Go to White Mountain Explorer home page

Mount Cabot via the York Pond, Bunnell Notch, Kilkenny Ridge and Mount Cabot Trails

This day hike involved going along the York Pond Trail to the Bunnell Notch Trail to the Kilkenny Ridge Trail and finally to the Mount Cabot Trail and returning the same way.

  • York Pond trailhead parking - 1600'
  • Junction with Bunnell Notch Trail - 0.3 miles - 1,640'
  • Bunnell Notch, Kilkenny Ridge Trail - 2.8 miles - 3,010'
  • Junction with Mount Cabot Trail - 3.3 miles - 2,920'
  • Mount Cabot - 4.5 miles - 4,180'
  • Junction with Kilkenny Ridge Trail - 5.7 miles - 2,920'
  • Bunnell Notch, Bunnell Notch Trail - 6.2 miles - 3,010'
  • Junction with York Pond Trail - 8.7 miles - 1,640'
  • York Pond trailhead parking - 9.0 miles - 1600'

  • Total distance round-trip - 9.0 miles

  • Total elevation change - 2,580'

  • Trail map - 900 x 489 -347K

  • Trail map - 1446 x 786 - 918K

The starting point for this hike was the parking area at York Pond trailhead inside the Berlin Fish Hatchery on York Pond Road. This rather convoluted route was necessary because of a duspute between the White Mountain National Forest and one of the property owners along the lower section of the Mount Cabot Trail. The lower portion of the Mount Cabot Trail is technically closed although some hikers do apparently continue to use it. I started this hike later than I would normally because I was not sure whether the gate to the fish hatchery would be open not. If it is not open yet and you park outside the gate it adds a couple of miles each way to the trip. The gate is supposed to be open from 8am to 4pm though by some accounts it is always open.

I was up and out of the house around 5 for this one. I stopped in Lincoln for breakfast and then also made a short stop in Franconia Notch for some photos. I arrived at the trailhead and started hiking around 8:15.


600 x 4000   1024 x 683

Clouds in Franconia Notch


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Clouds in Franconia Notch


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Raspberries in Franconia Notch


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Purple flowers in Franconia Notch

The lower portion of the route along the York Pond Trail and the first half mile or so of the Bunnell Notch Trail was very easy and there was not much in the way at all of elevation change. The trail left the more open bed and entered the forest shortly after crossing the brook that comes down from Bunnell Notch. The trail then followed along the north side of this brook until just before it reached Bunnell Notch.


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Starting on the trail to Cabot Mountain


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Bunnell Notch Trail


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Bunnell Notch Trail


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Bunnell Notch Trail climbing through the forest


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Bunnell Notch Trail, small stream and steps

A sign post marked the junction with the Kilkenny Ridge Trail at the top of the notch.


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Bunnell Notch Trail,
junction with Kilkenny
Ridge Trail


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Bunnell Notch Trail,
junction with Kilkenny
Ridge Trail


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Bunnell Notch Trail,
junction with Kilkenny
Ridge Trail

After about a half of a mile on the Kilkenny Ridge Trail I came to another sign post and a cairn that marked the junction with the Mount Cabot Trail.


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Leaves and rain drops


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Fern forest


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Sign post


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Kilkenny Ridge Trail,
junction with Mount
Cabot Trail

The day had started off cloudy but then the Sun had been out for a little while along the lower portion of the route. It seemed as I climbed higher though I entered the domain of the clouds and there was not much to see. There were not any good view points along the trail anyway and the clouds kept things cooler so it was not a big deal.


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Climbing into the clouds

It would have been nice to see the view from the cabin and/or old lookout tower site but the summit was completely socked in with clouds. I took some photos but did not stay long.


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Mount Cabot summit cairn


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Mount Cabot summit


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Mount Cabot summit signage


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Data for the trip up

I went back and had my lunch inside the cabin as it has started to rain a little as I began the descent.


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Where the old lookout tower
used to be


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Mount Cabot cabin


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Mount Cabot cabin,
view from the porch


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Mount Cabot cabin,
view inside

I stopped at another view point on the way down just to get a photo of the ledge and the clouds and while I was there the clouds thinned out and lifted breifly and there was a little bit of a view.


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Nothing but clouds


600 x 400   1024 x 683

But wait!


600 x 400   1024 x 683

A little gap in the clouds!


600 x 400   1024 x 683

A little gap in the clouds!

Lower down I passed a little waterfall caused by log jam across a little stream. I had stopped there for some photos on the way up but the light was better on the way down so I stopped again. The Sun was back out again when I left the forest and started on the more open sections along the lower portion of the route. I started seeing some butterflies along this section and got slowed down by stopping to try and get photos of them. I still made pretty good time and arrived back at the car right around 3pm.


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Small waterfall


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Butterfly and flower


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Butterfly and flower


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Data at the end of the trip

On the way out I stopped to get some photos of one of the fish ponds, of York Pond and Mount Cabot and also of some of the covered tanks used to raise the baby fish. I found some sign boards explaining how the fish hatchery worked and what types of fish were raised and found it all quite interesting.


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Pond at
Berlin Fish Hatchery


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Fish pond,
bird house


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Mount Cabot, York Pond


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Interpretive signs,
Berlin FIsh Hatchery


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Hatching pools,
Berlin FIsh Hatchery


600 x 400   1024 x 683

Hatching pools,
Berlin FIsh Hatchery

[ White Mountain Hikes | Grand Canyon Home ]
Copyright © Bob Ribokas, 1994-2010, all rights reserved. This publication and its text and photos may not be copied for commercial use without the express written permission of Bob Ribokas.