The North Kinsman thru Lonesome Lake is a 3.9-mile point-to-point with 2,668 ft of elevation gain.
Submitted by Molly G.
3.9 mi • 2,668 ft gain • 2-4 hours • The Basin, Franconia State Park Parking Lot
Feels like 35°F
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Today Aug 29 | Tomorrow Aug 30 | Monday Aug 31 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | |
| Temperature & Wind | |||||||||
| Weather | sunny | cloudy | cloudy | cloudy | rain | drizzle | sunny | sunny | cloudy |
| Temp °F hi / lo | 48° 47° | 53° 48° | 56° 53° | 55° 53° | 57° 54° | 54° 52° | 52° 50° | 57° 51° | 55° 55° |
| Chill °F | 42° | 42° | — | — | — | — | 45° | — | — |
| Wind mph | 12 | 15 | 36 | 37 | 30 | 31 | 14 | 11 | 8 |
| Gust mph est. | 19 | 23 | 54 | 59 | 48 | — | — | — | — |
| Precipitation | |||||||||
| Precip in (rain/snow) | - | - | - | - | 0.8 | 0.1 | - | - | - |
| Freezing ft | 12,217 ft | 11,430 ft | 13,337 ft | ||||||
| Conditions | |||||||||
| Cloud cover | 3% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 1% | 8% | 100% |
| Vis mi | 9 | clear | clear | clear | 2 | 7 | clear | clear | clear |
| UV | 5 | 7 | — | 4 | 6 | — | 5 | 7 | — |
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| Elevation | Today Aug 29 | Tomorrow Aug 30 | Monday Aug 31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| lo/hi °F · wind mph & dir · chill °F | |||
| Summit 4,293 ft | 47/48° 12 | 53/55° 37 | 50/52° 14 |
| 4,100 ft | 47/48° 12 | 54/56° 37 | 50/52° 13 |
| 3,300 ft | 48/50° 15 | 57/59° 31 | 53/54° 8 |
| 2,500 ft | 49/54° 13 | 60/62° 22 | 55/57° 5 |
| Trailhead 2,000 ft | 51/56° 10 | 61/64° 17 | 55/60° 5 |
4 more days of forecast — plan around the weather window, not just tomorrow.
Full hourly summit forecasts: North Kinsman Mountain weather
The North Kinsman thru Lonesome Lake is a 3.9-mile point-to-point in New Hampshire's White Mountains, starting at The Basin, Franconia State Park Parking Lot and finishing at Same (loop). It climbs about 2,668 ft — an average of 681 ft per mile — which works out to roughly 2-4 hours at AMC book time. It summits 1 named peak, topping out on North Kinsman Mountain at 4,293 ft: North Kinsman Mountain (4,293 ft). HikerNerd rates it Moderate on effort alone — check the current conditions above before committing, since weather above treeline changes the day far more than the numbers do.
Distance
3.9 mi
Elevation Gain
2,668 ft
Duration
2-4 hours
Trailhead
The Basin, Franconia State Park Parking Lot
The North Kinsman thru Lonesome Lake is 3.9 miles point to point, starting at The Basin, Franconia State Park Parking Lot. 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 North Kinsman thru Lonesome Lake climbs about 2,668 ft over 3.9 miles — an average of roughly 681 ft of gain per mile. That figure is cumulative ascent across the whole point-to-point, not the difference between the trailhead and the high point.
HikerNerd rates the North Kinsman thru Lonesome Lake Moderate, scored with the Shenandoah difficulty formula — √(elevation gain × 2 × distance) — applied to its 3.9 miles and 2,668 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 North Kinsman thru Lonesome Lake summits 1 named peak: North Kinsman Mountain.
The North Kinsman thru Lonesome Lake starts at The Basin, Franconia State Park Parking Lot and finishes at Same (loop), so it needs a car spot or shuttle. 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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