Cannon Mountain and its base area host a variety of year-round sports, including
hiking,
climbing,
skiing and
fishing. Visiting tourists can take in the area's scenery, an aerial tramway, summit restaurant, and a museum on the history of skiing.
Hiking A number of trails criss-cross Cannon Mountain and the surrounding region. The Kinsman Ridge Trail begins on the northeast side of the mountain in Franconia Notch near the base of the Tramway, passes near but not directly over the summit, and leads to the southwest across the Cannon Balls and the
Kinsman peaks on to
Kinsman Notch at the north base of
Mount Moosilauke. The Mittersill-Cannon Trail, seasonally open from spring to fall, climbs to the summit area from the northwest, traversing Mittersill Peak on its climb. Both trails join the Rim Trail near the summit, which in turn climbs to the summit tower in a loop partially overlapped by the KRT.
Lonesome Lake, on the south side of the mountain, is a popular hiking destination and is the location of the
Appalachian Mountain Club-maintained
Lonesome Lake Hut. The
Appalachian Trail passes Lonesome Lake but does not cross the summit of Cannon. The base of the cliff face can be approached via an ambiguous path up the right side of the talus field.
Climbing At roughly high and more than long, Cannon Cliff is the largest vertical rock face in the Northeast. According to a SummitPost description, "Some of the
aid lines are long and difficult enough to require a
bivy, making Cannon the only Big Wall in the northeast." Cannon is popular with
free- and aid-climbers in summer and
ice- and
mixed climbers in winter. (V)Ice Fest, an annual ice climbing festival, is held in the Franconia Notch region and features climbing on Cannon Cliff. Climbers are asked to sign in and out of a log book so that search parties may be organized if they are overdue. Several rock and ice guide books exist for Cannon and
Franconia Notch, most notably 'Secrets of the Notch' by Jon Sykes. Notable rock climbing routes: • Whitney-Gilman Ridge:
5.7, 5 pitches. This route up the prominent
arête in the center of the face is possibly Cannon's signature climb. The 3rd pitch (the 'Pipe Pitch') features outstanding exposure over the Black Dike. Protection is a mix of trad and fixed bolts and pitons. First ascent was by Bradley Gilman and
Hassler Whitney on August 3, 1929. • Moby Grape: 5.8, 9 pitches. Ascends the tallest section of the cliff. Starts with Reppy's Crack; superb climbing all the way up. First ascent was by Joe Cote and Roger Martin in July 1972. Notable ice climbing routes: • The Black Dike: 4+/5-, 500 ft (150 m) tall; 3 pitches. A popular mixed ice climb. First ascent was by John Bouchard on December 18, 1971 (
solo). • Omega: 5+, 3 pitches. Mixed climbing. Hardest ice climb in the region. First ascent by John Bouchard and Rainsford Rouner in 1976.
Approach and descent The approach trail to Cannon cliff can be found by walking along the bike path on the western (southbound) side of
I-93. Climbers park and sign in at a trailhead lot just south of
Profile Lake. After about of narrow, climber-maintained trails through the woods, climbers must cross a long section of talus. Steep unofficial descent trails back to the trailhead can be found on both the north and south ends of the cliff, above Whitney-Gilman and Lakeside, respectively.
Skiing The
Cannon Mountain Ski Area is state-owned and offers nine lifts servicing of skiing (158 with snowmaking). In the 1930s, the
Civilian Conservation Corps cut six ski trails, many of which were later incorporated into the Cannon Mountain Ski Area and, until 1984, the Mittersill Ski Area. The Mittersill Ski Area and Taft CCC Ski Trail were incorporated into the Cannon Mountain Ski Area in 2009. US Olympic gold medal-winning
skier Bode Miller grew up skiing at Cannon.
Tourism Cannon has a number of non-sport-related features which make it a popular tourist attraction. The aerial tramway operated year-round until September of 2025 when it was closed and slated for replacement. Though the lift terminates at the summit of the ski area, which is not the peak of the mountain itself, two hiking trails (the Cannon Mountain Short Trail and the Rim Trail) provide a way to the summit. The tramway was open for the summer season in mid-May and closed in mid-October, and was open daily from 9am to 5pm. There, an observation tower provides a panoramic view of the
White Mountains Region. The
Old Man of the Mountain was a popular attraction until its collapse in spring 2003; the Old Man of the Mountain Historic Site remains an attraction. Also notable is Profile Lake, a lake popular with both
fly fisherman and
anglers;
Echo Lake, used for swimming boating and ice-skating in winter; and the
New England Ski Museum. ==See also==