| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Garfield, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Gale River Road, Garfield Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, November 29, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The access road is closed for the winter. You'll need to walk up Gale Loop road from the turnoff point on route 3. There's space next to the gate to park. We showed up around 9:05 and took some of the last spots |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Ice - Black, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Wet/Slippery Rock, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Slush, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
One "major" water crossing where we had to contemplate a way across if we want to keep our boots dry. One crossing that was rock-hoppable. The water wasn't deep, but the rocks were slippery and partially covered with ice, so it was trickier than a summer or deep winter crossing where the rocks would be less slippery or the crossing would be thick ice. That said, if you chose the right point, the risk was dunking a foot and shin and not a person. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Part of the trail was flooded to the point that we initially though it was a stream crossing until we realized it was just the trail with rocks, some ice, and some flowing water for about 150 feet. Not sure if this is due to a drainage blocked above this section or if this is normal for Garfield. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
None! We're in the best hiking season! |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
From route 3 to the trailhead was straightforward. The bridges had some ice on them, more than the road. Microspikes or bare boot as the snow and ice coverings were generally thin and partial. The first third of the Garfield trail was a mix of dry ground and trace snow with occasional black ice. We tended to bare boot, but beware there was sneaky ice. The one "major" water crossing was a bit tricky. We walked upstream a bit to a downed tree with several branches that made for an easy enough water crossing. Note that you could cross the water twice here, but the trail goes up the middle of the Y, and only one crossing is needed.
Snow and ice increased a little after this, and we switched to microspikes. The next third of the trail was predominantly snow and rock with some patches of ice. One perceived water crossing was actually the trail that had been inundated with water and partially frozen.
The last third of the trail to the summit was more consistent packed snow with just a little rock or a little ice. Maybe you could have used snowshoes from the juncture up to the summit, but given how much rock we had seen, I was hesitant to tear up the teeth of my snowshoes. The 2 inches of forecast snow was closer to 1 cm by the time we saw it, so everything was pleasantly packed. |
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 | Name: |
Human Biped |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-11-30 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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