-8 hours. Mount Flume (4,328 ft) is #25 of 48 on the NH 48 list. See the hour-by-hour Mount Flume weather forecast for summit temps, wind chill, and the best hiking window.
Feels like 11°F
Recent Precipitation
Rain: 0.06" (24h) · 0.58" (48h)
Snow: 0.3" (24h) · 0.3" (48h)
Conditions summary as of October 17, 2026
Fresh snow, ice, and a hard freeze have set in on all trails after the cold front, with sub-freezing temperatures from trailhead to summit and gusty NW winds on the upper mountain. Flume's wet slide slabs and summit area will be icy and slick, and fog will limit visibility, so Saturday is a poor day for this objective. Sunday looks calmer with winds easing, but trails will remain icy until daytime warming.
Expect about 27\u00b0F at the trailhead dropping to near 18\u00b0F at the summit, with winds increasing from about 23 mph to 42 mph and wind chill near -4\u00b0F up top. The freezing line reaches trailhead level, so ice is possible from the start; start with a warm base and mid layer, carry a windproof shell and extra insulation, and add layers before leaving sheltered forest near the upper ridge.
Best Hiking Window
Sunday is the better of the two days: winds are forecast to ease and skies to clear, but still plan an early start and expect icy trails until midday warming. Saturday is not recommended, and if hiking then, stay low and on forested trails in the late morning to early afternoon.
Last synthesized Oct 17, 3:20 AM 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: Bike path, Liberty Spring Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail
Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable
“Our original plan was Lincoln and Lafayette but I checked the winds again early this morning and they were higher than we wanted to deal with so we pivoted. This was an excellent call. Both summits (and Liberty again on the return trip) were socked in and quite windy. Last night's rain made everything wet. All the rocks were wet and the trail was muddy in areas. Despite that, we still had pretty good footing all the way up. We layered up right before the summit of Liberty and then delayered once we got back down. There are some muddy stretches between the 2 peaks. There are rocks in the mud to step on but you need longer legs to get them all. We picked our way through as best we could. The clouds were nice and moody and we had a great time catching up. This was a most excellent day spent with my friend. Lots of happy friendly hikers all along the way as well as quite a few headed to the tent site for the night.”
Trail: Liberty Spring Trail, Flume Slide Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail
Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable
“Did the loop today, up the slide and down Liberty Spring. The trails were wet from the rain yesterday. The trails are in good condition, with the exception of the fallen tree on Flume Slide at mile 2. I met a few people after summiting Flume, but was by myself all the way up the slide (I like that :-). Still many thru hikers coming up Liberty Spring. Looks like a busy weekend is upon us in the White Mountains”
Trail: Old Bridle Path, Greenleaf Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Liberty Spring Trail, bike path
Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable
“Rocks were wet but grippy for the most part. Trails are in great shape. No views on Lincoln or Lafayette this morning. Flume and Liberty were on and off with clouds moving through. To the person who left their or their dog’s feces in a green bag near the top of Lincoln, what a classy move. A great morning to be out in the fog and clouds. Rain held off which was nice.”
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Trail reports across the Whites this week · Trailhead parking
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61 mph
Summit gusts
Plan a below-treeline hike
Daytime gusts near 61 mph above treeline. Pick a sheltered route or another day.
18°F
Summit low
Microspikes
Summit lows near 18°F, so expect ice on rock and the upper trail.
-3°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.
Southern peak of Franconia Ridge, close to Flume Gorge. Often combined with Liberty.
Elevation
4,328 ft
Range
Franconia
Rank
#25 of 48
Difficulty
Moderate
Coordinates
44.1088, -71.6280
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Franconia Ridge Trail (4.5 mi)
AI-generated from public data. Always verify conditions before heading out — backcountry weather can change quickly.
5 incidents on file · drawn from NH Fish and Game releases and regional reporting
Casey Cullinan, 30, of Warwick, RI, and William Becker, 30, of Hope Valley, RI
Two hikers became stranded near the top of the Flume Slide on March 19, 2026, due to extremely icy trail conditions that prevented them from ascending or descending. They had micro spikes but not crampons, and had already spent one night camping. Mountain Rescue Service and Pemi Valley Search and Rescue Team used ropes, crampons, and harnesses to lower the hikers to safety, returning to the trailhead at 11:10 p.m.
43-year-old male hiker from Kingston, NH
Christopher Ricca, 43, of Kingston, NH, began suffering from heat-related illness on Wednesday evening while hiking the Pemi Loop between Mt. Liberty and Mt. Flume with his nephew. His nephew hiked out via the Osseo Trail to summon help while Ricca attempted to continue on his own. Conservation Officers and PVSAR members reached Ricca at the summit of Mt. Flume and carried him out via the Osseo Trail, with Ricca reaching the parking lot at approximately 6:20 p.m. on July 17, 2025.
Jonathan Long, 26, leading three youths ages 13-14 from the Boston, MA area
The group was descending the Flume Slide Trail about 3 miles from the trailhead but could not continue because they had no lights and no overnight gear. Because of cold temperatures and the group's unprepared state, a rescue was initiated; officers provided lights and food so they could descend.
52-year-old male from Canton, MA
On June 12, 2023, a 52-year-old Massachusetts man slipped on wet rocks and fell approximately 15 feet while ascending Flume Slide Trail about 3.5 miles from the bike path. Two Conservation Officers and Pemi Valley Search and Rescue Team volunteers responded, but the hiker was ultimately able to self-evacuate to the trailhead. He was transported by ambulance to Littleton Regional Healthcare for treatment of serious injuries.
22-year-old male from Acton, Massachusetts
Benoit Armangau, age 22, accidentally stabbed himself in a lower extremity while cutting evergreen boughs for bedding near the summit of Mt. Flume on April 30, 2014, leaving him unable to walk unassisted. Conservation Officers reached the pair at 1:45 a.m. on May 1 amid snow depths up to two feet and cold rain, stabilizing the injury overnight. Rescuers and volunteers evacuated him to the Liberty Spring Trailhead by approximately 1:30 p.m. on May 1.