The Hancock's Loop is a 9.3-mile point-to-point with 2,493 ft of elevation gain.
9.3 mi • 2,493 ft gain • 4-8 hours • Hancock Notch Trailhead
Feels like 35°F
Best Hiking Window
Saturday early morning through early afternoon, starting near sunrise to take advantage of light winds and dry conditions before any afternoon cloud increase
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.
Summit-level conditions by time of day at 4,420' elevation
Tap a day header to expand to 3hr or hourly detail
Today Aug 29 | Tomorrow Aug 30 | Monday Aug 31 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | |
| Temperature & Wind | |||||||||
| Weather | sunny | cloudy | cloudy | cloudy | rain | drizzle | sunny | sunny | cloudy |
| Temp °F hi / lo | 49° 48° | 53° 49° | 55° 54° | 55° 53° | 57° 54° | 55° 52° | 53° 51° | 58° 55° | 56° 55° |
| Chill °F | 43° | 43° | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wind mph | 12 | 18 | 37 | 38 | 30 | 34 | 16 | 12 | 8 |
| Gust mph est. | 19 | 29 | 59 | 61 | 48 | 54 | 26 | 19 | — |
| Precipitation | |||||||||
| Precip in (rain/snow) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Freezing ft | 12,508 ft | 11,758 ft | 13,232 ft | ||||||
| Conditions | |||||||||
| Cloud cover | 1% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | - | 6% | 100% |
| Vis mi | 10 | clear | clear | clear | 7 | clear | 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 4,420 ft | 48/49° 12 | 53/55° 38 | 51/53° 16 |
| 4,100 ft | 49/49° 12 | 54/56° 37 | 52/54° 13 |
| 3,300 ft | 49/52° 16 | 57/59° 29 | 55/58° 9 |
| 2,500 ft | 51/56° 12 | 59/63° 18 | 57/63° 8 |
| Trailhead 2,000 ft | 52/58° 10 | 61/65° 15 | 55/65° 6 |
4 more days of forecast — plan around the weather window, not just tomorrow.
Full hourly summit forecasts: Mount Hancock (North Peak) weather · Mount Hancock (South Peak) weather
The Hancock's Loop is a 9.3-mile point-to-point in New Hampshire's White Mountains, starting at Hancock Notch Trailhead. It climbs about 2,493 ft — an average of 267 ft per mile — which works out to roughly 4-8 hours at AMC book time. It summits 2 named peaks, topping out on Mount Hancock (North Peak) at 4,420 ft: Mount Hancock (North Peak) (4,420 ft), Mount Hancock (South Peak) (4,319 ft). HikerNerd rates it Moderate on effort alone — check the current conditions above before committing, since weather above treeline changes the day far more than the numbers do.
Distance
9.3 mi
Elevation Gain
2,493 ft
Duration
4-8 hours
Trailhead
Hancock Notch Trailhead
The Hancock's Loop is 9.3 miles point to point, starting at Hancock Notch Trailhead. At AMC book time — half the distance in hours plus 30 minutes per 1,000 ft of climbing — that works out to roughly 4-8 hours. Most parties take longer than book time on rough or above-treeline terrain, in winter, or with a heavy pack.
The Hancock's Loop climbs about 2,493 ft over 9.3 miles — an average of roughly 267 ft of gain per mile. That figure is cumulative ascent across the whole point-to-point, not the difference between the trailhead and the high point.
HikerNerd rates the Hancock's Loop Moderate, scored with the Shenandoah difficulty formula — √(elevation gain × 2 × distance) — applied to its 9.3 miles and 2,493 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 Hancock's Loop summits 2 named peaks: Mount Hancock (North Peak), Mount Hancock (South Peak).
The Hancock's Loop starts at Hancock Notch Trailhead. 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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