Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway

The Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway is closed. NH State Parks retired the second-generation tram after its last day of service on October 26, 2025, and says it is not expected to run during the 2026 summer season while a replacement is planned and built. There are no tram tickets on sale and no ride to the 4,080-foot summit. The state has not published a reopening date. The rest of Franconia Notch is open as usual, including the Flume Gorge and Echo Lake Beach.

Why the Tram Is Closed

In July 2025 Cannon Mountain announced it would retire the tram that had run since 1980, after 45 years of service, to make way for a third-generation system. In September 2025 it set the final day: Sunday, October 26, 2025, marked with a public send-off event (Cannon's announcement). Since then the official tram page has read that Tram II "is RETIRED and will not operate summer 2026."

What Happens Next: Tram III

The state has committed money and started the engineering. According to Cannon's July 2025 release, $27.2 million was secured through New Hampshire House Bill 25, with more capital expected. A structural analysis of the existing towers, terminals and foundations, pending approval by the Governor and Executive Council, was to confirm how much of the old system can be reused and set the design requirements for the new one.

Cannon says the third-generation tram will be "designed and built in the coming years" and asks visitors to check its tram page for progress updates. When it opens, Cannon will be, in its words, the only mountain in North America to reach a third-generation tram. This page will be updated when the state publishes a timeline or an opening date.

A Short History of the Cannon Tram

• 1938: the first passenger aerial tramway in North America opens on Cannon Mountain, built to carry skiers to the top. Its two cars held 25 passengers each and carried more than six million people over 42 years.
• 1980: a second-generation tram replaces it, with two 80-passenger cars, more than doubling capacity.
• 1980 to 2025: Tram II carries more than nine million passengers on a ride of about a mile. Cannon's 2025 release put the trip at under seven minutes; the state's park map says eight.
• October 26, 2025: Tram II's last day.
• 2026: closed for the replacement project.

Can You Still Get to the Summit?

Only on foot. NH State Parks' hiking sheet warns: "The Aerial Tramway is not in service. Plan for a challenging and technical roundtrip hike. There are no rides back down the mountain." Plan the descent as well as the climb, with daylight to spare. See our hiking guide and the state's trail maps before you go.

When the tram ran, the summit had a cafeteria, restrooms, walking paths and an observation tower. On a clear day, the state says, you could see four states and Canada from the top.

For a big view of Cannon without the climb, Artists Bluff is a 1.5-mile loop that the state says offers some of the best views of Cannon and the Notch for the effort.

What's Still Open at the Tram Base

• The New England Ski Museum's Franconia branch, at the tram base off Exit 34B. Admission is free. The museum says its hours will vary during tram construction, so check before you go.
• Overflow hiker parking. The Aerial Tramway lot is Franconia Notch's overflow lot for hikers, with a paid weekend hiker shuttle in season. See parking.
• The bike path. The state lists the base of the Aerial Tramway at Exit 34B as an access point for the Franconia Notch bike path.
• A designated dog walk area. Dogs were never allowed on the tram, but NH State Parks keeps a dog walk at the Tramway lot.

Cannon Mountain in Winter

The tram closure does not close the ski area. Cannon Mountain Ski Area, also run by NH State Parks, has the highest ski summit (4,080 feet) and the longest vertical drop (2,180 feet) in New Hampshire, and nearly 100 trails across two mountains. Lift tickets and conditions are on the state's Cannon page and cannonmt.com.