5,089 ft | Franconia | 3 routes
As of October 17, 2026
Trail conditions on Mount Lincoln are currently rated Dangerous. At 3:20 AM ET it was 23°F at the summit (5,089 ft), feeling like 8°F, with NW winds at 24 mph. The shortest of 3 listed routes is Mount Lincoln via Falling Waters: 7.7 miles round trip with 3,515 ft of elevation gain, taking about 4-7 hours. Mount Lincoln (5,089 ft) is #7 of 48 on the NH 48 list. See the hour-by-hour Mount Lincoln weather forecast for summit temps, wind chill, and the best hiking window.
Feels like 8°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 fresh snow and glaze ice on every elevation, subfreezing temperatures, and strong NW winds with gusts to 44 mph at Lincoln's summit (Washington is gusting over 100 mph), with summits locked in fog. The 0.5-mile exposed Franconia Ridge section would see wind chill near -8°F and near-zero visibility, and the ridge is a long committed traverse. Strongly consider postponing until Sunday, when winds drop and skies begin to clear.
Expect trailhead temps in the upper 20s to 30s, a freezing level that drops toward trailhead elevations, and a roughly 2.2°F drop per 1,000 ft, with summit wind chill near -8°F. Start with insulating layers and a wind shell, and add your heaviest layers, mittens, and face protection before leaving treeline, where winds jump sharply on the open ridge.
Best Hiking Window
Postpone if possible. Sunday late morning through early afternoon is the best window, with winds decreasing, clouds breaking, and temperatures climbing toward freezing. If hiking Saturday, stay below treeline and avoid the exposed ridge.
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: Falling Waters Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Greenleaf Trail, Old Bridle Path
Conditions: Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable
“Came up Falling Waters and took the new lower trail, what a disappointment! The trail is well built and is fine, but there is nothing to marvel about it. It is boring. It makes the trail past the last crossing entertaining (I used to call that section until Shining Rock, the boring part of Falling Waters). I think they should rename the trail "Falling Asleep". One thing is sure, the number of accidents will go down. With the new trail, you have about 100 feet of following the brook instead of more than a mile with the old trail. Whoever designed the trail forgot the character of White Mountains trails. You still can see Cloudland Fall as a side trip but it used to be many more water features on that trail. Now, its only purpose is to connect with the Franconia Ridge trail. Aside from that, the day was amazing. The ridge with blue sky and very few people was perfect. Came down Old Briddle and was happy to used the city park new trail there as well, my knees were appreciative.”
Trail: Falling Waters Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Greenleaf Trail, Old Bridle Path
Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable
“This was a great, unbeatable early fall day for this rather special OTHH outing. At the top of Lafayette, Marie finished her over-75 round of the 48, and Pat finished her over-80 round. We were a large group for this occasion, with four of us doing the loop clockwise at a faster rate (still kids, barely past retirement age!). Back at the parking lot, we did a tailgate celebration, despite being tired and thoroughly worn out by the long day on rocky trails.”
Trail: Falling Waters Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Greenleaf Trail, Old Bridle Path
Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable
“What an incredible day we had! This was supposed to have been our hike last Friday but Mother Nature vetoed that plan so we pivoted and hoped she would allow us to redeem ourselves today and she did. Falling Waters was surprisingly dry this morning so we had no issues with the tricky spots that are slick when wet. Up higher the footing was excellent and we made it to Shining Rock in pretty good time for a couple of AARP hikers. The winds were non-existent and the views plentiful as we broke out above treeline and we were just in awe. It doesn't matter how many times I have done this hike, it blows me away (sometimes literally) every time. We chatted with folks snacking on Little Haystack, met a nice gentleman from Kentucky and hiked with a 22 year old from Pennsylvania on his very first hike in NH on his birthday. The footing was nice and dry heading down the Greenleaf Trail until we popped back into the woods where it got sloppy. The top portion of Old Bridle Path is also rather wet and muddy and the rocks were a bit slick. Down lower, things dried out more and it was faster going. We hiked back out with our friend from PA. May he have safe travels as he drives back home tonight. This was just a stellar day - I told 2 guys heading up Greenleaf trail that I don't think they have a word for days this incredible. We need to invent a new descriptor. LOL”
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Trail reports across the Whites this week · Trailhead parking
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62 mph
Summit gusts
Plan a below-treeline hike
Daytime gusts near 62 mph above treeline. Pick a sheltered route or another day.
15°F
Summit low
Microspikes
Summit lows near 15°F, so expect ice on rock and the upper trail.
-8°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 spectacular Franconia Ridge, usually hiked in combination with Lafayette. The ridge walk between them is one of the best in the Northeast.
Elevation
5,089 ft
Range
Franconia
Rank
#7 of 48
Difficulty
Difficult
Coordinates
44.1488, -71.6446
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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.
6 incidents on file · 1 fatal · drawn from NH Fish and Game releases and regional reporting
four 18-year-olds from New Jersey
On August 14, 2026, four 18-year-old hikers from New Jersey became stranded on Franconia Ridge near Mount Lincoln after starting their hike at 3:30 p.m. without headlamps, sufficient food, water, or appropriate clothing. One hiker was experiencing difficulty breathing and sore legs. Five Pemi Valley Search and Rescue volunteers and a Conservation Officer located them at 1:15 a.m. and guided them out, arriving at the trailhead at 9:07 a.m. on August 15.
Andre Bissonnette, an 80-year-old from Orford Township, Quebec, Canada, hiking with his son Vincent Bissonnette, 45, of Drummondville, Quebec
On June 24, 2026, an 80-year-old hiker began experiencing chest pains while hiking Franconia Ridge near the summit of Mount Lincoln. His son called 911, and due to the hiker's incapacitation and the time required for ground rescue, the NH Army National Guard was called in. A helicopter hoisted both hikers from the summit and transported the patient to Littleton Regional Hospital by 6:05 p.m.
57-year-old male from Wells, Maine
On March 11, 2025, Lawrence Duell, 57, suffered a lower-leg injury while hiking between Lincoln Mountain and Mount Lafayette on Franconia Ridge. A nearby hiker activated a Garmin inReach to alert authorities. Pemigewasset Valley Search and Rescue transported Duell to the trailhead, from which he drove himself to receive medical care.
Anna Meier, 33, of Boston, MA
Meier, hiking the 9-mile Falling Waters/Old Bridle Path loop solo, slipped descending from Mount Lincoln toward Lafayette and injured her lower leg 4.2 miles from the trailhead, in 60-80 mph winds and temperatures in the 30s. Passing hikers reported it; rescuers assisted her out.
James Boule, 57, of Campton, NH
Boule suffered a lower-leg injury on Lincoln's Slide and was assisted out partly by ATV. One of three back-to-back Fish and Game rescue calls in Franconia on July 4.
Guopeng 'Tony' Li, 28, of Salem, NH (originally from Hebei Province, China)
Li set out alone around 11 a.m. on Christmas Eve on the 8.6-mile Bridle Path/Falling Waters loop in near-zero temperatures. A family member in China tracking his phone saw it die at 6:15 p.m. with him lost off-trail south of Mount Lincoln. His body was found around 6:45 a.m. December 25 about a half-mile off the Falling Waters Trail; family described him as inexperienced.