Cadot Trail to Skatutakee Summit

The Cadot Trail at the Harris Center for Conservation Education / Harris Center Conservation Area in Hancock, New Hampshire is a moderate 3-mile out-and-back trail that leads to the summit of Skatutakee Mountain and features beautiful views.

Trail Name: Cadot Trail

Location:  Old Dublin Road, Hancock NH  

Allowed activities: walking, hiking, snowshoeing, birding, geocaching, foraging

Forbidden activities: No fires, no hunting, no camping, no smoking

Hours: Trails are open daily even when the Harris Center building is closed

Parking and fees: There is limited of parking at the trailhead. Do not block the wooden gate. There is no fee to use the parking or the trail.

Pets: Dogs are allowed on the trail as long as they are leashed and waste is carried out with the hiker.

Accessibility:  Hikers will encounter very rocky and uneven terrain on this hike with multiple trip hazards.

Sanitation:  No Restrooms or trash bins are available to visitors. Please carry out all trash or animal waste.

Trail information:  There is a Trail kiosk with a posted map and trail information at the trail head parking area.  To download a printable map to take with you before your hike, please follow the link below:

https://harriscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/WestSideTrails_Map_Oct2018.pdf

Length and features:  The Cadot Trail is part of the Harris Center Conservation Area and can be located on the maps for the west side trails. The trail is a moderate 2.97 mile “out and back” hike that leads hikers up to the Skatutakee Mountain summit. The trail blaze markers for the Cadot trail are white markers. There are no trail markers on the beginning section of the trail that runs from east to west, but they are not really necessary. The trail here looks very much like an old class 6 road: it is very wide and evident.  The trail begins to ascend almost immediately, however it is not a steep incline. The ascent is slow and steady as you work your way along the gravely trail. The Cadot Trail appears to have fewer visitors than the other trails that originate from the Harris Center. There might be less maintenance on this trail as evidenced in the large trees and debris found across sections of the trail. The downed trees are not difficult to go over or around. Hikers won’t notice trail blaze markers until they reach the part of the trail where it veers off to the north and heads up the side of the mountain. Once the trail starts to incline steeply, there are plenty of markers to assist the hiker in staying on the trail.  The view from the summit is worth the effort and the trail through the mixed forest is beautiful. There are several very old very large trees in this part of the Harris Center Conservation area. Hikers will also find varied flora and be able to hear all kinds of birdsong during their visit. The summit has beautiful views of the surrounding area, and if you plan your trip during blueberry season you will get to indulge in plenty of trailside foraging. There is even a geocache not too far from the summit to hunt for.