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February 3, 2016 / Comments (2)

Hike Mount Cannon

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Allison is the founder of trailtosummit.com which she began as a way to track and share her first round of the NH 4000 Footers. Now on round 5 (the first round for her dog Ruckus) she has been honored to have taken part of many people’s firsts. She is an experienced trail maintainer, speaker, and passionate member of the outdoor community. In New England, Allison enjoys trekking along the highest peaks, bushwhacking to less traveled areas, and has a fondness for sunrise and sunset trips. Outside of New England Allison has also thru hiked the John Muir Trail and explored mountains in the German and Austrian Alps, Israel, and the Azores. Her goal is to share her passion for hiking and backpacking with others, especially with women, to inspire them to experience the freedom of the trail!

Mount Cannon (4,100′) is well known by skiers, but it is also one of New Hampshire’s tallest mountains. Located in Franconia Notch State Park, Cannon is one of the most underestimated peaks. Though one of the shortest peaks on the list and can be as short as 4.4 miles round trip, many people are surprised when they hike Mount Cannon that it is very steep in sections.

Cannon was once home to the Old Man in the Mountain until the rock formation collapsed in 2003.

Kinsman Ridge Trail – round trip: 4.4 miles, 2,294 feet, 3:22

Hikers can find the Kinsman Ridge Trail by going to the Southeast corner of Cannon Mountain’s tramway parking area. The trail beings following a service road for 120 yards, then turns right and follows the left edge of a clearing for 70 yards before finally entering into the woods. The trail begins moderately, but then steeply by switchbacks. This section is especially eroded. Those hiking in winter should always be aware as this trail crosses a ski route a number of times. You will hike along the Kinsman Ridge Trail for 2.02 miles before reaching the Rim Trail after hiking through scrub, rocks, and over ledges. The Rim Trail is just over 1/10 of a mile to the summit, which features a lookout tower. Winter hikers can enjoy some warmth inside the tramway summit station and even order a hot drink and a sandwich!

Hi-Cannon Trail – round trip: 5.54 miles, 2,564 feet, 4:02

Those who are more adventurous may want to take the Hi-Cannon trail. The hike will begin at the Lonesome Lake Trailhead at Lafayette Place. You will follow a yellow-blazed trail through a campground for 3/10 of a mile before you reach the junction of the Hi-Cannon Trail. The first portion is fairly tame, but once on the Hi-Cannon Trail, you will notice how eroded it is in places and rocky in others. The Hi-Cannon trail is 2 miles long and includes many switchbacks, steep pitches, and even a ladder to climb. You are rewarded with views of Lonesome Lake as well as Franconia Ridge.

The trail will become more gradual as it approaches the junction of the Kinsman Ridge Trail at mile 2.73. You will approach the height of land and a maze of intersecting trails. Keep straight for the summit, which features a lookout tower.

Alternative Trails

Those looking for a challenge can hike Cannon, over the Cannonballs, and the Kinsmans.

nh peakbagging

North Kinsman is 3.8 miles from the summit of Cannon

South Kinsman is 4.7 miles from the summit of Cannon

                                                
cannon_map

Have you hiked Mt Cannon? Tell us about it?

You may also want to check out these resources

Hike Mount Cannon in Winter

Hike Mount Cannon, the Cannonballs, and the Kinsmans

 

Last modified: February 3, 2016

mt cabot

2 Responses to :
Hike Mount Cannon

  1. Jason Cleghorn says:
    February 21, 2016 at 5:35 pm

    Love the layout of your trail posts!

    Reply
  2. Alex Garcia says:
    August 24, 2017 at 1:10 pm

    Hi Allison,

    My name’s Alex Garcia and I stumbled upon your blog while looking for info on thru-hiking the Presi Traverse in a day. I am from Virginia but will be around the Whites during Labor Day weekend and am thinking about doing the Pemi Loop and ending my trip with the traverse. This might sound creepy, but I’d really like to meet you and share some ideas on blogging and our love for the outdoors. If you wanna join, that’d be awesome too!

    I recently started a blog (www.tobesola.com) and am hoping it’ll turn into a collaborative space for women solo travelers (whether in the city or hiking trails) to share the experiences while doing some neat stuff on their own. It seems to me like your adventurous spirit has taken you places by yourself sometimes, and I’d love to hear about them. Anyway, awesome site, glad to see you’re back to writing more frequently. Take care!

    Reply

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