Cannon Mountain - 4,100'

Hike date: 06/16/2018

Description: Cannon Mountain is located in Franconia Notch State Park and is part of the Kinsman Range. Cannon Mountain is home to Cannon Mountain Ski Area and the former site of the Old Man of the Mountain before it collapsed. Using the route below, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy beautiful 360 degree views from the summit tower, explore the ski area, and hike up an elective trail on The Terrifying 25 list.

Trails Used: You’ll ascend on the Lonesome Lake Trail to the Hi-Cannon Trail then take Kinsman Ridge Trail to the summit. To descend, you’ll head back down the Kinsman Ridge Trail but continue past the Hi-Cannon Trail and take the Lonesome Lake Trail all the way down back to the car.

Trail Summary: This loop hike starts from Lafayette Campground in Franconia Notch. When you turn into the campground, take a left and you’ll find a large parking lot for the Lonesome Lake Trailhead. There is a large sign at the parking area marking the start of the trail. The trail quickly crosses the Pemigewasset River on a bridge and crosses over the Pemi Trail before starting to climb moderately while also weaving through Lafayette Campground. After 0.4 miles and 150 feet of elevation gain from the trailhead, you’ll come to a junction with the Hi-Cannon Trail, which you’ll turn right onto and take up to Cannon Mountain.

The Hi-Cannon Trail will run all the way up until the Kinsman Ridge Trail, just below the summit of Cannon. The Hi-Cannon Trail is steep and rough at times the higher you go, with one section requiring a scramble up a ladder. For this reason, this trail earns itself a spot as an elective trail on The Terrifying 25 list - More specific details and photos about the Hi-Cannon Trail can be found here. The trail ascends gradually from the junction via switchbacks, with numerous sections of gravel and eroded trail that could be potentially slippery. In 0.8 miles, you’ll come to a junction with the Dodge Cutoff on your left. After this junction, the Hi-Cannon Trail becomes much steeper and rougher as it makes its way up to the ridge. About 0.4 miles from the junction, you’ll come to the ladder that you’ll have to ascend and then scramble across a somewhat tricky ledge at the top of it. There are very nice viewpoints along this part of the trail! The trail continues fairly moderately up until the ridge, but the trail becomes very rocky and rough. Eventually, you’ll come to a junction with the Kinsman Ridge Trail. In the 2.0 miles on the Hi-Cannon Trail, you’ll gain nearly 2,000 feet of elevation.

To get to the summit of Cannon Mountain, you’ll follow the Kinsman Ridge Trail straight/right for about 0.4 miles. This portion of the trail climbs about 150 feet at moderate grades over some rocky terrain before reaching the summit area, which can be confusing due to a number of side paths. Follow a gravel path and you’ll come to the lookout tower at the true summit of Cannon Mountain. The tower offers excellent views across the way to Franconia Ridge. If you want to explore the ski lodge and the tramway station for a bit, you can follow the Short Trail down from the tower to get to that area.

To descend from the summit of Cannon Mountain, you’ll have to head back down the Kinsman Ridge Trail. When you reach the junction with the Hi-Cannon Trail, you will want to stay straight and stay on the Kinsman Ridge Trail if you want to do this hike as a loop. Of course, you could descend the same way you came up too. We like doing loops, so we opted to stay on the Kinsman Ridge Trail. The section of the Kinsman Ridge Trail that is past the junction descends very steeply on rough and rocky terrain. Be prepared to do a bit of rock scrambling as you navigate down some big rocks! In 0.4 miles after the junction with the Hi-Cannon Trail, you’ll come to a junction with the Lonesome Lake Trail (you’ll descend about 500 feet in this short section!). You’ll take the Lonesome Lake Trail all the way back to the trailhead. The upper section of this trail descends moderately, though there is one section that is steep and rough. You can expect lots of rocky terrain on this descent! After 0.9 miles, you’ll reach a junction at Lonesome Lake, which is truly a beauty! If you go right here, you can check out the Lonesome Lake AMC Hut where you can take a break and get some snacks. Otherwise, you’ll take a left and continue on the Around Lonesome Lake Trail for 0.2 miles before continuing to descend on the Lonesome Lake Trail. You’ll get some really nice views of Lonesome Lake and the surrounding area on this section of the trail. After enjoying the Lake, it’s a quick, but steady, 1.2 mile descent on the Lonesome Lake Trail all the way back to the trailhead (you’ll lose about 1,000 feet in elevation on this section of the trail). When you start smelling the campfires from the campground, you’ll know you’re close to being back to the car!

Alternative routes:

We have not yet done any alternative routes to the summit of Cannon Mountain. This page will be updated once we have!

In the winter, this peak is bustling with activity due to all of the skiers and snowboarders and offers phenomenal 360 degree views. Though there are a few common ways to summit Cannon Mountain in the winter, we opted for the most direct route via the Kinsman Ridge Trail.

We have a complete blog post on our experience winter hiking Cannon Mountain, which you can check out by going here!

Questions? Comments? Want to share your take on this hike? Get in touch with us using the contact page!

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