4,025 ft | Franconia | 1 route
As of October 7, 2026
Trail conditions on Owl's Head are currently rated Moderate. At 3:20 AM ET it was 31°F at the summit (4,025 ft), feeling like 19°F, with NW winds at 12 mph. The listed route, Owl's Head via Black Pond Bushwhack, is 15.7 miles round trip with 3,122 ft of elevation gain, taking about 7-12 hours. Owl's Head (4,025 ft) is #43 of 48 on the NH 48 list. See the hour-by-hour Owl's Head weather forecast for summit temps, wind chill, and the best hiking window.
Owl's Head weather forecast
Hourly summit temps, wind chill & freezing level, trailhead to summit
Best time to hike Owl's Head
Month-by-month conditions from our daily records
Feels like 19°F
~2.4°F drop per 1,000ft
Conditions summary as of October 7, 2026
Cold, mostly dry conditions with clear skies and moderate winds on a fully forested summit, but early-morning frost, a trace of snow and ice on the trail, and the long wilderness approach with water crossings keep this at moderate. Daylight is about 11.5 hours, so an early start is essential for this long out-and-back; conditions deteriorate Thursday with rain and a cold front.
Expect trailhead conditions in the upper 30s to 50s with a freezing level near the summit, so start with moderate layers and add insulation and a windproof shell as you gain elevation. Because the summit is below treeline, the main transition is cooler temps and icy spots higher up, with wind chill near 20°F on top.
Best Hiking Window
Wednesday, starting right at first light (around 6:50 AM sunrise) to finish well before sunset at 6:18 PM; the Wednesday daytime window is clear and dry before clouds increase and winds build later in the day. Avoid Thursday when rain and a cold front arrive.
Last synthesized Oct 7, 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: East Side Trail, bushwhack, Lincoln Woods Trail, Black Pond Trail, herd path, Lincoln Brook Trail, herd path, Owls Head Path
Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant
“The LGH gang is back and we added a few new members to our most elite and prestigious gang. The rain from last night and this morning made everything wet and super muddy but the water levels were still fine and crossings were easy. There are some super muddy sections all along the way and some of the mud is avoidable and some isn't. The rocks were all wet and slick and never dried due to the humidity but we all did fine on Brutus. Descending wasn't too bad either - the dampness added a little grip to the soil but we had to watch out for all the wet roots. This was a GREAT day with a wonderful crew. It's a long day for sure but the miles flew by with all the great conversation and nonstop laughs. Huge thanks to Luke, Celeste, and Michele for feeding me all day long and making sure I had extra snacks for the ride home. If you see us sporting our yellow bandanas, you will know you saw one of the LGH gang. :) Congrats to both Luke and Celeste for both only needing one more hike to grid out August and congrats to Michele for hitting 47/48. I am only here for grid/list support. Well that and snacks.”
Trail: East Side Trail, bushwhack, Lincoln Woods Trail, Black Pond Trail, herd path, Lincoln Brook Trail, herd path, Owls Head Path
Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable
“We had been watching the water levels closely and things looked low enough for us to feel comfortable with fording the Pemi. The East side trail is a quick walk. We overshot the spot to cross and backtracked and made the call for where we felt comfortable crossing. We saw the downed tree that some folks had used but both agreed that was not going to work for us. We switched into old trail runners and crossed easily near the tree, then bushwhacked up to Lincoln Woods trail. We back tracked on Lincoln Woods to the Black Pond trail The trail was mostly dry with the usual wet and muddy spots. The bushwack was squelchy in spots but was mostly dry. Lincoln Brook Trail was muddy in the usual spots as well but much of it was dry and made for fast hiking. Brutus Bushwhack had good footing since the rain dampened things some and gave us better traction. Owls Head Path was the usual slog that feel way longer than it should. This route is a bit longer than the usual route but was by far the lesser of the evils to tag Owls Head while LW is closed. HUGE HUGE HUGE congratulations to Luke, who gridded out July today and we celebrated with an epic summit dance. :)”
Trail: East Side Trail, Franconia Brook Trail, Lincoln Brook Trail, Owls Head Path
Conditions: Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable
“Wow, was East side trail, Franconia Brook trail and Lincoln Brook trail flat and fast. Easy wide track for most of the way. Got a little rooty and rocky near the river on lincoln brook but otherwise a very fast and moderate grade to make good time. I was cooking at 2.5mph on my way in, and I'm usually less than 2. A few muddy/boggy spots, but nothing that couldn't be avoided. Great conditions. Took the Brutus Bushwhack down. Nice trail, easy to follow. One steep section with a newly downed birch was a little sketch. The Pemi was running at 120cfs this morning, made the crossing of the Pemi very easy. Switched to sandals and waded knee deep. Sat and cooled off on the way out. The river was very refreshing. Great Day.”
