North Kinsman via Mount Kinsman Trail

• Start at the new Mount Kinsman Trailhead located off of Route 116 in Easton. All but the last 0.4 mile of the hike up will be via Mount Kinsman Trail.
• The first 0.5 mile of the trail has been newly relocated and follows a narrow trail uphill, then downhill, and then uphill again, passing through pretty woods with ferns and hemlocks. The path is easy to follow and is occasionaly marked with survey ribbon. Near the end of this section, another narrow trail crosses Mount Kinsman Trail; keep going straight until reaching a signed T-junction with a wide trail.

• This wide trail is the original route of Mount Kinsman Trail. To the left, blocked off with logs across the trail, is the old route that is no longer in use. Turn right and after just 0.1 mile, you will pass by an old sugar house on the left. The remainder of Mount Kinsman Trail is blazed in blue.
• Continue on easy grades for 0.5 mile which will bring you to a junction.
• A woods road will continue straight/left while Mount Kinsman Trail veers right and enters the White Mountain National Forest at a double blue blaze and at a yellow sign marking the WMNF boundary. Bear right to stay on Mount Kinsman Trail, then 30 yards later turn left, still following the blue blazes for Mount Kinsman Trail.
• Climb for 0.4 mile then cross a brook (the first stream crossing). If you wish to make a trailless detour, turn left and follow the brook upstream for less than 0.1 mile. You will find a pretty waterfall dropping over a bouldery cliff.
• Continue on Mount Kinsman Trail for another 0.6 mile and cross Flume Brook, which is the third stream crossing since entering the White Mountain National Forest.
• If you wish to take a detour, turn right on a side path (small sign) immediately after the brook crossing and follow the rough, narrow, spur almost 0.1 mile to where it ends at the very edge of Kinsman flume. Looking down you can view the very narrow flume. It's a fascinating formation and worth the detour yet it's a bit frustrating to try to get a good view without falling in since you are looking at it from above.
• On the main trail, continue climbing for less than 0.1 mile where you will have another opportunity for a little side trip. The Mount Kinsman Trail curves to the left while Bald Peak Spur turns right. Following the yellow-blazed gently undulating spur trail for 0.2 mile will bring you to the open Bald Peak, a knob on Kinsman Mountain. There are excellent views in just about all directions except the east which is blocked by the bulk of Kinsman. Retrace your steps for 0.2 mile back to the junction when you are done enjoying the vistas.

• From the junction of Mount Kinsman Trail and Bald Peak Spur you would go straight/right to continue the climb from the Bald Peak detour; or if you skipped the spur trail you would turn left to continue the climb from the main trail. From this point on, the climb that was previously moderate now becomes steep for the rest of the ascent.
• After hiking for 1.6 miles from the Bald Peak Spur junction, you will arrive at a T-intersection with Kinsman Ridge Trail where Mount Kinsman Trail comes to an end.
• From this point and continuing south, Kinsman Ridge Trail is part of the Appalachian Trail so it will be blazed in white. Turn right onto Kinsman Ridge Trail/Appalachian Trail and follow it for 0.4 mile to the summit of North Kinsman.
• At the summit, at the height of land, there is an unsigned spur path on the left that drops down a large boulder and then leads to a couple outlooks. (If you start going downhill on Kinsman Ridge Trail/Appalachian Trail, then you have missed the spur.) Following the spur for 25 yards will bring you to a ledge with outstanding views of Franconia Ridge. Continue on the spur to the left of the ledge, dropping down over another boulder, and walk through thick conifers for another 70 yards to reach an outlook with a birds eye view of Kinsman Pond.
• Return to your vehicle by retracing your footsteps. When descending from North Kinsman, be sure to follow Kinsman Ridge Trail/Appalachian Trail in a northerly direction (this trail also continues south). Then after 0.4 mile, turn left onto Mount Kinsman Trail and follow that for 3.7 miles all the way back to the parking lot.

• Take Exit 38 off of I-93. The exit is signed "18, 116, 117, 142, Franconia, Sugar Hill".
• Turn west which will be towards Routes 18, 116, and 117.
• After barely 0.1 mile you will reach a flashing traffic light in downtown Franconia which is the junction of Routes 18 and 116.
• Go straight through the intersection onto Rt. 116 and follow that road for 4.4 miles, then turn left into a signed (the sign is small) parking area which is next to and across from a tennis camp. The turn is 0.2 mile after the Franconia/Easton town line. You will see tennis courts on both sides of the street and a very small pond on the left – turn left immediately after the pond.

• From the junction of Routes 112 and 116 in Easton, head north on Rt. 116.
• Travel for 1.7 miles beyond the town hall in Easton center which will be on the left.
• Turn right into a signed (the sign is small) parking area which is next to and across from a tennis camp. The turn is across the road from a tennis court, just before a very small pond and another tennis court.

• There is ample parking in the parking lot.
• The trailhead is at the far end of the parking area, opposite the entrance. There is a sign at the trailhead.

• Bald Peak (Kinsman) on 3/28/2009

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