North and South Hancock via the Hancock Notch and Hancock Loop Trails

This day hike involved going up the Hancock Notch Trail to the Ceder Brook Trail to the Hancock Loop Trail to the summit of Mount Hancock. From there I continued along the ridge past Middle Hancock (or whatever it is called) to the summit of South Hancock. I left the summit to the northwest, returning to the main Hancock Loop Trail and then following that back to the Ceder Brook and Hancock Notch Trails.

Parking area, Kancamagus Highway (Route 112) - 2,200' Junction with Ceder Brook Trail - 1.75 miles - 2,560' Junction with Hancock Loop Trail - 2.45 miles - 2,760' Junction with Hancock Loop Trail - 3.55 miles - 3,270' Mount Hancock summit - 4.05 miles - 4,420' Middle Hancock summit - 4.8 miles - 4,220' South Hancock summit - 5.1 miles - 4,319' Junction with Hancock Loop Trail - 5.5 miles - 3,270' Junction with Ceder Brook Trail - 6.6 miles - 2,760' Junction with Hancock Notch Trail - 7.3 miles - 2,560' Parking area, Kancamagus Highway (Route 112) - 9.05 miles - 2,200' Total distance round-trip - 9.05 miles Total elevation change - 2,220' Trail map - 512 x 700 - 259K Trail map - 1078 x 1474 - 1,201K

The starting point for this hike was the Hancock Overlook parking area on the Kancamagus Highway (NH Route 112), about 11 miles east from the Interstate 93 exit in Lincoln.

This was a very nice hike but I did not make it to the trailhead by 7 as I originally had planned. I discovered I would have to get up too early for that. As it is I got up at 4:30 and that barely happened. Luckily I got everything ready the night before so I just had to move it to the car. After a brief stop at the McDonald's in Lincoln for some coffee to go with my muffin I made to the trailhead by 8.

The trail started at the northern end of the parking area and quickly crossed the hair-pin of the highway before entering the forest on the other side.

600 x 400   1024 x 683 At the trailhead 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Signage at the trailhead 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Hancock Notch Trail 600 x 400   1024 x 683 North Fork, East Branch, Pemigewasset River

The trail follows along Cedar Brook for about 1.75 miles before reaching a junction with the Cedar Brook Trail. This section was quite picturesque and there was very little elevation change, only about 350 feet over the full distance.

600 x 400   1024 x 683 Cascade on Cedar Brook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Ferns along Cedar Brookx 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Ferns along Cedar Brook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Cedar Brook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Cedar Brook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Butterfly on blueberry bushes 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Blueberry blossoms 400 x 600   683 x 1024 Strange plant

At the junction the Hancock Notch Trail continues to the right while the Cedar Brook Trail leads off to the left. I followed the Cedar Brook Trail for approximately 0.7 miles to its junction with the Hancock Loop Trail.

600 x 400   1024 x 683 Signage at Hancock Loop trail 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Peeling birch bark 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Hancock Mountain (north peak) through the trees 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Signage at the start of the actual loop portion

I decided to go for the north peak first and so continued to the left at this fork.

There was a little sun in the morning but that was gone completely by around 11, just about the time I made it to the summit of Mount Hancock's north peak. There was not much to see but it wasn't socked in completely. The summits of all the peaks a wooded but there was an overlook at both north and south peak.

600 x 400   1024 x 683 South Peak through the trees on North Peak 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Summit of Hancock Mountain, North Peak 600 x 400   1024 x 683 View of middle and south peak from overlook of Hancock Mountain, North Peak 600 x 400   1024 x 683 View from overlook of Hancock Mountain, North Peak 600 x 400   1024 x 683 View from overlook of Hancock Mountain, North Peak 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Ridge trail on Hancock Mountain 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Wood sorrel and blossom along the trail 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Wood sorrel and blossom along the trail

From the north peak I headed southeast along the ridge towards middle peak.

Middle Peak was a complete bust and looked like nothing at all, just a few big rocks in the middle of the forest.

600 x 400   1024 x 683 Middle peak (yep, that pile of rocks) 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Mossy carpet

From Middle Peak the trail heads southwest along anothr ridge towards South Peak which had some much better views. I made it to south peak by around 12:15 but since there was not much to see I did not stay long and headed down the slope to the northwest to the trail fork.

600 x 400   1024 x 683 Hancock Mountain, South Peak 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Signage at South Peak 600 x 400   1024 x 683 View from South Peak overlook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 View from South Peak overlook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 View of North Peak while descending South Peak

From the fork I continued southwest back to the Cedar Brook Trail.

600 x 400   1024 x 683 Fungi and water droplets 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Back at the start of the loop

I didn't stop for lunch until I got back to Cedar Brook, around 1pm. I did find a very pleasant little spot next to the brook to eat though.

600 x 400   1024 x 683 Cedar Brook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Mushroom 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Wild rose 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Wild rose 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Cedar Brook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Ferns along Cedar Brook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Cedar Brook 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Cedar Brook

The good thing about not having a lot of elevation change at the start of this hike meant that there was not a lot at the end either. It was a nice easy descent back along the Hancock Notch Trail to the parking area. There was not even much elevation change along the Cedar Ridge Trail and the southern portion of the Hancock Loop Trail. All of the serious climbing is very close to the peaks themselves, going up to the north peak and then back down from the south, each about 1,100 feet packed into about a half of a mile.

I finished this hike pretty early and was back at the packing area just a little after 3pm.

600 x 400   1024 x 683 Overlook at the trailhead 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Day lily at Pemigewasset River 600 x 400   1024 x 683 Pemigewasset River

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