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Cannon Mountain

Cannon Mountain can seem either easier or harder to climb than it is. The short distances and small elevation gain for a 4000-footer coupled with the ski trails to the summit make it seem easy to an armchair hiker, while looking up the cliffs from Profile Lake or down from the Rim Trail it looks very steep indeed. The truth is somewhere between - all the hiking trails are steep in places but not as long as those up the higher peaks.

The four usual hiking routes (each with about 2400 feet elevation gain and described in detail elsewhere) are:

• From the Tramway base via Kinsman Ridge Trail, about 2.0 miles each way
• From Lafayette Campground via Lonesome Lake Trail and Coppermine Col, about 2.9 miles each way
• From Lafayette Campground via Hi-Cannon Trail, about 2.6 miles each way
• From Lafayette Campground via Dodge Cutoff and Hi-Cannon Trail, about 3.0 miles each way

The top station of the tramway has a pay phone, hot food, and flush toilets. The actual summit is circled by a wide loop path gravelled for tourists who ride the Tramway up, which also connects the hiking trails. There are several unmarked branch paths to viewpoints and picnic tables. This loop consists of the Rim Trail and Short Trail, both described below. While nearly anyone who can hike across the parking lot to the tramway base can hike this loop, there are a few cautions:

• Sandals and similar shoes should not be worn as there is loose gravel
• Stay on the trail - exploring the ledges can result in falls
• Walking down ski trails is against park rules year round
• Do not walk down hiking trails if you couldn't walk up them, they are no easier going down
• Do not see the sign for Lost River and decide to walk there instead of driving, as some elderly tourists did one time

Distance: Around loop, about .4 miles

Elevation gain: About 100 feet on the loop

Hiking Time Estimator

Maps: USGS Franconia
AMC Franconia-Pemigewasset or Moosilauke-Kinsman

Location: White Mountains Region
NH 2003-2004 map H-6
DeLorme NHA&G 43-E11 - Franconia

Trailhead: Top station of tramway, elevation about 4000 feet

Owner: Franconia Notch State Park and WMNF

Maintainer: Franconia Notch State Park

Special regulations: No fires or camping anywhere in state park (except campground)

Description

From the tramway upper station, look for signs across the cleared area uphill. The Rim Trail will be more to the L while the Short Trail is more directly uphill.

• The Rim Trail enters the woods to the L and reaches the Kinsman Ridge Trail in 200 feet, coming up from the tramway base. It then circles along the top of several ledges with views over the notch, passing below the summit tower. Then it re-enters the woods and reaches a junction with the Kinsman Ridge Trail and the Short Trail at .2 mi.
• The Short Trail climbs toward the large radio tower occasionally visible ahead, with several picnic tables scattered around. It climbs some wooden stairs to a small landing, where the stairs up to the R lead to a viewing platform built around the radio tower. The main trail descends the stairs ahead and continues past more picnic tables to the junction with the Kinsman Ridge Trail and the Rim Trail at .2 mi.
• From the junction at the far end of the loop, the Kinsman Ridge Trail connects to the Hi-Cannon Trail and Lonesome Lake Trail, and eventually to the Appalachian Trail to Georgia some 2000 miles away. It does not lead directly to the tramway base.

Off Season

The tramway operates during the ski season but not early spring and late fall - check with the park for details. The summit loop is not maintained in winter and may require snowshoes or crampons.

Map Notes: Short Trail not shown on USGS map

Topozone.com live map

Not much need for the view locator in this fog!

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