Trail Report: Cannon Mt, Kinsman Ridge Trail

Want to see views from the top of Cannon Mt. in Franconia Notch but don't want to take them tram? You can always hike the trail near by called Kinsman Ridge Trail which is a 2.0 miles to the top of the mountain. The trail starts at the Base Parking, you walk down a small construction road until you see a sign. The trail is not a rocky trail at first. It is mostly made of crushed small rocks, dirt, which can make the trail slippery on the way down. I fell once sliding, my stepson thought it was a fun ride! You hike past the slippery part to a more rocky area which then you can see the Echo Lake. The view is beautiful. Here are a few pictures of the start of the hike:

The starting sign for the trail

The trail on the way up, gravel rocks

The view of Echo Lake

Once you are about a little over half way to the top of Cannon Mt. there is a OUTLOOK, which you will see a sign for. There are some beautiful views. You are near cliffs so be safe when walking along them. I really enjoyed walking around and taking pictures. I am a bit of a daredevil so I did get as close as I could to any edge for pictures which made my party nervous for me. 
Here are some pictures taken on the Outlook:

The view at the Outllook

The view was so breathtaking that it was hard to leave!

Looking down at Highway 93 curving through the Notch!

Where I was standing at the Outlook to where my stepson and husband were, I was the closest to the edge

We continued up to the Lookout Tower after on Cannon Mt. There you will mix with travelers and people who came up on the tram. It gets a little crowded. You will also get some great views up there and see other views. I will say that it was a wonderful hike. My stepson gave it a 6 out of ten. He left it was a steep hike from the start for him. He wasn't into it as much as other hikes. He did enjoy the trail between the Outlook and the Rim Trail on top. You are out in the open more and you can see views along the way. The hike all together was 4.0 miles. It took about four and half hours for us to do and enjoy the views. Cannon Mt. was also a 4000 footer, being 4077'
Hope you enjoyed the pictures and HAPPY HIKING!

Bald Mt and Artist's Bluff in Franconia Notch

Bald Mt and Artist's Bluff 

For my Stepson's School Project, he wanted to do a hiking trip where he took the pictures. We checked out the maps and decided to go on the Bald Mt. and Artist's Bluff Adventure. If you want to do the Loop it's about 1 and 1/2 mile. We went back the way we came so it took us a little longer, about 2 miles in all. To get to this adventure, you need to get off Exit 34C in Franconia Notch, there are two different places to park on the side of the road on Route 18. We started near Bald Mt. We hiked up it first which was about .4 from where we started, the hike was easy, there were some steep parts when you get closer to the top. Young children should be very careful. Here is some pictures my stepson took:

This would be the steepest part of the hike up Bald Mt. 

Of course, our dog Stitch had the easiest time getting up there!

 Here we can see some of Franconia Notch and Cannon Mt.

Looking this way, we could see Mittersill Alpine Village and beautiful valley

After we had a snack, we headed back down. We then followed Bald Mt Artist's Bluff Path over to Artist's Bluff. This trail is easy and about .6 miles long. There is also a boulder that you can climb to see a view on the trail which my stepson loved. He loves to climb! I also climbed up it to see the view with Stitch our dog. 

Here is picture my stepson took when we made it over to Artist's Bluff:

You can see the Eagle's Cliff and the Highway 93 

Here is a picture I took of my stepson with a view behind him:

Behind him is Echo Lake and Cannon Mtn. 

After we stayed and look at the views around us, we went back the same way we came up. The adventure took us about three hours to do, and was very enjoyable. If you are up this way, you should check out this really easy and fun loop. Great for children and dogs!

Happy Hiking:)