The Pierce and Eisenhower is a 7.8-mile point-to-point with 3,078 ft of elevation gain.
Submitted by doobe01
7.8 mi • 3,078 ft gain • 4-7 hours • Crawford Path Trailhead
Feels like 48°F
Recent Precipitation
Rain: 0.37" (24h) · 0.37" (48h)
Best Hiking Window
Wednesday offers the best conditions with lighter winds, less precipitation (10% chance), and improving visibility; if hiking Monday or Tuesday, aim for a very early morning start before winds and rain intensify, though full-day exposure hazards will likely persist
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 4,780' elevation
Tap a day header to expand to 3hr or hourly detail
Today Aug 17 | Tomorrow Aug 18 | Wednesday Aug 19 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | |
| Temperature & Wind | |||||||||
| Weather | fog | rain | fog | fog | fog | cloudy | cloudy | cloudy | cloudy |
| Temp °F hi / lo | 57° 55° | 61° 57° | 59° 56° | 55° 53° | 55° 53° | 56° 55° | 58° 55° | 62° 56° | 57° 55° |
| Chill °F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wind mph | 28 | 13 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 14 | 14 |
| Gust mph est. | 45 | 21 | 11 | — | 19 | 13 | — | 22 | — |
| Storm risk | — | mod | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Precipitation | |||||||||
| Precip in (rain/snow) | - | 0.5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Freezing ft | 14,513 ft | 14,410 ft | 12,789 ft | ||||||
| Conditions | |||||||||
| Cloud cover | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Vis mi | <0.1 | <0.1 | <0.1 | <0.1 | <0.1 | clear | clear | clear | clear |
| UV | 0 | 3 | — | 2 | 6 | — | 5 | 6 | — |
Tap a day header to expand AM/PM/Night detail
| Elevation | Today Aug 17 | Tomorrow Aug 18 | Wednesday Aug 19 |
|---|---|---|---|
| lo/hi °F · wind mph & dir · chill °F | |||
| Summit 4,780 ft | 55/57° 28 | 53/55° 9 | 55/58° 8 |
| 4,100 ft | 57/59° 26 | 55/57° 11 | 57/61° 6 |
| 3,300 ft | 59/62° 20 | 58/59° 11 | 60/65° 5 |
| 2,500 ft | 61/65° 12 | 61/61° 8 | 56/70° 4 |
| Trailhead 2,000 ft | 63/67° 10 | 62/63° 7 | 57/72° 4 |
4 more days of forecast — plan around the weather window, not just tomorrow.
Full hourly summit forecasts: Mount Eisenhower weather · Mount Pierce (Clinton) weather
The Pierce and Eisenhower is a 7.8-mile point-to-point in New Hampshire's White Mountains, starting at Crawford Path Trailhead and finishing at Edmands Path Trailhead. It climbs about 3,078 ft — an average of 397 ft per mile — which works out to roughly 4-7 hours at AMC book time. It summits 2 named peaks, topping out on Mount Eisenhower at 4,780 ft: Mount Eisenhower (4,780 ft), Mount Pierce (Clinton) (4,310 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
7.8 mi
Elevation Gain
3,078 ft
Duration
4-7 hours
Trailhead
Crawford Path Trailhead
The Pierce and Eisenhower is 7.8 miles point to point, starting at Crawford Path Trailhead. At AMC book time — half the distance in hours plus 30 minutes per 1,000 ft of climbing — that works out to roughly 4-7 hours. Most parties take longer than book time on rough or above-treeline terrain, in winter, or with a heavy pack.
The Pierce and Eisenhower climbs about 3,078 ft over 7.8 miles — an average of roughly 397 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 Pierce and Eisenhower Moderate, scored with the Shenandoah difficulty formula — √(elevation gain × 2 × distance) — applied to its 7.8 miles and 3,078 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 Pierce and Eisenhower summits 2 named peaks: Mount Eisenhower, Mount Pierce (Clinton).
The Pierce and Eisenhower starts at Crawford Path Trailhead and finishes at Edmands Path Trailhead, so it needs a car spot or shuttle. 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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