Tap a day header to expand to 3hr or hourly detail
Today Oct 7 | Tomorrow Oct 8 | Friday Oct 9 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | |
| Temperature & Wind | |||||||||
| Weather | cloudy | cloudy | cloudy | rain | cloudy | cloudy | drizzle | drizzle | cloudy |
| Temp °F hi / lo | 44° 41° | 49° 45° | 49° 47° | 46° 45° | 46° 42° | 42° 37° | 37° 34° | 34° 30° | 29° 28° |
| Chill °F | 32° | 35° | 37° | 35° | 31° | 24° | 20° | 14° | 11° |
| Wind mph | 21 | 31 | 34 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 36 | 34 |
| Gust mph est. | 34 | 50 | 54 | 50 | 51 | 53 | 53 | 58 | 54 |
| Storm risk | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Precipitation | |||||||||
| Precip in (rain/snow) | - | - | - | 0.2 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Chance of precip | 2% | 6% | 8% | 27% | 33% | 16% | 9% | 15% | 15% |
| Freezing ft | 9,690 ft | 6,660 ft | 3,854 ft | ||||||
| Conditions | |||||||||
| Cloud cover | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 55% | 91% | 100% | 92% |
| Vis mi | clear | clear | 9 | <0.1 | 9 | clear | clear | 5 | clear |
| UV | 4 | 4 | — | 4 | 5 | — | 2 | 4 | — |
Tap a day header to expand AM/PM/Night detail
| Elevation | Today Oct 7 | Tomorrow Oct 8 | Friday Oct 9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| lo/hi °F · wind mph & dir · chill °F | |||
| Summit 4,025 ft | 41/44° 21 | 45/46° 31 | 34/37° 33 |
| 3,300 ft | 41/45° 16 | 47/48° 23 | 38/40° 28 |
| 2,500 ft | 42/47° 12 | 49/51° 17 | 40/43° 14 |
| Trailhead 2,000 ft | 43/49° 10 | 50/53° 14 | 41/45° 13 |
4 more days of forecast: plan around the weather window, not just tomorrow.
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30°F
Summit low
Microspikes
Summit lows near 30°F, so expect ice on rock and the upper trail.
58 mph
Summit gusts
Waterproof shell
Daytime gusts near 58 mph above treeline, and a shell is what blocks it.
11h 21m
Daylight
Headlamp
Sunset around 6:13 PM, so a late start or a slow descent ends in the dark.
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, 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.
Remote peak in the Pemigewasset Wilderness. Known for long approach and slide climb. No official trail to summit.
Elevation
4,025 ft
Range
Franconia
Rank
#43 of 48
Difficulty
Very Difficult
Coordinates
44.1443, -71.6051
Been to Owl's Head?
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4 incidents on file · drawn from NH Fish and Game releases and regional reporting
a 56-year-old from North Conway, NH; also a 68-year-old man from Thornton, NH who was overdue from a planned overnight stay
A 56-year-old hiker slipped and injured his lower leg while descending Owl's Head Mountain via the Brutus Bushwhack in the Pemigewasset Wilderness, and was carried out by a 29-person rescue team after a companion sought help and a Good Samaritan with a Garmin inReach alerted rescuers. Separately, a 68-year-old Thornton man was reported overdue after leaving for a hike and not returning, prompting a search involving drones and canines; he was found uninjured about a quarter mile from his residence, having planned an unannounced overnight stay in the woods.
19-year-old male from New Ipswich, NH
A solo 19-year-old male hiker departed Friday afternoon for a two-day hike to Owl's Head but became trapped between Franconia Brook and Lincoln Brook on Saturday after heavy rains and snowmelt caused water levels to rise dangerously. He sheltered in his tent and was spotted by a trail runner Sunday morning about 4.8 miles from Lincoln Woods. Pemi Valley SAR members located a safe ford, crossed to the hiker, and escorted him back to Lincoln Woods by 2:00 p.m. Sunday.
20-year-old male and 18-year-old female, brother and sister
Two hikers fell into Lincoln Brook twice on November 23, 2024, soaking all their clothing and developing early-stage hypothermia approximately 8.5 miles from the trailhead. They set up camp and used a Garmin InReach to notify Dartmouth Outdoor Programs staff, who relayed a rescue request to NHFG. Two conservation officers reached them at 2:30 a.m., provided dry clothing, and the hikers were able to walk out, arriving at the trailhead at 7:15 a.m.
Two adult women, ages 30 and 46, from Massachusetts
Erin Tiernan (30) and Monica Trust (46) became stranded on an 18-mile loop to Owl's Head peak in the Pemigewasset Wilderness after rising water on Lincoln Brook prevented their return. They bushwhacked to the Franconia Brook confluence but wisely declined to cross the swollen river, spending the night out with proper equipment. Search teams located them the following morning and used a rope traverse to bring them to safety.