Hi-Cannon Trail - Cannon Mountain

Hike date: 06/16/2018

Description: The Hi-Cannon Trail becomes very steep and rough on its upper portion. You will have to climb a ladder in order to get on top of a steep ledge. There are several very nice viewpoints along this trail. This trail can be one of the five elective trails needed for the patch.

Trails Used: The parking for this hike is at Lafayette Campground. 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. 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. 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 along the cliff edges! 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!

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