Mount Madison Hiking Incidents, Deaths & Rescues
Mount Madison appears in 10 documented incidents in this database — 4 survived and 6 fatal. The causes that recur most here are medical, fall, exposure. Higher counts partly reflect how heavily a peak is hiked, not just how dangerous it is — it’s hiked safely far more often than not, but it rewards real preparation.
Most common causes on Mount Madison
- Medical3 incidents
- Fall3 incidents
- Exposure2 incidents
- Hypothermia2 incidents
When incidents happen
Documented incidents by month. Darker = more. Incidents cluster in August; winter incidents skew toward ice and traction, summer toward heat and exhaustion.
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Survived | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||
| Fatal | 2 | 3 | 1 |
Based on incidents with a known date. Use it to plan the season — not to assume any month is “safe.”
Every documented incident on Mount Madison
Each links to the full sourced report.
- Fatality · Valley Way TrailJun 16, 2025
- Rescue · Osgood Trail / Howker Ridge TrailSep 21, 2024
- Fatality · Osgood TrailAug 11, 2023
- Rescue · Daniel Webster Scout TrailAug 9, 2023
- Rescue · Madison Spring Hut (attempting a Presidential traverse from Pinkham Notch)Oct 24, 2018
- Rescue · Pine Link TrailOct 7, 2013
- FatalityOct 30, 1999
- FatalityAug 24, 1986
- FatalityJun 7, 1956
- Fatality · Gulfside Trail near Madison HutAug 24, 1938
Frequently asked
Is Mount Madison dangerous to hike?+
Mount Madison appears in 10 documented incidents in this database, including 6 fatal. The most common contributing factors here are medical, fall, exposure. Higher counts partly reflect how heavily a peak is hiked, not just how dangerous it is — Mount Madison is hiked safely far more often than not. Check the forecast, carry the Ten Essentials, start early, and be willing to turn back when conditions or daylight run short.
How many people have died on Mount Madison?+
This database documents 6 deaths on Mount Madison out of 10 recorded incidents. The record reaches back into the historical archive and is updated as new reports are reviewed, so it captures the documented fatality record plus a growing, primary-sourced sample of rescues — not a complete tally of every call.
Part of the WMNF Hiker Incident Database. This tracks hiking and backcountry incidents — widely-cited mountain death tolls also count non-hiking fatalities (railway and auto-road accidents, aircraft, skiing, natural causes at the summit) that this database doesn't. Counts reflect the documented record, not every call NH Fish and Game responds to.