QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: 15.6 acres
- Trail Mileage: ~0.5-mile round trip
- Pets: yes
- Difficulty: easy to moderate
- Sights: views (610-ft. summit)
This must be a popular spot with local people and visitors because at the base parking lot, there are signs instructing you not to park for more than two hours! Plus, there are only two designated trail parking spaces (the rest are for the adjacent country store). If need be, you can park at the school when it is not in session.
There is no one trail up this rock, and whichever path you choose will get you to the 610-foot granite dome (as long as you continue climbing generally upwards). The red blazes can also be helpful, and if you swing wide at the little loop right below the summit, it’s a little less steep.
The views are beautiful from the top, where there is also a mountain finder. The best part: it takes just a few minutes to summit! Jockey Cap’s ledges are popular with rock climbers, too, and if you take the trail that swings widely to the east, the bottom loop, you’ll come across large boulders and can gaze up the cliff face.
Directions: The trailhead is next to Quinn’s Jockey Cap Country Store, on Route 302, close to the village. Park to the left of the store if you’re facing north. There are just two designated spots.
