1,890 ft | Belknap Range | 1 route
As of August 31, 2026
Trail conditions on Straightback Mountain are currently rated Good. It's 69°F (feels like 71°F) with NW winds at 2 mph. The listed route, Belknap Traverse, is 19.4 miles point to point with 5,295 ft of elevation gain, taking about 9-15 hours. See the hour-by-hour Straightback Mountain weather forecast for summit temps, wind chill, and the best hiking window.
Straightback Mountain weather forecast
Hourly summit temps, wind chill & freezing level, trailhead to summit
Feels like 71°F
~4°F drop per 1,000ft
Conditions summary as of August 31, 2026
Straightback Mountain is in excellent shape with mild temperatures, calm winds, and no meaningful precipitation impact on trails. This is a low, non-exposed peak with no ice or snow concerns, making for a comfortable hike with ample daylight. Best to head out Monday afternoon or early Tuesday morning before rain moves in Tuesday.
Temperature and wind are essentially uniform from trailhead to summit on this low-elevation hike, so no significant layering changes are needed; a light long-sleeve layer is sufficient for the whole route.
Best Hiking Window
Monday afternoon through Tuesday early morning before rain arrives Tuesday midday
Last synthesized Aug 31, 5:20 PM
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.
Tap a day header to expand to 3hr or hourly detail
Monday Aug 31 | Tuesday Sep 1 | Today Sep 2 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | |
| Temperature & Wind | |||||||||
| Weather | sunny | cloudy | cloudy | rain | rain | fog | drizzle | drizzle | rain |
| Temp °F hi / lo | 60° 58° | 68° 61° | 68° 63° | 61° 58° | 58° 55° | 55° 53° | 54° 53° | 57° 54° | 58° 55° |
| Chill °F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wind mph | 16 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 27 |
| Gust mph est. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Precipitation | |||||||||
| Precip in (rain/snow) | - | - | - | 0.2 | 0.1 | - | - | - | 0.2 |
| Freezing ft | 13,424 ft | 12,879 ft | 13,535 ft | ||||||
| Conditions | |||||||||
| Cloud cover | 37% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Vis mi | clear | clear | clear | <0.1 | <0.1 | 0.1 | 4 | clear | <0.1 |
| UV | 5 | 7 | — | 3 | 4 | — | 1 | 2 | — |
Tap a day header to expand AM/PM/Night detail
| Elevation | Monday Aug 31 | Tuesday Sep 1 | Today Sep 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| lo/hi °F · wind mph & dir · chill °F | |||
| Summit 1,890 ft | 58/60° 16 | 58/61° 12 | 53/54° 15 |
| Trailhead 2,000 ft | 58/60° 16 | 58/61° 13 | 53/54° 15 |
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.
Rising to 1,890 feet in the Belknap Range of central New Hampshire, this moderate peak sits within the compact cluster of summits that make up the popular Belknap 12 hiking challenge. Located in the Lakes Region near Gilford and Laconia, Straightback Mountain offers hikers a rewarding outing without requiring an all-day commitment. The trails here wind through mixed hardwood and conifer forest typical of the region's lower elevation ranges. While the summit is largely wooded, partial views of the surrounding Lakes Region landscape reward those who explore the upper reaches. The mountain's straightforward character makes it an accessible stepping stone for hikers working through the Belknap 12 list, while still providing enough elevation gain to feel like a genuine accomplishment. Its proximity to neighboring Belknap peaks also makes it a natural candidate for multi-summit days in this scenic central New Hampshire range.
Elevation
1,890 ft
Range
Belknap Range
Difficulty
Moderate
Coordinates
43.5064, -71.3005
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1 incident on file · drawn from NH Fish and Game releases and regional reporting
31-year-old scout leader and two 14-year-old scouts from a Boy Scout Troop based in Brookline, MA
Three hikers — a scout leader and two teenage scouts — became lost after leaving their main group at the summit of Straightback Mountain and going off-trail while heading toward Mount Anna and back to Camp Bell in Gilmanton. They were located by a State Police helicopter using night-vision and FLIR technology at 10:12 p.m., more than two miles from camp and about 200 yards from a main trail. The hikers were cold and tired but uninjured, and hiked out on their own with the rescue team.