Watson Path
To Mount Madison · New Hampshire
Watson Path is a trail in the Presidential Range, climbing about 2,150 ft from the Scar Trail junction to Mount Madison. Part of it is above treeline.
Map length
1.4 mi
Climb from the low end
2,159 ft
Book time up / down (from map miles)
1 h 46 min / 43 min
High point
5,331 ft
Above treeline
0.6 mi
Steepest ¼ mile
2,458 ft/mi
Stream crossings
1 (1 ford)
Low point
3,168 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 Madison; these figures end there.
HikerNerd routes on this trail
Watson Path Above treeline
Mile by mile (map miles)
From Scar Trail junction (the lower end) to Mount Madison.
- 0.0Scar Trail junction
- 0.1Junction with Valley Way
- 0.3Junction with Lower Bruin and The Brookside
- 0.3Fords Snyder Brook
- 0.8Leaves the trees: exposed above treeline
- 1.1Junction with Pine Link Trail
- 1.4Mount Madison
Distances and book times (map miles)
To Valley Way junction
0.14 mi (total 0.14) · ↑1 ↓26 ft · 4 min / 5 min
To The Brookside junction
0.13 mi (total 0.27) · ↑98 ↓0 ft · 7 min / 4 min
To Pine Link junction
0.88 mi (total 1.15) · ↑1,673 ↓0 ft · 1 h 17 min / 26 min
To Mount Madison
0.24 mi (total 1.39) · ↑375 ↓0 ft · 19 min / 7 min
| From | To | Map miles | Total | Climb ↑ / ↓ | Time ↑ / ↓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scar Trail junction | Valley Way junction | 0.14 | 0.14 | 1 / 26 ft | 4 min / 5 min |
| Valley Way junction | The Brookside junction | 0.13 | 0.27 | 98 / 0 ft | 7 min / 4 min |
| The Brookside junction | Pine Link junction | 0.88 | 1.15 | 1,673 / 0 ft | 1 h 17 min / 26 min |
| Pine Link junction | Mount Madison | 0.24 | 1.39 | 375 / 0 ft | 19 min / 7 min |
↑ walking from Scar Trail junction; ↓ the other way. Book time: 2 mph over the map miles plus 30 minutes per 1,000 ft of climbing.
Summit conditions
Today's conditions reportRecent trip reports
No reports on this trail in the last 30 days; the latest are below. From hikers on New England Trail Conditions.
- Fri, Aug 21Dry
Water crossings: Water levels are low. The upper crossing on the Brookside had some slippery rocks
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.
70 mph
Summit gusts
Plan a below-treeline hike
Daytime gusts near 70 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.