5,367 ft | Presidential | 1 route
Feels like 57°F
Recent Precipitation
Rain: 1.09" (24h) · 1.45" (48h)
~2.4°F drop per 1,000ft
Mount Madison is showing DANGEROUS conditions
See exactly why with full AI conditions — hazard alerts, gear recommendations, and the best hiking window.
See Full ConditionsBest Hiking Window
Avoid Tuesday night entirely and all of Wednesday. Thursday morning may offer a narrow window if winds decrease overnight as forecast, but another cold front with scattered showers, thunderstorms, and ramping winds is expected Thursday afternoon and evening. If attempting Thursday, plan for an early morning alpine start to summit and descend before the afternoon deterioration. Monitor updated NWS Higher Summits Forecasts closely — conditions remain highly dynamic through the end of the week.
Trail: Valley Way, Osgood Trail, Gulfside, Airline, Lowes Path, Israel Ridge Trail, bushwhack, Edmands Col Cutoff, The Cornice, Caps Ridge Trail
Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail
“We went out for a half a presi and to do brushing on edmands col cut-off trail. We did 3 hours worth of work to the trail that looks abandoned… the spring is still flowing well with great water! We cleared to old cuts and was crazy to see the ground! We cleared just past the spring as we took a break we watched the group of 5 not look so happy with the trail just past it and we apologized for the rest of the trail as we did not have time to get to it today. We tried to make it clear to see which way to go. Hopefully can come back here to finish up the work but great gully still needs to be finished. Lots of people out today but beautiful day for it.”
Trail: Great Gulf Trail, Six Husbands Trail, Buttress Trail, abandoned Adam's Slide Trail, Star Lake Trail, Airline, Osgood Trail
Conditions: Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable
“A FINE day above the forest was had. Congrats to The Cone Demon's first 4k in almost three years! We all usta be somebody.... The old Adam's Slide Trail has been on my short list for a few years of ones I wanted to tackle and it did not disappoint. Nothing of note on any actual trails, everything in decent shape. Definitely a Presi day, parking extended probably 1/4 - 1/3 a mile each way from Appalachia. We only saw a handful until Adam's summit. Slide 'trail' is in better shape - in sections - then some wilderness trail. It clearly has been utilized a bit since its 1960's closure. If you're comfortable with off trail navigation, you shouldn't have too much trouble here. This is a pants hike. Several sections I was not even on the ground. Also, make sure you stretch before you go, and can get your ankles above your head, because it's a full body workout! It rises 2,410 vert in 1.25 miles.”
Trail: Airline, Gulfside, Lowe's Path, Osgood Trail, Valley Way
Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable
“I had been watching the weather since the weekend and the message that this was a PRESI day was loud and clear. I had planned on a JAM but couldn't get my act together so I settled for Adams and Madison. Airline is in really good shape. The footing was good since the rocks were dry. I opted to take Gulfside to Lowe's Path because the weather was just too nice and I wanted to really enjoy the views. Both trails were nice and dry with good grip. I descended Airline to Gulfside to be more direct and also had good footing here. At the hut I bumped into Stephanie, who had planned to head to Adams first and then ascend Madison, but pivoted so we could hike together. Osgood trail was nice and grippy and we had the best time catching up and laughing over our interesting conversations. I parted ways with her to descende Valley Way while she continued on to tag Adams. Valley Way was a bit of a slog today. The dry conditions made the rocks covered with dirt or debris, a little slick. There were a few areas of mud that were no big deal. Once I got down off the steep sections, the footing was much better and I was able to cruise back to the parking lot. This was a gift of a day. The trails weren't super crowded and it was so nice to talk to so many happy hikers.”
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.
Northernmost Presidential peak with extensive above-treeline exposure. Madison Spring Hut provides shelter along most routes.
Elevation
5,367 ft
Range
Presidential
Rank
#5 of 48
Difficulty
Very Difficult
Coordinates
44.3288, -71.2767
5,774 ft · Presidential
0.9 mi away
5,712 ft · Presidential
2.6 mi away
2,404 ft · Pine Mountain
4 mi away
6,288 ft · Presidential
4.2 mi away
3,165 ft · Carter-Moriah Range
4.3 mi away
Been to Mount Madison?
