4,025 ft | Franconia | 1 route
As of August 29, 2026
Trail conditions on Owl's Head are currently rated Moderate. It's 52°F (feels like 47°F) with NW winds at 11 mph. The listed route, Owl's Head via Black Pond Bushwhack, is 15.8 miles point to point with 3,146 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
Feels like 47°F
~3.6°F drop per 1,000ft
Conditions summary as of August 29, 2026
Owl's Head is dry-to-damp with mild late-August conditions, but this is a long, remote hike involving a Pemigewasset/Lincoln Brook crossing that trip reports describe as unpredictable — recent light rain (0.16in/48hr) keeps water levels manageable but not negligible. Saturday offers the best weather window with sunny skies and light winds, while Sunday brings deteriorating conditions with strong winds and afternoon shower chances.
Expect noticeably milder air at the trailhead (upper 50s to 60s°F) versus cooler, breezier conditions near the summit (upper 40s°F, wind chill around 41°F); bring a wind layer for the exposed high sections even though this peak has no true above-treeline exposure.
Best Hiking Window
Saturday morning through early afternoon, starting near sunrise to take advantage of clear skies, light winds, and maximum daylight before Sunday's weather deteriorates
Last synthesized Aug 29, 12:20 AM
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, 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.”
Trail: Lincoln Woods Trail, Franconia Brook Trail, Lincoln Brook Trail, Owls Head Path
Conditions: Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Significant
“My friend and I did the 23 mile loop starting at Lincoln woods trailhead going past 13 Falls and around owls head and back to Lincoln Woods trailhead. Be ready for deep and tricky water crossings and lots of mud.”
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Friday Aug 28 | Today Aug 29 | Tomorrow Aug 30 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | |
| Temperature & Wind | |||||||||
| Weather | cloudy | cloudy | ptly cloudy | sunny | cloudy | cloudy | cloudy | drizzle | cloudy |
| Temp °F hi / lo | 60° 58° | 60° 55° | 53° 47° | 48° 47° | 55° 49° | 56° 53° | 56° 55° | 63° 57° | 57° 52° |
| Chill °F | — | — | 39° | 40° | 43° | — | — | — | — |
| Wind mph | 9 | 17 | 24 | 17 | 15 | 32 | 32 | 26 | 20 |
| Gust mph est. | 14 | 27 | 38 | 27 | 24 | 51 | 51 | 42 | 32 |
| Storm risk | high | high | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Precipitation | |||||||||
| Precip in (rain/snow) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Freezing ft | 13,006 ft | 12,488 ft | 11,119 ft | ||||||
| Conditions | |||||||||
| Cloud cover | 100% | 100% | 72% | 1% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Vis mi | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | clear | clear | clear | 3 | 3 |
| UV | 5 | 7 | — | 5 | 7 | — | 4 | 5 | — |
Tap a day header to expand AM/PM/Night detail
| Elevation | Friday Aug 28 | Today Aug 29 | Tomorrow Aug 30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| lo/hi °F · wind mph & dir · chill °F | |||
| Summit 4,025 ft | 58/60° 9 | 47/48° 17 | 55/56° 32 |
| 3,300 ft | 61/62° 7 | 48/51° 17 | 57/59° 27 |
| 2,500 ft | 63/64° 5 | 51/55° 12 | 60/63° 18 |
| Trailhead 2,000 ft | 64/66° 4 | 52/57° 10 | 61/65° 14 |
4 more days of forecast — plan around the weather window, not just tomorrow.
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
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3 incidents on file · drawn from NH Fish and Game releases and regional reporting
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.