The Cannon Mountain via Kinsman Ridge Trail is a 4.2-mile out-and-back with 2,204 ft of elevation gain.
4.2 mi • 2,204 ft gain • 2-4 hours • Cannon Mountain Tramway Parking
Feels like 41°F
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Today Sep 22 | Tomorrow Sep 23 | Thursday Sep 24 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | |
| Temperature & Wind | |||||||||
| Weather | cloudy | cloudy | clear | sunny | sunny | clear | sunny | sunny | clear |
| Temp °F hi / lo | 40° 38° | 43° 40° | 42° 40° | 41° 39° | 42° 40° | 43° 42° | 43° 42° | 48° 42° | 48° 47° |
| Chill °F | 34° | 35° | 31° | 30° | 32° | 35° | 35° | 37° | 41° |
| Wind mph | 5 | 8 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 14 |
| Gust mph est. | — | 12 | 30 | 27 | 22 | 22 | 19 | — | — |
| Precipitation | |||||||||
| Precip in (rain/snow) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Freezing ft | 9,443 ft | 10,530 ft | 11,643 ft | ||||||
| Conditions | |||||||||
| Cloud cover | 100% | 100% | 2% | 2% | 2% | - | - | - | - |
| Vis mi | 9 | clear | clear | clear | clear | clear | clear | clear | clear |
| UV | 4 | 6 | — | 4 | 5 | — | 4 | 5 | — |
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| Elevation | Today Sep 22 | Tomorrow Sep 23 | Thursday Sep 24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| lo/hi °F · wind mph & dir · chill °F | |||
| Summit 4,100 ft | 38/40° 5 | 39/41° 17 | 42/43° 12 |
| 3,300 ft | 41/43° 9 | 41/42° 17 | 44/44° 11 |
| 2,500 ft | 43/46° 9 | 43/45° 15 | 45/47° 9 |
| Trailhead 2,000 ft | 44/48° 7 | 44/47° 12 | 45/49° 7 |
4 more days of forecast — plan around the weather window, not just tomorrow.
Full hourly summit forecasts: Mount Cannon weather
The shortest route up Cannon. The Kinsman Ridge Trail climbs from the tramway parking area in Franconia Notch, relentlessly steep with ledges and rock steps. The summit observation tower has views in every direction.
Distance
4.2 mi
Elevation Gain
2,204 ft
Duration
2-4 hours
Trailhead
Cannon Mountain Tramway Parking
The Cannon Mountain via Kinsman Ridge Trail is 4.2 miles round trip, starting at Cannon Mountain Tramway Parking. At AMC book time — half the distance in hours plus 30 minutes per 1,000 ft of climbing — that works out to roughly 2-4 hours. Most parties take longer than book time on rough or above-treeline terrain, in winter, or with a heavy pack.
The Cannon Mountain via Kinsman Ridge Trail climbs about 2,204 ft over 4.2 miles — an average of roughly 529 ft of gain per mile. That figure is cumulative ascent across the whole out-and-back, not the difference between the trailhead and the high point.
HikerNerd rates the Cannon Mountain via Kinsman Ridge Trail Moderate, scored with the Shenandoah difficulty formula — √(elevation gain × 2 × distance) — applied to its 4.2 miles and 2,204 ft of gain. The score measures physical effort only. Above-treeline exposure, water crossings, and winter conditions can make a moderate-rated route the hardest day of your year, so check current conditions before committing.
The Cannon Mountain via Kinsman Ridge Trail summits 1 named peak: Mount Cannon.
The Cannon Mountain via Kinsman Ridge Trail starts at Cannon Mountain Tramway Parking. Check the trail alerts on this page before you drive — trailhead access and parking in the White Mountains change with closures and construction.
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