4,459 ft | Franconia | 3 routes
As of October 17, 2026
Trail conditions on Mount Liberty are currently rated Difficult. At 3:20 AM ET it was 25°F at the summit (4,459 ft), feeling like 10°F, with NW winds at 24 mph. The shortest of 3 listed routes is Mount Liberty via Liberty Spring: 7.6 miles round trip with 3,118 ft of elevation gain, taking about 4-7 hours. Mount Liberty (4,459 ft) is #18 of 48 on the NH 48 list. See the hour-by-hour Mount Liberty weather forecast for summit temps, wind chill, and the best hiking window.
Feels like 10°F
Recent Precipitation
Rain: 0.06" (24h) · 0.58" (48h)
Snow: 0.3" (24h) · 0.3" (48h)
Conditions summary as of October 17, 2026
Saturday brings a hard freeze, fresh snow and glaze on trails, fog, and strong NW winds with gusts to 44 mph at the summit and wind chills near -5°F. Mount Liberty has no above-treeline summit exposure, but the Franconia Ridge Trail junction area is windy and icy, and winter-like conditions plus a late-autumn daylight window leave little margin for error. Sunday looks calmer with winds easing, making it the better option if you have flexibility.
Expect trailhead temperatures in the upper 20s to near 40°F, dropping to the upper teens to around 30°F near the summit, with wind chill falling from about 13°F to -5°F. Start with moderate layers and add insulating and windproof layers before the upper sections, where the freezing level means ice and fresh snow will be present nearly the whole way and winds will be strongest near the ridge junction and summit.
Best Hiking Window
Saturday late morning to early afternoon is the safest window if hiking, after an early start for maximum daylight, with winds easing later in the day. Sunday offers calmer, clearer conditions with decreasing winds and temperatures rising above freezing, making it the better choice.
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.
17°F
Summit low
Microspikes
Summit lows near 17°F, so expect ice on rock and the upper trail.
-5°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 anchor of Franconia Ridge. Often combined with Flume in a long day hike.
Elevation
4,459 ft
Range
Franconia
Rank
#18 of 48
Difficulty
Moderate
Coordinates
44.1158, -71.6422
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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.
2 incidents on file · drawn from NH Fish and Game releases and regional reporting
Two female hikers, ages 38 and 43, from Quebec, Canada
On April 27, 2026, Jessica Fournier-Chartrand (38) and Annie Petrin (43) became disoriented on the Franconia Ridge Trail between Mount Liberty and Little Haystack Mountain due to fading light and knee-deep snow. They called for help while navigating with the AllTrails app, which they reported contributed to their confusion. Two conservation officers reached the pair at 11:15 p.m. and assisted them down 2.2 miles of steep icy trail, exiting at 2:22 a.m. on April 28 without injuries.
Chris Siano, 56, of Bolton, MA
Siano, a chaperone for a Boy Scout troop ascending the Flume Slide Trail, began having difficulty near Mt. Flume and then a medical emergency on descent near Mount Liberty. An Army National Guard Black Hawk hoisted him near Liberty's summit around 4:50 p.m. and flew him to Dartmouth Hitchcock.