5,712 ft | Presidential | 1 route
Feels like 56°F
~4.2°F drop per 1,000ft
Best Hiking Window
Friday, while high pressure still dominates — light winds (10–25 mph declining), crystal-clear visibility (55 miles reported), and dry trails create the best conditions of the weekend by a wide margin. An early morning start Friday is ideal to allow a full summit and descent well before any Friday overnight moisture begins. Saturday should be avoided entirely due to the incoming storm system bringing dangerous summit conditions throughout the day.
Trail: Lowe’s Path, Gulfside, Jefferson Loop, Randolph Path, Emerald Trail, Israel Ridge Path, The Link
Conditions: Dry Trail, Snow - Spring Snow, Leaves - Significant/Slippery
“Lowe’s path is in great conditions, pretty dry and smooth climbing. No more ice or snow anywhere but the Jefferson snowfield to cross, no issues there. I found the way down very interesting, and Emerald Bluff is a must see! Those less travelled trails are beautiful too, not eroded, almost no rocks or water, with a nice pine needles flooring. Great hike, combined with some other Adams family peaks and a small bushwhack to Nowell Ridge. Nice 360 views from there, a nice surprise.”
Trail: Jewell Trail, Gulfside, Jefferson Loop, Clay Loop
Conditions: Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable
“Had a great hike going up and down on the Jewell. Used Gulfside to summit Jefferson, then backtracked to Mt. Clay and used the Clay Loop to summit Clay. I had never done clay so I figured while I was just bagging Jefferson on the day I would. It's a nice hike up with some awesome views into the Great Gulf of Washington. Awesome views of Adams as well! Not a lot of mud but it's there. Mostly on the lower sections of the Jewell but very avoidable. Lots of people out today enjoying themselves. Shared the summit of Jefferson with about 15 other people at its max, including Adam Hoyt, White Mountain Youtuber. Real friendly dude, and he makes very cool videos, and for me as a mostly solo hiker, its helpful to have an idea of what I'm hiking into. All in all the trails in the Presidential Range are gonna be in good shape until Sundays rain. Enjoy!”
Trail: Castle Trail, Jefferson Loop, Gulfside, Lowe's Path, Presidential Rail Trail
Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow - Spring Snow
“up castle trail to Jefferson. bits of mud here and there but mostly dry, no snow nor ice anywhere on this trail. castles are looking cool like usual. still waiting on spring to come to the higher elevations. from Jefferson went across Gulfside to Adams. Gulfside was all dry except for a 50ft or so area of snow that's a bit sketchy to cross. from Adam's went down Lowe's path. Nice to see a handful of improved sections of trail on there. no snow nor ice on Lowes either. A bit more mud towards the bottom of Lowe's but nothing bad. Bugs started getting really bad the last mile or so before the rail trail.”
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.
Third highest peak with dramatic Castellated Ridge and spectacular views. Often combined with Adams or Washington for a traverse.
Elevation
5,712 ft
Range
Presidential
Rank
#3 of 48
Difficulty
Very Difficult
Coordinates
44.3042, -71.3167
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6 incidents on file · 5 fatal · drawn from NH Fish and Game releases and regional reporting
60-year-old Alain Dion and 46-year-old Nadine Dion of Quebec, Canada
Two Canadian hikers on the Caps Ridge Trail to Mt. Jefferson became lost, ran out of water, and grew tired on July 24, 2024. After an initial 911 call around 5:40 p.m., they attempted to self-rescue but called again at 8:58 p.m. when one became ill and they could not continue. Three Conservation Officers responded and assisted the hikers down to their vehicle, providing food, water, and headlamps.
63-year-old from Bridgton, ME
Gregory Larson, 63, collapsed of cardiac arrest near the summit of Mount Jefferson on the Caps Ridge Trail on August 29, 2014 while hiking with the Denmark Mountain Hikers group. Companions — many trained in wilderness first aid — performed CPR for about two and a half hours. A National Guard helicopter hoisted him out, but he died during the rescue effort.
20-year-old UNH student from Saunderstown, RI
Derek Tinkham, 20, attempted a winter northern Presidential traverse with Jeremy Haas on January 15, 1994 in a forecast extreme cold-and-wind event. Per the American Alpine Club, 'The temperature on the summit of Mount Washington the night Jeremy Haas arrived there was -42° F, and the winds were gusting up to 100 mph.' Underdressed and carrying sleeping bags rated only to -10°F, Tinkham succumbed near Jefferson's summit; Haas left him in a bivouac and crawled to the summit observatory, surviving with severe frostbite. The pair had passed trails to the heated Gray Knob cabin.
56-year-old from Burlington, VT
Basil Goodridge, 56, died of a heart attack on the Castle Trail on Mount Jefferson in March 1986.
27-year-old from Roslindale, MA
Louis Carl Haberland, 27, died of exposure on the Caps Ridge Trail on Mount Jefferson in October 1941.
55-year-old from Salem, MA
Harry A. Wheeler, 55, died of a heart attack on the Caps Ridge Trail on Mount Jefferson in July 1937.