4,358 ft | Kinsman | 3 routes
As of October 16, 2026
Trail conditions on South Kinsman Mountain are currently rated Difficult. At 8:40 PM ET it was 47°F at the summit (4,358 ft), feeling like 38°F, with W winds at 18 mph. The shortest of 3 listed routes is Kinsman's Out and Back: 9.5 miles round trip with 3,287 ft of elevation gain, taking about 5-8 hours. South Kinsman Mountain (4,358 ft) is #22 of 48 on the NH 48 list. See the hour-by-hour South Kinsman Mountain weather forecast for summit temps, wind chill, and the best hiking window.
Feels like 38°F
Recent Precipitation
Rain: 0.06" (24h) · 0.52" (48h)
Snow: 0.2" (24h) · 0.2" (48h)
Conditions summary as of October 17, 2026
A cold front brings a rain-to-snow changeover overnight, with temperatures plunging into the teens and a possible brief glaze of freezing rain, so Saturday trails will be icy and snow-covered at all elevations. Strong winds and wind chills near or below 15°F at the summit, plus whiteout-style cloud cover, make Saturday a serious day; Sunday offers much calmer, clearing conditions. Short daylight (about 11 hours) adds to the margin-for-error concerns.
The freezing level sits near 4,000 ft, so expect a rain-to-snow and ice transition on the upper half of the hike, with trailhead temps around 40°F versus wind chills near 14°F at the summit. Start with moisture-wicking layers, carry an insulating mid-layer and a full shell, and add warm hat, gloves, and traction as you climb past roughly 3,500-4,000 ft.
Best Hiking Window
Sunday late morning through early afternoon, once skies clear and temperatures rise above freezing at elevation; Saturday is not recommended for anything beyond experienced winter-prepared hikers.
Last synthesized Oct 16, 8:40 PM 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: Mt. Kinsman Trail, Kinsman Ridge Trail
Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable
“First off, what a heck of an improvement to the Mount Kinsman Trail. No standing water, very little mud, and the bit of water that there was from springs was going where it needed to. This is one of the better trails in the White Mountains right now and worth paying to park, in my opinion. Hats off to the trail maintainers for their work on continuously improving the trail. Once getting onto Kinsman’s Ridge Trail, the water and mud returns. Not as much as yesterday across the notch but still enough to make you think on some foot placements. Wind was moving at a good clip and doing its best to dry off the slabs between the two peaks. Hopefully the parking lot owner will buy the trail maintainer group a nice steak dinner this fall.”
Trail: Mt. Kinsman Trail, Kinsman Ridge Trail
Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock
“A FINE day in the forest was had. I have not used this trail due to the landowners squabble. As a North Country resident who lives ten minutes away, these folks routinely air their dirty laundry in op-eds about eachother and have had articles written about them about how NOT to do business up here. I really did not want to patronize them or give them any support due to this. I likely still wont, but credit is due to the work they have done from the parking lot (which they complained about the old one was visible, but then moved the new one behind their house, which they where smoking pot out there at 8am). It's cruiser. Wet trails, minor erosion is starting to be evident (some more than minor) on KRT. Another trail being loved to death. No issues, car to car in about 5h”
Trail: Mt. Kinsman Trail, Kinsman Ridge Trail, Reel Brook Trail, Bald Peak Spur
Conditions: Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable
“I biked from Reel Brook to the new Mt. Kinsman trailhead. It's a quick, mostly downhill run. Bald Peak does have a nice western view, but IMO it would not be worth the $20 car parking fee (I'm from Maine) if it had been my only objective for the day. Of note, I did meet a hiker on the way up who used the old trailhead to access the trail without paying the fee. The Kinsman Flume is very impressive and somewhat scary since you can get right to the edge of its impressive drop. Nice views along the ridge and met many NOBOs and one SOBO. The descent to Harrington Pond is challenging; I think this might be a risky route if the ledges are wet. It took me longer than the 30 minute AMC guide time to descend the mile to Harrington Pond; lots of sitting down and careful sliding from foothold to foothold. Reel Brook was a very pleasant and easy walk down after the hours of scrambling on the Ridge.”
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Trail reports across the Whites this week · Trailhead parking
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17°F
Summit low
Microspikes
Summit lows near 17°F, so expect ice on rock and the upper trail.
56 mph
Summit gusts
Waterproof shell
Daytime gusts near 56 mph above treeline, and a shell is what blocks it.
-4°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 Kinsman peak, usually combined with North Kinsman. Lonesome Lake Hut is along the approach.
Elevation
4,358 ft
Range
Kinsman
Rank
#22 of 48
Difficulty
Difficult
Coordinates
44.1230, -71.7366
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Kinsman Ridge Trail (14.2 mi)
AI-generated from public data. Always verify conditions before heading out — backcountry weather can change quickly.