| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Cole Hill, Cooley-Jericho Community Forest, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Blue Trail, Yellow Trail, Red Trail, spurs |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, May 29, 2026 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Small area near the driveway of the last house. Be careful not to block anyone. Park here and walk up a few minutes to the kiosk. There is what looks like a trail or old road on the right after you park. This is NOT where you want to go.
Also, a sign mentioned no overnight parking, or the town of Sugar zhill will tow. Hours are 6 AM to 6 PM. We saw this mentioned at another ACT property. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Small step over at beginning. One bridged |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Excellent. Signage is great, prevents mistakes ( like taking ski trail instead of a hiking trail). Only two blowdowns. Both are on the Red Trail, not far from the summit. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Met a young Husky with great owners. He knows where all the wildlife is. They make sure he is leashed before he attempts to meet them. Unlike him, I didn't see the porcupine in the woods.
Remember that some of the bordering land is private, and bring enough water
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 | Bugs: |
Behind schedule. When we first started, it was still a little sunny and there were blackflies. They were exploring, not biting ( like it was early spring). They disappeared as it got cloudier and rain approached. No ticks for us, but be aware some of these trails are grassy and you may not be as lucky
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|
 | Lost and Found: |
One slender, gold colored metallic water bottle at kiosk. |
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|
 | Comments: |
What a great place. Second attempt to go there. Wasn't sure last time we were at the right spot. Good signage on the way in. We have a subcompact, so we parked head in, only to see a sign on the way up to the trail head said to parallel park (maybe because the a$$ ends of huge vehicles would stick out a little). Our car was taking up as little space as possible, so we left it the way it was.
There are 3 trails here. Blue, Yellow, and Red. Started clockwise on Blue. Early and mid-season flowers - purple violets, Trillum, trout Lilly. This section, named Becky's Path (for Rebecca Brown, a president of ACT), has a few scenic spots, a fairy garden, and some carvings. Nice grsdual ascent through mixed woods. Merges with Yellow, then Blue leaves up a small switchback. Yellow gentle descends and climbs back up. At the junction with the Red Trail, you can remain on the Yellow to get yo the Cooley Hill firetower remains. We stayed on Red.
Red had a couple of manageable blowdowns. Beautiful woods walk, opens up after the summit. A few muddy, grassy areas. Not too far is a scenic spur, complete with some log benches. Rejoins the Blue Trail further down, named for Harry Reid ( husband of Rebecca and active in ACT). Most of the descent is an old logging road, good views were had, despite the rain.
Higher parts of these trails could be renamed Moose bathroom, but we didn't see any. We did see our first toad of the year, though. Lovely area, well-managed by ACT (Ammonoosic Conservation Trust). Excellent choice for folks with knee issues, plenty of switchbacks. We will be back for what we missed.
Thank you, ACT. |
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 | Name: |
Beckie and Prema |
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 | E-Mail: |
beckiejani@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-05-30 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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