The Mount Washington via Tuckerman Ravine is a 8.4-mile out-and-back with 4,253 ft of elevation gain.
8.4 mi • 4,253 ft gain • 5-8 hours • Pinkham Notch Visitor Center
Feels like 36°F
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Today Sep 22 | Tomorrow Sep 23 | Thursday Sep 24 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | |
| Temperature & Wind | |||||||||
| Weather | cloudy | cloudy | clear | sunny | sunny | clear | sunny | sunny | clear |
| Temp °F hi / lo | 35° 34° | 34° 33° | 35° 34° | 36° 35° | 40° 35° | 41° 39° | 42° 42° | 42° 40° | 45° 42° |
| Chill °F | 27° | 25° | 25° | 25° | 26° | 31° | 35° | 33° | 35° |
| Wind mph | 9 | 9 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 |
| Gust mph est. | 13 | 14 | 21 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 22 | — | — |
| Precipitation | |||||||||
| Precip in (rain/snow) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Freezing ft | 9,136 ft | 10,284 ft | 11,627 ft | ||||||
| Conditions | |||||||||
| Cloud cover | 100% | 100% | 1% | 1% | 2% | - | - | - | - |
| Vis mi | clear | clear | clear | clear | clear | clear | clear | clear | clear |
| UV | 4 | 6 | — | 4 | 5 | — | 4 | 5 | — |
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| Elevation | Today Sep 22 | Tomorrow Sep 23 | Thursday Sep 24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| lo/hi °F · wind mph & dir · chill °F | |||
| Summit 6,288 ft | 34/35° 9 | 35/36° 15 | 42/42° 14 |
| 5,800 ft | 34/36° 8 | 36/37° 16 | 42/42° 14 |
| 5,000 ft | 35/37° 6 | 37/39° 17 | 40/42° 14 |
| 4,100 ft | 37/39° 7 | 38/40° 18 | 41/43° 13 |
| 3,300 ft | 40/42° 9 | 40/41° 17 | 43/47° 11 |
| 2,500 ft | 42/45° 8 | 42/44° 13 | 45/51° 8 |
| Trailhead 2,000 ft | 43/47° 6 | 43/46° 12 | 45/53° 6 |
4 more days of forecast — plan around the weather window, not just tomorrow.
Full hourly summit forecasts: Mount Washington weather
The classic route up the highest peak in the Northeast. The Tuckerman Ravine Trail climbs from the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center past Hermit Lake and up the ravine headwall to the summit cone. The final mile is fully exposed to some of the worst weather in the country, so turn around when conditions deteriorate. The headwall section closes during avalanche season, when the Lion Head Trail is the standard alternative.
Distance
8.4 mi
Elevation Gain
4,253 ft
Duration
5-8 hours
Trailhead
Pinkham Notch Visitor Center
The Mount Washington via Tuckerman Ravine is 8.4 miles round trip, starting at Pinkham Notch Visitor Center. At AMC book time — half the distance in hours plus 30 minutes per 1,000 ft of climbing — that works out to roughly 5-8 hours. Most parties take longer than book time on rough or above-treeline terrain, in winter, or with a heavy pack.
The Mount Washington via Tuckerman Ravine climbs about 4,253 ft over 8.4 miles — an average of roughly 505 ft of gain per mile. That figure is cumulative ascent across the whole out-and-back, not the difference between the trailhead and the high point.
HikerNerd rates the Mount Washington via Tuckerman Ravine Difficult, scored with the Shenandoah difficulty formula — √(elevation gain × 2 × distance) — applied to its 8.4 miles and 4,253 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 Mount Washington via Tuckerman Ravine summits 1 named peak: Mount Washington.
The Mount Washington via Tuckerman Ravine starts at Pinkham Notch Visitor Center. 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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