Artist's Bluff & Bald Mountain (White Mountain National Forest)

Artist's Bluff & Bald Mountain (White Mountain National Forest)

Hike Type: Lollipop Loop w/ Spurs

Distance: 1.74 miles

Elevation: 476 feet

Time: 1 hour
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge 2025

The Hike 

Okay - skiing at Cannon was absolutely dreadful, so time for a redemption adventure! I walked back to my car, which was already in the Artist's Bluff parking lot, did a quick change, and threw on my hiking pack. The cloud ceiling had risen maybe 50 feet since the day began, so I had low hopes for views, but anything would be better than fearing for my life down an icy ski slope! The last time I had hiked Artist's Bluff was one of the first times I had been in the Whites, and I don't have that strong of a memory from it, besides it being pretty, loving Bald Mountain, and getting a little lost at the views. I did remember that I hiked clockwise the first time and hated ending on the Loop Trail, so I opted to go clockwise this time. 

I got started on the Bald Mtn.-Artist's Bluff Path and immediately turned right onto the Loop Trail, which was averagelly flat and rugged with many small ups and downs. The Loop Trail parallels the parking lot and then the road, and I immediately noticed how much warmer I was now that I was hiking versus when I was skiing - I was soon down to just my base layer. The trail was well-blazed in red. I crossed paths with a family as the trail neared the Echo Lake parking area, which featured a young child moping along as the mother said "well that's what you get for stepping in a muddy puddle," which made my giggle to myself. 

The trail got a bit slushy near the terminus of the Loop Trail. I turned right first and hiked the spur to the road on the Bald Mtn.-Artist's Bluff Trail, and then turned around to start the steep climb up to Artist's Bluff. The slushiness continued. I hiked bareboot for now, as spikes wouldn't have helped much, if at all. There was a neat view of the bluff in question through the trees. I crossed paths with another family of four and soon made my way to the stunning viewpoint (and met another lady who seemed very confused?). 

The clouds hadn't lifted at all, which helped validate my decision to switch gears to hiking. The lower slopes of Cannon Mountain and the Franconia Notch Parkway looked really cool with this low cloud ceiling, too. It smelled deliciously pine-y, but I didn't stick around too long and was soon back on the trail.

There were some newer granite steps on the way up to a knob/false summit from Artist's Bluff, and I soon put my spikes on. There was a partial view from the first knob plus a metal hook - maybe there used to be a tower here? Further down the trail, there was a second knob with another partial view of the Tuckerbrook Area and some turkey tracks off-trail.

Descending from the second knob, there was a neat tree view of Bald Mountain ahead and I noticed that I, yet again, forgot to wear deodorant - tragic! I eventually made my way to the Bald Mountain spur path, which climbed steeply with some fun scrambles to a beautiful, open summit with a panoramic view of the Cannon/Mittersill ski areas. The clouds were a little higher up now, but still not by much at all. 

After taking it in along with a few dozen photos, it was time for my final descent. I went slowly down the scrambles and once back on the Bald Mtn.-Artist's Bluff Path, continued down on a wide, muddy trail. I crossed paths with someone on their way up, enjoyed seeing the ski slopes through the trees, and soon enough, was back at the parking lot and my car! This was an EXCELLENT redemption hike - and turns out you just need to hike it on a crappy day to avoid the crowds!

Step-by-Step

- Start hike on red-blazed Bald Mtn.-Artist's Bluff Path.

- At split, turn right onto red-blazed Loop Trail.

- At corner, turn right onto Bald Mtn.-Artist's Bluff Path, hike small spur to road.

- At road, turn around to climb up to Artsit Bluff.

- At Artist Bluff, continue to follow red-blazed Bald Mtn.-Artist's Bluff Path.

- At jct., turn right to hike Bald Mountain.

- At summit, turn around.

- At jct., turn right onto Bald Mtn.-Artist's Bluff Path.

- At jct., turn right and return to car.

"Bald Mtn.-Artist's Bluff Path" from AMC White Mountain Guide, 31st Ed. (2022)

NHDP/TW The cliff called Artist's Bluff and the open summit of Bald Mtn. provide outstanding views for very little effort. Bald Mtn.-Artist's Bluff Path begins and ends on NH 18 just west of its jct. with Franconia Notch Parkway (I-93) at Exit 34C, north of Echo Lake. The west trailhead (sign) is at the north edge of the large gravel parking lot for the Roland Peabody Memorial Slope section of Cannon Mtn. Ski Area, on the north side of NH 18, 0.5 mi. from the parkway. This parking lot is sometimes closed when the ski area is closed, at which times cars must be parked in a designated area just off the highway (sign), from which it is a 100-yd walk across the Peabody Slope parking lot to the trailhead. Plowed parking is available in winter. The east trailhead is on NH 18, 0.4 mi. east of the west trailhead. No parking is available here; the nearest parking is at the Echo Lake beach parking lot, 140 yd. to the west. Although the distances are short, several sections of this trail are steep and rocky.

        From parking for the west trailhead, the red-blazed trail follows an old carriage road northwest, passing a jct. (no sign in 2021) with the west end of Loop Trail on the right in 25 yd., and climbs steadily to the top of the ridge at 0.3 mi. At this point, a spur path to Bald Mtn. diverges left (sign) and climbs through the woods, with one scramble up a ledge, and then ascends steeply up the open rocky cone of Bald Mtn. with several short scrambles, reaching the top in another 0.1 mi. Views are extensive to the west and northeast, and there are nearby views of Cannon Mtn. and Mt. Lafayette. About 25 yd. beyond the jct. with the spur to Bald Mtn., the main trail turns right from the old road (avoid a false path that leads ahead) and runs over two wooded humps, passing a restricted outlook ledge on each. Bald Mtn.-Artist's Bluff Path then descends steeply, with many rock steps, passing another restricted outlook on the left, to the top of a gully at 0.7 mi., where a red-blzed path ("Bluff" painted on a ledge) leads left 50 yd. to open ledges at the top of Artist's Bluff, with fine views of Echo Lake and Franconia Notch. Bald Mtn.-Artist's Bluff Path continues steeply down the gully over rock steps, passes the jct. with the eastern end of Loop Trail on the right (sign), and in another 40 yd., at 0.9 mi., reaches NH 18.

        Loop Trail, rough in places, is 0.4 mi. long and makes a loop hike possible over Bald Mtn. and Artist's Bluff, avoiding a road walk along NH 18. From its eastern jct. with Bald Mtn.-Artist's Bluff Path, 40 yd. in from NH 18, Loop Trail winds past several boulders, climbs over a bank with a view of Cannon Mtn., and bears right at a fork at 0.2 mi. (sign). The unsigned Short Circuit path diverges left here, leading 0.1 mi. across a leach field to NH 18. Meanwhile, Loop Trail climbs on a rocky sidehill, leavels off, and descends slightly to its western jct. with Bald Mtn.-Artist's Bluff Path, just above the Peabody Slope parking lot.

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