Spring Trail Conditions Update: What's Open and What's Still Snow-Covered

Spring in the White Mountains is a tricky season for hikers. One day you're walking through bare forest floor on a lower-elevation trail, and the next you're postholing through three feet of rotten snow on a ridge approach. This week's warm temperatures have accelerated the melt dramatically, but conditions vary wildly depending on elevation and aspect.

Below 2,500 feet, most trails in the southern White Mountains are clear or nearly clear. The Kancamagus Highway corridor trails — Lincoln Woods, Franconia Falls, and the lower portions of the Pemigewasset Wilderness loop — are in great shape. Expect some muddy sections, especially on north-facing slopes, and please stay on trail to protect fragile spring vegetation. The AMC has already posted mud season closures on several trails in Crawford Notch, so check before you go.

Above 3,500 feet, it's a completely different story. The Presidentials still have a solid snowpack, and microspikes or crampons are essential for anything above treeline. Tuckerman Ravine is reporting a 60-inch base with excellent spring skiing conditions — the headwall is in prime form for another two to three weeks. The Lion Head winter route remains the recommended ascent path for Mt. Washington, though the summer trail should open within the next month. Franconia Ridge has consolidated snow that makes for decent travel with snowshoes, but be prepared for high winds and limited visibility on exposed sections.