Mount Hancock

Mount Hancock – White Mountains, NH

Elevation: 4,278 feet

Distance: 9.8 Miles

The Hancock Loop presents an excellent opportunity to tackle a 4k-footer day hike. The first two miles along the Hancock Notch Trail are relatively easy, with minimal elevation gain. However, the last two miles see a significant increase in elevation, with the final mile being particularly steep. We opted to summit the North Peak, Mount Hancock, first, and the 0.7-mile ascent from the split was quite steep, taking us about an hour to cover the distance. The 1.4 miles between Mount Hancock and South Hancock Mountain were more gentle and enjoyable. The 0.5-mile descent from South Hancock was very steep and took us about 45 minutes, as it was a challenging climb. We encountered other hikers who suggested summiting South Hancock first, but we believed tackling the steeper section to Mount Hancock was a better choice.

This hike was highly dog-friendly, and even the steep sections leading up to the summits posed no significant challenges for Java. He did have to navigate some rock scrambles, but nothing too extreme. We definitely recommend this hike as a fantastic day hike option.