Jockey Cap

Jockey Cap in 2025 got a makeover, with a big new parking lot opposite the Fryeburg Town Garage and a more stable 0.4-mile trail that brings hikers to the top of its open knob with sweeping panoramic views.

Atop the 610-foot granite dome, you’ll find a bronze mountain finder from 1938 that was based on a drawing by Arctic explorer Robert E. Peary. He lived in Fryeburg for one year, 1878-1879, after graduating from Bowdoin College. The mountain finder is a neat part of this mountain. Another good quality is that it takes just a few minutes to summit! While the new trail is a bit longer than the scrappier paths it replaces, it’s still a relatively short and quick hike for the quality of views it offers. The path does get quite steep, though, as it nears the top.

Jockey Cap’s ledges are popular with rock climbers, and you can climb an 84-step staircase to a cliff wall (another new addition of the trail update).

The elevation gain from Route 302, according to the Maine Mountain Guide, is 195 feet.

The Upper Saco Valley Land Trust says this rocky outcrop was an important landmark for the Abenaki, signaling the start of a Saco River canoe portage. A little cave in the boulder field is named after a famous Pequawket Abenaki healer, Molly Ockett, who was from this region.

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.