The Galehead/Twins Winter Route is a 16.9-mile loop with 4,563 ft of elevation gain.
Submitted by shamuswilkie
16.9 mi • 4,563 ft gain • 8-13 hours • Gale River loop Road
Pemigewasset Wilderness Food Storage Requirement
Effective May 1st, 2026, all overnight campers in the Pemigewasset Wilderness must store all food, food containers, scented items (such as soap, lip balm, and toothpaste) and refuse in a cylindrical, hard-sided, non-pliable Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) certified bear resistant canister. Alternative methods, including bear hangs, for storing food and bear attractants in the Pemigewasset Wilderness will no longer be permitted as they have proven to be less effective than canisters. The only exceptions are the bear resistant food boxes located at the Thirteen Falls Tent Site.
Source: Forest Service
Feels like 33°F
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Today Aug 29 | Tomorrow Aug 30 | Monday Aug 31 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | |
| Temperature & Wind | |||||||||
| Weather | sunny | sunny | cloudy | cloudy | rain | drizzle | sunny | sunny | cloudy |
| Temp °F hi / lo | 47° 46° | 50° 46° | 53° 51° | 52° 51° | 54° 52° | 52° 49° | 50° 49° | 54° 49° | 53° 52° |
| Chill °F | 40° | 39° | — | — | — | 40° | 43° | 44° | — |
| Wind mph | 13 | 18 | 39 | 41 | 31 | 33 | 15 | 11 | 10 |
| Gust mph est. | 21 | 29 | 62 | 57 | 50 | 53 | 24 | 16 | — |
| Precipitation | |||||||||
| Precip in (rain/snow) | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | 0.1 | - | - | - |
| Freezing ft | 12,171 ft | 11,514 ft | 13,281 ft | ||||||
| Conditions | |||||||||
| Cloud cover | 2% | 2% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | - | 6% | 100% |
| Vis mi | 9 | clear | clear | clear | 3 | 5 | clear | clear | clear |
| UV | 5 | 7 | — | 4 | 6 | — | 5 | 7 | — |
Tap a day header to expand AM/PM/Night detail
| Elevation | Today Aug 29 | Tomorrow Aug 30 | Monday Aug 31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| lo/hi °F · wind mph & dir · chill °F | |||
| Summit 4,902 ft | 46/47° 13 | 51/52° 41 | 49/50° 15 |
| 4,100 ft | 47/48° 13 | 53/56° 38 | 52/53° 11 |
| 3,300 ft | 47/51° 15 | 57/58° 30 | 54/56° 8 |
| 2,500 ft | 49/54° 10 | 60/62° 19 | 54/61° 7 |
| Trailhead 2,000 ft | 50/56° 9 | 61/64° 15 | 54/63° 6 |
4 more days of forecast — plan around the weather window, not just tomorrow.
Full hourly summit forecasts: South Twin Mountain weather · North Twin Mountain weather · Galehead Mountain weather
The Galehead/Twins Winter Route is a 16.9-mile loop in New Hampshire's White Mountains, starting at Gale River loop Road. It climbs about 4,563 ft — an average of 269 ft per mile — which works out to roughly 8-13 hours at AMC book time. It summits 3 named peaks, topping out on South Twin Mountain at 4,902 ft: South Twin Mountain (4,902 ft), North Twin Mountain (4,761 ft), Galehead Mountain (4,024 ft). HikerNerd rates it Very Difficult on effort alone — check the current conditions above before committing, since weather above treeline changes the day far more than the numbers do.
Distance
16.9 mi
Elevation Gain
4,563 ft
Duration
8-13 hours
Trailhead
Gale River loop Road
The Galehead/Twins Winter Route is 16.9 miles around the loop, starting at Gale River loop Road. At AMC book time — half the distance in hours plus 30 minutes per 1,000 ft of climbing — that works out to roughly 8-13 hours. Most parties take longer than book time on rough or above-treeline terrain, in winter, or with a heavy pack.
The Galehead/Twins Winter Route climbs about 4,563 ft over 16.9 miles — an average of roughly 269 ft of gain per mile. That figure is cumulative ascent across the whole loop, not the difference between the trailhead and the high point.
HikerNerd rates the Galehead/Twins Winter Route Very Difficult, scored with the Shenandoah difficulty formula — √(elevation gain × 2 × distance) — applied to its 16.9 miles and 4,563 ft of gain. The score measures physical effort only. Above-treeline exposure, water crossings, and winter conditions can make a moderate-rated route the hardest day of your year, so check current conditions before committing.
The Galehead/Twins Winter Route summits 3 named peaks: South Twin Mountain, North Twin Mountain, Galehead Mountain.
The Galehead/Twins Winter Route starts at Gale River loop Road. Check the trail alerts on this page before you drive — trailhead access and parking in the White Mountains change with closures and construction.
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