The Straightback Major loop is a 5.7-mile loop with 1,818 ft of elevation gain.
Submitted by Aaron B.
5.7 mi • 1,818 ft gain • 3-5 hours • 43.5194°N, 71.2744°W
Feels like 69°F
Recent Precipitation
Rain: 0.09" (24h) · 0.34" (48h)
Best Hiking Window
Tuesday or Wednesday offer the best conditions — clear to overcast skies, warm temperatures, and near-zero precipitation chance. Thursday brings a significant chance of rain (49%), making Tuesday or Wednesday the preferred days. Early morning starts are ideal to allow trails maximum drying time and to return before any afternoon weather develops later in the week.
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 1,890' elevation
Tap a day header to expand to 3hr or hourly detail
Today Aug 24 | Tomorrow Aug 25 | Wednesday Aug 26 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | |
| Temperature & Wind | |||||||||
| Weather | fog | sunny | sunny | sunny | cloudy | sunny | sunny | cloudy | cloudy |
| Temp °F hi / lo | 62° 58° | 68° 63° | 67° 61° | 62° 59° | 67° 63° | 64° 59° | 63° 58° | 71° 65° | 69° 66° |
| Chill °F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wind mph | 12 | 22 | 22 | 13 | 19 | 21 | 16 | 11 | 10 |
| Gust mph est. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Storm risk | mod | mod | — | — | mod | — | — | — | — |
| Precipitation | |||||||||
| Precip in (rain/snow) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Freezing ft | 10,443 ft | 10,401 ft | 13,208 ft | ||||||
| Conditions | |||||||||
| Cloud cover | 100% | 33% | 4% | 20% | 100% | 3% | 8% | 100% | 100% |
| Vis mi | <0.1 | clear | clear | clear | clear | clear | clear | clear | clear |
| UV | 5 | 7 | — | 5 | 6 | — | 5 | 6 | — |
Tap a day header to expand AM/PM/Night detail
| Elevation | Today Aug 24 | Tomorrow Aug 25 | Wednesday Aug 26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| lo/hi °F · wind mph & dir · chill °F | |||
| Summit 1,890 ft | 58/62° 12 | 59/62° 13 | 58/63° 16 |
| Trailhead 2,000 ft | 58/62° 13 | 59/62° 13 | 58/62° 16 |
4 more days of forecast — plan around the weather window, not just tomorrow.
Full hourly summit forecasts: Straightback Mountain weather · Mount Major weather
The Straightback Major loop is a 5.7-mile loop in New Hampshire's White Mountains, starting at 43.5194°N, 71.2744°W. It climbs about 1,818 ft — an average of 319 ft per mile — which works out to roughly 3-5 hours at AMC book time. It summits 2 named peaks, topping out on Straightback Mountain at 1,890 ft: Straightback Mountain (1,890 ft), Mount Major (1,786 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
5.7 mi
Elevation Gain
1,818 ft
Duration
3-5 hours
Trailhead
43.5194°N, 71.2744°W
The Straightback Major loop is 5.7 miles around the loop, starting at 43.5194°N, 71.2744°W. 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 Straightback Major loop climbs about 1,818 ft over 5.7 miles — an average of roughly 319 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 Straightback Major loop Moderate, scored with the Shenandoah difficulty formula — √(elevation gain × 2 × distance) — applied to its 5.7 miles and 1,818 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 Straightback Major loop summits 2 named peaks: Straightback Mountain, Mount Major.
The Straightback Major loop starts at 43.5194°N, 71.2744°W. 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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