Harris Center Conservation Land
Managed by Harris Center for Conservation Education
3,595 acres8.2 mi of trail
Cadot TrailThumbs Up TrailNorth Pond TrailHarriskat Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Hancock
45% of Hancock’s land is conserved: 8,649 acres
28 miles of mapped trail cross Hancock, 0.9 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Harris Center Conservation Land (8.2 mi), Welch Family Farm& Forest (1.4 mi), Juggernaut Pond Forest (0.5 mi). 52 acres are parks and preserves, 29 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 77% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
45%
8,649 acres · of 30.0 sq mi of land
Trails
28 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
52 ac
29 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
21%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,998 ft
Skatutakee Mountain
Lakes & rivers
9
2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Hancock?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Hancock have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Hancock is ahead of 77% of U.S. towns. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Hancock’s overall grade.
Conserved land45% of the land · typical NH town 19% · U.S. 4%A+Trails0.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (28 mi) · NH 1.2 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land29 acres of park per 1,000 residents (52 acres) · NH 44 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home21% of residents within a half mile of a park · NH 40% · U.S. 72%C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 77%
LessMore
New Hampshire towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so Hancock’s 45% is ahead of 94% of New Hampshire towns, while its trails per square mile lead 24% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Harris Center Conservation Land, with 8.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Welch Family Farm& Forest
Managed by Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
241 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Juggernaut Pond Forest
Managed by Town of Hancock
188 acres0.5 mi of trail
Harrisville Rail Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Powder Mill Pond Wildlife Management Area
Managed by NH Fish & Game
46 acres0.5 mi of trail
Old Railroad Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
dePierrefeu-Willard Pond Wildlife Sanctuary
Nature preserve
108 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 18 parks & preserves
Harris Center Conservation Land3,595 acres · 8.2 mi of trail · Harris Center for Conservation Education
Welch Family Farm& Forest241 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
Juggernaut Pond Forest188 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Town of Hancock
Powder Mill Pond Wildlife Management Area46 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · NH Fish & Game
dePierrefeu-Willard Pond Wildlife Sanctuary108 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Edward MacDowell Lake302 acres · United States Army Corps of Engineers
Carpenter Marsh Wildlife Management Area291 acres · NH Fish & Game
Prospect Hill Forest198 acres · Town of Hancock
John Kulish Forest119 acres · Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
Walcott Forest113 acres · Town of Hancock
Evas Marsh Wildlife Management Area108 acres · NH Fish & Game
Louis Cabot Preserve87 acres · Keene State College
Thacher Memorial Forest69 acres · New England Forestry Foundation
Cranberry Meadow49 acres · Town of Hancock
William McGreal Forest27 acres · Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
Norway Pond Nature Preserve16 acres · Town of Hancock
Moose Brook Park12 acres · Town of Hancock
Kepner Meadow12 acres · Town of Hancock
DirectionsWho protects it
8,649 conserved acres
45% of Hancock’s land. Who manages Hancock’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits8,391 ac
Town or city1,672 ac
Army Corps of Engineers457 ac
State fish & wildlife431 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government191 ac
Joint68 ac
Other state land2 ac
Conservation Easement · 9,265 acPrivate Conservation · 2,595 acUnknown Easement · 852 acLocal Other or Unknown · 422 acState Conservation Area · 396 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 5,231 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 203 of 210 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sidney Williams Woods Private Conservation | Not recorded | 391 | Unknown |
| Carpenters Marsh Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 289 | Unknown |
| Briggs / Big Woods Land Private Conservation | Not recorded | 286 | Unknown |
| Merrill Tract Private Conservation | Not recorded | 279 | Unknown |
| Welch Family Farm Forest Private Conservation | Not recorded | 249 | Unknown |
| Briggs Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 222 | Unknown |
| Juggernaut Pond Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 180 | Unknown |
| dePierrefeu - Willard Pond Wildlife Sanc. Private Conservation | Not recorded | 125 | Unknown |
| Kulish Forest Private Conservation | Not recorded | 122 | Unknown |
| Walcott Local Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 116 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
10 places to go in Hancock
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Hancock
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Hancock
2 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Hancock
Mt. Skatutakee OverlookIn Harris Center Conservation Land
DirectionsThumb Mountain OverlookIn Harris Center Conservation Land
DirectionsPeaks in Hancock
Skatutakee Mountain1,998 ft elevation · In Harris Center Conservation Land
DirectionsThumb Mountain1,978 ft elevation · In Harris Center Conservation Land
DirectionsBall Hill1,378 ft elevation
DirectionsNorway Hill1,122 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Hancock
Spacious Skies Campgrounds - Seven MaplesHours: Mon–Fri 9 am – 6 pm
DirectionsTrails & water
13 named trails and 9 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.1 miHorses · 2.1 miUnpaved · 7.1 mi
Harrisville Rail Trail1.6 mi
Cadot Trail1.4 mi
Old Railroad Trail1.2 mi
Thumbs Up Trail1.1 mi
Old Dublin Road to Eaton Road Rail Trail0.8 mi
Harriskat Trail0.8 mi
North Pond Trail0.8 mi
Jaquith Rail Trail0.6 mi
Hancock Depot Trail0.5 mi
Thumbs Down Trail0.5 mi
3 more trails
Kings Highway
0.5 miOrchard Road (Closed)
0.3 miDavis Bridge
0.3 miBiking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Old Railroad TrailBike route
2.2 miCourts & fields
2Tennis
1Baseball
1Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Hancock: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.3 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.7 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 34 | 42 | 56 | 68 | 76 | 80 | 79 | 71 | 59 | 47 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 5.1 | 3.8 | 4.1 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 5.1 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Hancock →
Next door
Hancock and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock | 45% | 0.9 | 29 | 21% | A− |
| Greenfield | 30% | 1.5 | 334 | 30% | A |
| Bennington | 11% | 1.2 | 72 | 30% | A− |
| Antrim | 22% | 1.0 | 2 | 24% | B− |
| Harrisville | 23% | 1.3 | 37 | 3% | B+ |
| Peterborough | 32% | 1.1 | 89 | 45% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Hancock
Where can I hike in Hancock?
The longest trail networks: Harris Center Conservation Land, 8.2 miles; Welch Family Farm& Forest, 1.4 miles; Juggernaut Pond Forest, 0.5 miles; Powder Mill Pond Wildlife Management Area, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Hancock is conserved land?
45% of its land, against a typical 19% for a New Hampshire town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Hancock’s trails?
Harris Center Conservation Land and Welch Family Farm& Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Hancock?
10,988 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Hancock or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 80 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Hancock have?
Ahead of 77% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Hancock neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →