Lonesome Lake

The trailhead is reached from southbound I-93. Hiker parking is in two small highway-side lots; campground spaces aren’t for trail visitors, and stopping on the interstate is illegal. At peak times, overflow parking by Cannon Mountain and the state-park shuttle can get you back to the trailhead. The climb steepens beyond the High Cannon Trail junction and follows switchbacks.

A path circles the lake, so you can keep going along the shore after the first water view. The lake is small, the surrounding trees close in along parts of the shore, and Franconia Ridge opens across the water. The hut and dock sit on the southwest shore, apart from the west-shore path.

This shallow lake was left by receding glaciers. It covers about 12 acres at an elevation of 2,730 feet. Its outlet feeds Cascade Brook, which drops over ledges and waterfalls on the way toward the Pemigewasset River.

Lonesome Lake Hut stands on the southwest shore, distinct from the lake. Day visitors can use its common room, refill water and hot drinks, and use the hut bathrooms, which use a composting system. During the full-service season, the hut offers soup and bread for day visitors. It’s a useful backcountry stop, not a full restaurant; its facilities are at the hut rather than along the rest of the shore.

The hut’s dock faces across the lake toward Franconia Ridge. Frame the ridge above the water and use shoreline rocks in the foreground for scale; when the surface is still, the trees and ridge reflect clearly. Reaching this view means hiking up from Lafayette Place, not pulling over beside the road.