The Mount Willey via Ethan Pond Trail is a 5.2-mile out-and-back with 2,758 ft of elevation gain.
5.2 mi • 2,758 ft gain • 3-5 hours • Ethan Pond Trailhead (Willey House Station Road)
Feels like 42°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 | 39° 37° | 42° 39° | 41° 39° | 40° 38° | 42° 39° | 43° 41° | 43° 42° | 49° 45° | 48° 46° |
| Chill °F | 32° | 32° | 29° | 28° | 31° | 33° | 35° | 42° | 42° |
| Wind mph | 7 | 10 | 20 | 19 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 5 | 7 |
| Gust mph est. | 11 | 16 | 32 | 30 | 22 | 24 | 21 | — | — |
| Precipitation | |||||||||
| Precip in (rain/snow) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Freezing ft | 9,575 ft | 10,548 ft | 11,663 ft | ||||||
| Conditions | |||||||||
| Cloud cover | 100% | 100% | 1% | 5% | 2% | - | - | - | - |
| Vis mi | clear | clear | clear | 9 | 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 4,285 ft | 37/39° 7 | 38/40° 19 | 42/43° 13 |
| 4,100 ft | 38/39° 7 | 38/40° 19 | 42/43° 13 |
| 3,300 ft | 40/42° 11 | 40/41° 18 | 43/47° 11 |
| 2,500 ft | 42/46° 9 | 42/44° 15 | 45/51° 8 |
| Trailhead 2,000 ft | 43/48° 7 | 43/46° 13 | 44/53° 6 |
4 more days of forecast — plan around the weather window, not just tomorrow.
Full hourly summit forecasts: Mount Willey weather
Climbs the Ethan Pond Trail from the Ripley Falls parking area off Route 302, then the Willey Range Trail up a very steep section with wooden ladders to the summit. Demanding for its length, and the ladders are difficult when icy.
Distance
5.2 mi
Elevation Gain
2,758 ft
Duration
3-5 hours
Trailhead
Ethan Pond Trailhead (Willey House Station Road)
The Mount Willey via Ethan Pond Trail is 5.2 miles round trip, starting at Ethan Pond Trailhead (Willey House Station Road). At AMC book time — half the distance in hours plus 30 minutes per 1,000 ft of climbing — that works out to roughly 3-5 hours. Most parties take longer than book time on rough or above-treeline terrain, in winter, or with a heavy pack.
The Mount Willey via Ethan Pond Trail climbs about 2,758 ft over 5.2 miles — an average of roughly 533 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 Willey via Ethan Pond Trail Moderate, scored with the Shenandoah difficulty formula — √(elevation gain × 2 × distance) — applied to its 5.2 miles and 2,758 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 Willey via Ethan Pond Trail summits 1 named peak: Mount Willey.
The Mount Willey via Ethan Pond Trail starts at Ethan Pond Trailhead (Willey House Station 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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