Artists Bluff

• Location: Franconia, N.H.
• Owner/Manager: Franconia Notch State Park
• Highlights: A very steep hike to a nice view of Echo Lake, Cannon Mountain and Franconia Notch.
• Description: This hike is significantly harder/steeper than other hikes described on this website. There are two trailheads, one at the parking lot on the north side of Rte. 18 across from a Cannon Mountain lot. The second trailhead is on the north side of Rte. 18 further east (closer to Interstate 93). The second trailhead is a shorter, but still steep, hike. But, there is no parking directly at this trailhead. The description below follows the hike I did from the first to second trailhead.
• Directions (from Boston): 141 miles, 2 hours 19 minutes

• The Trail: 0.8 miles,  first trailhead to second trailhead
  1. From the parking lot, take the trail into the woods.
  2. It climbs moderately until reaching a trail to the left to Bald Mountain after 0.2 to 0.3 miles.
  3. The trail curves right and climbs (and in places falls) quite steeply passing a couple views until reaching a very short trail to the bluff at about 0.6 miles. Red markings on a rock direct hikers to the bluff.
  4. Return to the main trail and follow it steeply downhill until reaching Rte. 18 and the second trailhead at 0.8 miles.
  5. There is a trail through the woods back to the first trailhead, making a roughly 1.2-mile loop (1.5 miles if you also hike to Bald Mountain), but I did not try this part of the hike.
• For more information, see Cannon Mountain’s description of the trail system.