DAY TRIPPING The Harris Center • Hancock, NH

The Harris Center for Conservation Education in Hancock is a great place to take a day trip and enjoy a hike or a picnic at their beautiful pollinator garden, which is grown in an old pool. &emsp;The Harris Center is a donor-supported, nonprofit organization that promotes understanding and respect for the natural world through education and conservation. &emsp;Every year, more than 3,000 students in the Monadnock Region learn about and connect with nature through the Harris Center. It offers more than 100 programs and outings for the general public each year, free of charge. &emsp;"The grounds are always open and it's a great place for a summer picnic at an old estate with a great pollinator garden, planted for native bees and butterflies," says Susie Spikol, community programs director and naturalist at the Harris Center. "We have a lot of great programs. We run a camp for kids the first two weeks of July, so it can get crowded, but there is always room to visit." &emsp;The Harris Center Green Building also hosts an occasional art exhibit. There will be one in June, "Dragonflies, Damsel Flies and Birds," showcasing beautiful photographs by Frank Gorga. &emsp;The Harris Center for Conservation Education is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the weekdays but is closed on the weekends. A porta-potty in the lower parking lot is open for spring, summer and fall. &emsp;"I encourage people to check our online events calendars for other upcoming events," notes Spikol. The center adds events regularly that go through the entire summer such as hikes, kids and family programs, and conservation science opportunities. "We also have a butterfly survey we do in July," adds Spikol. &emsp;She notes that one upcoming event to put on your calendar is "A Monadnock Garden Day: Gardening in a Changing World," on June 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. &emsp;"We have some pretty famous gardeners coming to talk about their gardening," says Spikol. Hikes for all abilities When it comes to finding a hike that is right for you, the Harris Center has a little something for everyone. They have trails that offer a gentle stroll or something more challenging that ends with a view. All of their trails are free of charge and open to the public year-round. Dogs are welcome, but they must be on leash at all times. Below are some of the trails with descriptions, and you can find a more detailed map on their website. The West Side Trails to Skatutakee Mountain, Thumb Mountain, and Cobb Hill in Hancock offer moderate to steep climbs to dramatic vistas. Trail lengths range from a 2-mile roundtrip up Cobb Hill to a 4.5-mile loop over the summits of both Thumb and Skatutakee. The Harriskat Trail is also home to a series of popular trailside wood carvings by local artist Jack McWhorter. The East Side trail system in Hancock This trail is easy hiking through cool hemlock and hardwood forests to huge glacial erratics. Trail lengths vary from 0.3 to 1.6 miles, with the potential to stitch together a loop hike of up to 4.5 miles via Old King's Highway and the Dandelion, Boulder Train Loop, Babbitt, and Channing Trails. Partridge Woods and the adjacent Bailey Brook Conservation Corridor in Nelson These trails offer more than 10 miles of hiking along old woods roads and newer trails past cellar holes, an old mill site, a scenic brook, several spectacular vistas, and the summit of Cheshire County's second-highest peak (Osgood Hill: elevation 2233′). A variety of routes and hiking distances are possible. Hiroshi Loop Trail in Peterborough This 1.9-mile trail gently winds its way through fields, forests, and along Nubanusit Brook. It offers a gorgeous view of Dinsmore Pond and is home to two musical hiking experiences: The Singing Stream and In Fine Feather. The Eastview Trail in Harrisville This trail runs 1.4 miles along the old rail bed for the Manchester and Keene Railroad line, which opened in 1878 and was abandoned in 1936. The nearby North Pond Trail follows the shore of North Pond for an additional 1.6 miles. The Jaquith Rail Trail in Harrisville and Hancock This 1.5-mile trail runs along the old rail bed for the Manchester and Keene Railroad line and includes a repurposed historic steel truss bridge across beautiful Jaquith Brook. It connects to the Eastview Trail at Jaquith Road in Harrisville. Old Dublin to Eaton Road Rail Trail This section of trail offers an easy, flat 0.7-mile walk (one way) along the old Manchester and Keene Railroad bed from Old Dublin Road to Eaton Road in Hancock. To extend your hike into a 2-mile loop with views of farm and field, follow the trail from Old Dublin Road to Eaton Road, take a right onto Eaton Road and another right when it joins Old Dublin Road, then follow Old Dublin Road back to your car. BOX The Harris Center 83 King's Highway Hancock, NH harriscenter.org 603-525-3394