Cannon Mountain sits prominently above Franconia Notch State Park, the high point of the Kinsman Range. Its exfoliating granite dome gives the peak a distinctly layered look, and the southeastern face drops nearly 1,000 feet as Cannon Cliff, the largest vertical rock wall in the Northeast and a year-round destination for technical rock and ice climbers. Three subsidiary summits to the southwest, collectively called the Cannon Balls, extend the ridgeline toward the Kinsman peaks.
The main route is the Kinsman Ridge Trail, a 4.1-mile out-and-back gaining roughly 2,200 feet from the ski area parking lot. Despite the modest mileage, the trail earns its difficult rating: steep grades, loose dirt, and rocky scrambles persist most of the way up. A shorter alternative, the Hi-Cannon Trail, covers about 2 miles with an equally unrelenting pitch. Both routes join the Rim Trail near the summit, which leads to an observation tower with broad views across the notch toward the Franconia Ridge and, on clear days, Vermont.
Winter conditions demand microspikes or crampons; the exposed ridgeline channels severe winds. In April 1973, instruments on the summit recorded a gust approaching 200 mph, second only to Mount Washington in U.S. history. The state-owned aerial tramway runs seasonally and deposits passengers near the ski area highpoint, with the Rim Trail covering the short remaining distance to the actual summit tower. The AMC-staffed Lonesome Lake Hut on the mountain's south side provides an overnight option for multi-peak trips.
