4,902 ft | Twin | 3 routes
As of October 17, 2026
Trail conditions on South Twin Mountain are currently rated Difficult. At 3:20 AM ET it was 24°F at the summit (4,902 ft), feeling like 9°F, with NW winds at 24 mph. The shortest of 3 listed routes is South Twin via Gale River: 10.5 miles round trip with 3,307 ft of elevation gain, taking about 5-9 hours. South Twin Mountain (4,902 ft) is #8 of 48 on the NH 48 list. See the hour-by-hour South Twin Mountain weather forecast for summit temps, wind chill, and the best hiking window.
Feels like 9°F
Recent Precipitation
Rain: 0.06" (24h) · 0.70" (48h)
Snow: 0.4" (24h) · 0.4" (48h)
Conditions summary as of October 17, 2026
Early-season winter conditions are in place on South Twin, with fresh snow and ice on the trails, subfreezing temperatures from trailhead to summit, and a bitter wind chill near -9°F on top. Winds are strongest Saturday and ease after Saturday night, so Sunday offers a much calmer, clearer window with temperatures nearing freezing. Short daylight and slick, icy footing leave little margin for error, so Sunday is strongly preferred.
Expect around 27-39°F at the trailhead dropping to roughly 15-29°F at the summit, with the freezing line near or below trailhead level so ice is likely the whole way. Dress in layers you can shed on the climb and add insulating and windproof layers before the brief open summit area, where wind chill is harshest.
Best Hiking Window
Sunday offers the best conditions, with winds dropping and clouds breaking; start early to maximize daylight, reach the summit by midday, and be off the upper mountain well before sunset. Saturday is not recommended because of icy trails, strong winds, and fog.
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: Guyot Shelter Spur, Bondcliff Trail, Twinway, North Twin Spur, North Twin Trail, Fire Wardens Trail, Hale Brook Trail
Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant
“We got sunrise from the shelter and what a sunrise it was!!! We made good time to the twins and wow was north twin trail getting more and more eroded! My soul died up the fire wardens trail but wow was it beautiful! Hale brook up towards the top Is still getting worse!”
Trail: North Twin Trail, North Twin Spur
Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable
“Happy October! It's a new month which means grid support has begun. This was one of Luke's 3 hikes needed to grid out the month so we got started right away. The trail was wet right out of the gate. All the rocks were wet and the mud was ample. Much of it for the first 2 miles is kind of avoidable but watch your step. The steeper sections of the North Twin trail up to the north peak were wet as well and there were wet leaves on wet rocks to contend with. We just watched our footing and were fine. The views off the back of North Twin were lovely and necessitated a nice long snack break. The mud between the 2 peaks is it's usual typical squelchy self. With some creativity you can kind of stay dry and clean. I still managed to mistake grey mud for a rock and dunked a foot. The south peak was lovely and breezy so we hung out for awhile to soak it all in. It was great to see Danielle and her crew out and about coming from Guyot tentsite. We had a most excellent day laughing and engaging in ridiculous antics as usual. SO SO SO happy for today!”
Trail: North Twin Trail, North Twin Spur
Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant
“37 @ the start, clear skies, beautiful morning. Fast flat 1st 1.9 miles mostly dry trail. River flowing but low, no issues crossing. Wet early in all the usual spots, gentle start, trail in great shape. It’s been awhile since I’ve gone this way and not as steep early as I remembered. It does get steep & never ending before it finally flattens out. Bright blue skis, views were incredible. Quite a few on North including two who finished their 48! Mud starts almost immediately on the Spur and continues most of the way to South. Several really unavoidable spots but rocks helped if you have long legs. Little more breezy on South but beautiful nonetheless. Lots of people on the way back to North. Hung out for a bit on the rocks enjoying some different views into both Maine & Vermont. Fast down no issues, several groups heading up. Perfect weather for my last hike of summer.”
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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 Twins Range with excellent views. Galehead Hut is nearby. Often combined with North Twin and Galehead.
Elevation
4,902 ft
Range
Twin
Rank
#8 of 48
Difficulty
Difficult
Coordinates
44.1876, -71.5548
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North Twin Spur (1.1 mi) · Twinway (6.4 mi)
AI-generated from public data. Always verify conditions before heading out — backcountry weather can change quickly.
2 incidents on file · 2 fatal · drawn from NH Fish and Game releases and regional reporting
winter backpacker, identity withheld pending family notification
The body of a winter backpacker was recovered on January 15, 2004 in the area of South Twin Mountain and the Twinway Trail in the White Mountain National Forest. The body was spotted during an Army National Guard helicopter search and airlifted to Concord Hospital. Weather conditions during the week were extremely dangerous, with temperatures dropping to -44°F and wind chills of -94°F on Mt. Washington.
37-year-old male winter backpacker from Athol, Massachusetts
Kenneth Holmes, 37, departed on a solo winter backpacking trip on January 12, 2004 from Lincoln Woods and was reported overdue on January 14. His body was recovered on January 15 near South Twin Mountain at 4,600 feet elevation; the Medical Examiner determined the cause of death was hypothermia due to environmental exposure. Rescue personnel noted behavioral signs consistent with advanced hypothermia, including removal of clothing and erratic movement, during a period of extreme cold with wind chills reported as low as -94°F on Mt. Washington.