Castle Trail
To Mount Jefferson · New Hampshire
Castle Trail is a trail in the Presidential Range, climbing about 4,200 ft from Castle Trailhead to Mount Jefferson. Part of it is above treeline.
Map length
4.3 mi
Climb from the low end
4,192 ft
Book time up / down (from map miles)
4 h 16 min / 2 h 10 min
High point
5,683 ft
Above treeline
1.0 mi
Steepest ¼ mile
2,288 ft/mi
Stream crossings
1
Low point
1,494 ft
Measured on the map. The AMC guide and Forest Service figures usually run 5 to 15% longer. The mapped trail stops just short of the summit of Mount Jefferson; these figures end there.
Castle Trail Above treeline
Mile by mile (map miles)
From Castle Trailhead (the lower end) to Mount Jefferson.
- 0.0Castle Trailhead
- 0.3Crosses Israel River
- 1.2Junction with Israel Ridge Path
- 3.1Junction with The Link
- 3.3Leaves the trees: exposed above treeline
- 3.9Junction with The Cornice
- 4.3Junction with Caps Ridge Trail and Mount Jefferson Loop
- 4.3Mount Jefferson
Distances and book times (map miles)
To Israel Ridge Path junction
1.18 mi (total 1.18) · ↑419 ↓0 ft · 48 min / 35 min
To The Link junction
1.97 mi (total 3.15) · ↑2,094 ↓4 ft · 2 h 2 min / 59 min
To The Cornice junction
0.73 mi (total 3.88) · ↑1,072 ↓0 ft · 54 min / 22 min
To Mount Jefferson
0.46 mi (total 4.34) · ↑578 ↓0 ft · 31 min / 14 min
| From | To | Map miles | Total | Climb ↑ / ↓ | Time ↑ / ↓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Trailhead | Israel Ridge Path junction | 1.18 | 1.18 | 419 / 0 ft | 48 min / 35 min |
| Israel Ridge Path junction | The Link junction | 1.97 | 3.15 | 2,094 / 4 ft | 2 h 2 min / 59 min |
| The Link junction | The Cornice junction | 0.73 | 3.88 | 1,072 / 0 ft | 54 min / 22 min |
| The Cornice junction | Mount Jefferson | 0.46 | 4.34 | 578 / 0 ft | 31 min / 14 min |
↑ walking from Castle Trailhead; ↓ the other way. Book time: 2 mph over the map miles plus 30 minutes per 1,000 ft of climbing.
Trailheads and parking
Castle Trailhead
0.1 mi walk to the start of the trail
Trailhead
Weekends (all seasons): Had space in both reports, as late as 8 am.
Weekdays (all seasons): Had space in both reports, as late as 5:30 am.
Latest report, Tue, Sep 22: Plenty of room.
Summit conditions
Today's conditions report2 incidents recorded on this trail, 1 fatal: Mount Jefferson safety record
Recent trip reports
1 report on this trail in the last 30 days: snow or ice in 0, microspikes recommended in 0, mud in 0. From hikers on New England Trail Conditions.
- Tue, Sep 22WetDry
Water crossings: Water is low, no issues with the crossing
Full report on NETC
Connecting trails
What to bring
From the summit forecast, Sat to MonPaid links. Backcountry.com pays me if you buy. Prices are Backcountry's, checked twice a day.
73 mph
Summit gusts
Plan a below-treeline hike
Daytime gusts near 73 mph above treeline. Pick a sheltered route or another day.
27°F
Summit low
Microspikes
Summit lows near 27°F, so expect ice on rock and the upper trail.
11h 13m
Daylight
Headlamp
Sunset around 6:08 PM, so a late start or a slow descent ends in the dark.
The rest of the list: Winter gear guide · How I pick gear
Trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Elevation: USGS 3DEP. Above-treeline areas from canopy height by Meta and WRI (CC BY 4.0). Distances are measured from the map and can differ from signs and guidebooks. Conditions change: check before you go.