Be the first to share your experience!
10 incidents on file · 6 fatal · drawn from NH Fish and Game releases and regional reporting
Richard Perrault, 70, of Clinton, Connecticut
Perrault collapsed while hiking alone on the Valley Way Trail in Low and Burbanks Grant; bystanders found him unresponsive, called 911, and began CPR. An Army National Guard Black Hawk picked him up around 3:15 p.m. and flew him to a waiting ambulance, but he died.
Jason McDonald, 48, of Aurora, CO
On September 21, 2024, Jason McDonald, 48, tripped and fell on a rocky incline on the Osgood Trail near its intersection with the Howker Ridge Trail on Mt. Madison, sustaining a significant lower leg injury that left him unable to walk. He activated a personal locator beacon and called 911; approximately 30 volunteers and 6 Conservation Officers from NH and ME responded. After an all-night litter carry, McDonald reached the Great Gulf trailhead at approximately 5:20 a.m. on September 22 and was transported to Androscoggin Valley Hospital.
21-year-old male from Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
Jason Apreku, 21, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, collapsed from an unknown medical emergency while hiking with friends on the Osgood Trail toward Mt. Madison on August 11, 2023 at approximately 4:30 p.m. CPR and AED efforts were performed for multiple hours by friends, AMC personnel, and rescue teams, and a National Guard helicopter was unable to reach him due to extreme wind gusts up to 90 mph and low cloud cover. Apreku was pronounced dead on scene and his body was carried to Madison Spring Hut overnight, then airlifted off the mountain the morning of August 12.
54-year-old woman from Quebec, Canada
Susan Beaudoin, 54, slipped and fell from a perched rock on the Daniel Webster Scout Trail on Mount Madison, sustaining a very serious and potentially life-threatening leg injury. Her husband ran up the trail to find cell coverage and called 911. She was hoisted by New Hampshire Army National Guard helicopter and transported to Memorial Hospital in North Conway.
Andrew Carlson, of Madeira Beach, Florida
Carlson was caught in an early-season storm; per NH Fish and Game, 'the weather conditions on the ridge were brutal mid-winter conditions with a wind chill of minus 1 degree Fahrenheit, wind speed steady around 40 mph, and snow accumulation approaching 3 feet in higher elevations.' He activated a SPOT beacon around 9 a.m. and sheltered beneath the closed Madison Spring Hut. AVSAR reached him about 1:40 p.m., cold but uninjured, and he hiked out under his own power, reaching the trailhead around 4:30 p.m.
Two hikers, male age 28 and female age 27, both of Brownsville, Vermont; also a second separate incident involving a 23-year-old special needs male hiker on Mt. Sunapee who became separated from his caregivers
On October 7, 2013, Raymond Barnard (28) and Stephanie Watkins (27) were caught by a severe storm with winds near 90 mph and heavy rain on the exposed summit of Mt. Madison, causing them to shelter among rocks on the Pine Link Trail. Rescuers located them just after 1:00 AM approximately a quarter mile from Madison Springs Hut; they were cold and wet but able to walk out, arriving at the trailhead around 4:40 AM. A separate incident the same day involved Matthew Weinstein, a 23-year-old special needs hiker who became separated from his caregivers on Mt. Sunapee and was found approximately five miles away in good health.
66-year-old from Hanover, NH
Douglas Thompson, 66, died of cardiac arrest near the summit of Mount Madison in October 1999.
52-year-old from Brookline, MA
McDonald Barr, 52, died of exposure on Mount Madison during a summer snowstorm in August 1986.
21-year-old from Concord, MA
Thomas Flint, 21, died of a fall compounded by exposure on Mount Madison in June 1956.
22-year-old from Astoria, NY
Joseph Caggiano, 22, died of exhaustion and exposure on the Gulfside Trail near Madison Hut in August 1938 while crossing the Presidentials from Mount Washington.