Hotels in Franconia, New Hampshire

A little about Franconia...

Franconia is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, USA. The population was 924 at the 2000 census. Set in the White Mountains, Franconia is home to Franconia Notch State Park. Parts of the White Mountain National Forest are in the east and south. The Appalachian Trail crosses the southern part.

Sites of interest:
Franconia Heritage Museum & Iron Furnace Interpretive Center
Frost Place
New England Ski Museum

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 170.8 km² (66.0 mi²). 170.6 km² (65.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water, comprising 0.12% of the town. Franconia is drained by the Pemigewasset River, the Gale River, and the Ham Branch of the Gale River, in addition to Lafayette Brook.

The area of Franconia Notch is well-known for its natural features, including Profile and Echo lakes, the Basin, Mount Lafayette, Mount Lincoln, and Cannon Mountain. Mount Lafayette (5,260 feet above sea level) is the highest peak in Franconia. The Old Man of the Mountain, a profile-like cliff which inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne to write The Great Stone Face, collapsed on May 3, 2003.

In addition to the mountains around Franconia Notch, there are several other four-thousand footers within the town limits: Mount Garfield, Galehead Mountain, South Twin Mountain, and Owl's Head.

The Cannon Mountain Ski Area is state-owned and offers nine lifts and servicing 165 acres of skiing (158 with snowmaking). Until 1984, the north-northwestern face of Cannon was operated under the name Mittersill Ski Area (the current area occupies the north-north eastern face). The trails are often skied by those that know the area as a result of their ease of accessibility (only a short hike is required from Taft Slalom to find them). However, in the late 1990s/early 2000s, the State of New Hampshire unveiled plans to purchase the north-northwestern face and use the already-cut trails as an expansion to the current ski area. US Olympic skier Bode Miller grew up skiing at Cannon.

Cannon Mountain Ski Area Facts:
Vertical drop: 2,146'
Summit: 4,186'
Base Elevation: 2,000'
Ski acreage: 165 skiable acres
Snowmaking: 158 acres
Snowfall: 150" annual average
Exposure: North - Northeast
Ski season: Early December to Early April
Lifts: 9 total: 1 70-passenger Aerial Tramway; 1 Detachable Quad Chair; 2 Fixed Grip Quad Chairs, 3 Triple Chairs; 1 Rope Tow, 1 Wonder Carpet
Lift capacity: 11,000 skiers/hour
Trails/Glades: 55: 9 Novice (17%); 26 Intermediate (47%); 20 Expert (36%)
Trail mileage: Approx. 22 miles
Longest run: 2.3 miles
Ski School: Full-service PSIA Ski and Snowboard School; Irv Fountain, Director
Youth Programs: Brookside Learning Center offers all-day and part-day programs, plus childcare for ages six months and older. Seasonal programs available.
Retail/Rentals: Slopeside ski shops located at Peabody Base Lodge and Tram Base; plus ski/snowboard rental & service shop at Peabody Base Lodge. A slopeside High Performance Tuning Center at Peabody Base Lodge. All rental skis are "shaped" skis; all rental snowboards feature "step in" bindings.