North & South Kinsman Mountain, NH

• 4-star hike
• 10 mile out-and-back
• Medium/hard difficulty | Gain 3,260 feet
• Lincoln, NH | White Mountains Region
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two people and a dog sitting on a rocky outcrop, enjoying a breathtaking view of a mountainous landscape. The scene is serene, with clear skies and dense forests in the valley below, capturing a moment of tranquility and companionship in nature.

Franconia Ridge sights from North Kinsman viewpoint.

The dual peaks of Kinsman Mountain are set back from the main Interstate 93 thoroughfare and don't cast as dramatic a profile over Franconia Notch as Cannon Mountain and the Franconia Ridge. Despite this, the North and South Kinsman Mountain peaks more than qualify as 4,000 footers and a hike to the top provides plenty of drama along the way.

Most hikers will likely approach the mountain from the east, beginning with an easy trail to Lonesome Lake, providing you're prepared for a gently inclined thousand foot hillside walk. The lake is destination by itself, tempting swimmers to enjoy the waters along with mountain views in all directions. The AMC Lonesome Lake Hut on the west shores of the lake includes a lakefront deck, restroom and potable water along with overnight accommodations.
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4★ Lonesome Lake Route 10.0 mi out-and-back, medium/hard, gain 3,260 ft
AllTrails · GPX File · Directions

Beyond the lake and all the way to the twin Kinsman summits, the terrain becomes more difficult. We have categorized this trail as medium/hard to make hikers aware of the many short but steep granite boulders, rock scrambles and rock hopping required to negotiate the route.

Thankfully trail builders have incorporated occasional steps, ladders and other helpful trail furniture to help us on the way, but not in all cases. Wear the shoes with the most grip that you have, and be most careful on potentially slippery wooden surfaces. We really enjoyed the route and found the variety of terrain to be a lot of fun, but make sure you budget plenty of time on this ten mile trail, and expect some downhill sections to require just as much effort as they required when climbing upward.

a calm lake surrounded by lush greenery and trees, with rolling hills in the background partially covered by mist or low clouds. The sky is mostly clear with some scattered clouds, and the sunlight reflects off the water’s surface, creating a serene and tranquil scene.

Lonesome Lake is only available to those that hike in.

Almost every viewpoint on the Lonesome Lake route faces east, and we've marked the best of them on our map, including some that are a little further along the trail beyond South Kinsman. More views are evident at the summit, though none that could be described as panoramic. Kinsman is often also a trap for clouds, so enjoy every view you can find.

Another popular route to the summits of North and South Kinsman Mountain is from the west on the Kinsman Mountain Trail. We've linked to the AllTrails page for that route below, which they list as being an 8.2 mile out-and-back with 3,220 feet of elevation gain. Trailspotting will update this trail review once we've tackled this route for ourselves.

Driving directions linked above lead to the large Old Bridle Path parking area on the east side of Interstate 93, and the Lonesome Lake trail towards Kinsman Mountain is accessible by a trail under the freeway. This is the first parking opportunity if you are driving up from the South and the one with the greatest chances of finding an available spot. There are two other parking areas across the interstate (directions) and both are closer to the trailhead, but there is no connecting road under the freeway at this location and driving between the two sides requires four to five miles of additional driving.

a first-person view of a person looking down a steep trail descent leading into a dense forest, with triangular cross-sectioned wooden steps fixed to the sheer granite rock sides. The stairs are surrounded by rich greenery, including various trees and plants.

Steps helping with difficult terrain beyond the lake.

a panoramic view of a mountainous landscape under a partly cloudy sky. The foreground features an array of coniferous trees, while the background reveals rolling hills and mountain ranges that fade into the horizon

Easterly views towards the other side of Franconia Notch.

a panoramic view of a mountainous landscape with a clear sky above. In the foreground, there is a large cairn, which is a human-made pile of stones, often used as a hiking trail marker. The cairn is situated on rocky terrain with sparse vegetation. In the background, multiple mountain peaks are visible under the partly cloudy sky.

Views and a large cairn, just beyond the true summit of South Kinsman.

a serene forest scene with tall, moss-covered trees and a small stream winding through the forest floor. Diffused sunlight in the clouds filters through the canopy, creating a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere.

A morning hike through a forest in the clouds.

Tangents:
• Trailspotting: NH 4,000 Footers, NH Challenge Lists
• Public Maps at AllTrails: Lonesome Lake Route, Kinsman Trail
• Facebook Group: Comment on this article

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