J A Skinner State Park Trail Guide

J.A. Skinner State Park has an extensive trail system with trails of different types for all interests and abilities.

To download a trail map of the park, please click here. Maps are not currently available in the park.

The blaze system used at Skinner State Park is paint on the trees alongside the trails. Some trails do share colors, but they will not intersect each other. Generally, two squares on top of each other or a rectangle with the long sides on the left and right means that the trail continues straight. Two squares next to each other or a rectangle with the long sides on the top and bottom indicate a turn. Complicated intersections may have an arrow, but most do not. Keep in mind that some trails overlap each other, so a trail may have multiple color blazes on it.

There is also a Location ID trail marker system to assist in trail navigation. For more information on the LID system, please click here.

While not a complete list of the trails in the park, here is a trail listing with each trail’s abbreviation and the color it is blazed in.

Black Rock	BR	Blue
Conglomerate Rock	CR	Red
Dry Brook	DB	Red
Devil’s Football	DF	Blue
Hang Glider	HG	Green
Halfway House	HH	Blue
Lithia Outlook	LO	Red
Lithia Springs	LS	Yellow
Metacomet-Monadnock	MM	White
Two Forest	TF	Yellow
Taylor’s Notch	TN	Yellow
Tramway	Tr	Red

From the main entrance the park road rises steeply for .7 miles to the halfway area, then gradually ascends for the remainder of the trip. This route is also used by automobiles and cyclists, so please use caution, especially on the sharp turns.

The trailhead for the Two Forest trail is to the left of the main gate to the park. This trail reconnects to the park road in several places, and ends at the halfway area. To get to the summit from the halfway area either follow the blue blazed halfway trail (.25 miles, extremely steep) which starts just before the halfway area on the right side of the road, or follow the park road to Taylor’s Notch and climb the white blazed M&M trail.

From the main entrance walk down the dirt road until you reach the trailhead on your left. At trail marker 101, keep to the left to stay on the M&M. This trail is not recommended during thunderstorms.

This trail is the quickest route from the halfway area to the summit. Walk down the stairs by the parking lot and turn onto the blue blazed trail on the left.

Start on the Halfway House trail across the street from the house (blue). After about a half mile, shortly after the 138 trail marker, turn onto the Conglomerate Rock trail (red). Follow the Conglomerate Rock trail back to the road.

Start on the Tramway trail (red), just below and across the street from the halfway house. Follow the Tramway trail, bearing left where it forks about half a mile in. At trail marker 136 turn onto the Devil’s Football trail (blue). This intersection can be easy to miss; the trail marker can not be seen from the entrance to the intersection. After passing the Devil’s Football, keep to the left, where the trail overlaps with the Two Forest trail (yellow) and follow to the auto road.

Take the Halfway House trail (blue) as above. Stay on the trail, passing the turnoff for the Conglomerate Rock (red) trail. Take the Taylor’s Notch trail (yellow) to the auto road, and follow the auto road back to the halfway area.

Go to the end of the summit picnic area away from the house and find the white blazed M&M trail. Descend on the trail to the park road at Taylor’s Notch. Turn right and follow the road back up to the summit.

Walk down the trail next to the summit house, blazed white, blue, and green. At the 121 trail marker there is a small footpath to the right, where the trail continues, marked with green blazes. Turn here and follow the trail to the hang glider launch point. This turn is easy to miss, so keep an eye on the blazes. If there are white blazes but no green blazes, you have gone too far.

Follow the directions for the Summit Loop above, however at Taylor’s Notch, cross the park road to the red blazed Dry Brook trail. Follow this trail for about half a mile, then look for a trail on the left, blazed in yellow. Less than a quarter mile later turn onto the Black Rock trail on the left, blazed in blue. Continue on this trail until it joins the white blazed M&M trail then turn left to return to Taylor’s Notch and the Summit.

Best choice with children. Follow the Summit Loop as above, but turn left at the park road and continue to the main gate.

The quickest and steepest way down the mountain is to take the blue blazed halfway trail next to the upper parking lot to the park road, then continue on the road to the main gate.

Unsafe in thunderstorms. Start next to the house or the upper parking lot and follow the white blazed M&M trail down the mountain. When you get to the gravel road, turn right and follow it to the main gate parking area.

Choose the trail marked yellow that branches left as you leave the Hockanum Road parking area. This is a fairly steep, direct route up the mountain. To continue to the summit, cross the park road at Taylor’s Notch and continue on the white blazed M&M trail.

Follow the trail marked red as you leave the Hockanum Road parking area. Just past trail marker 138, turn right to stay on the trail. Follow the trail to the Conglomerate Rock and continue to the park road. To reach the summit follow the road to Taylor’s notch and take the white blazed M&M trail or follow the road to the top.

Start on the red blazed Conglomerate Rock trail, then bear right onto the blue Halfway House trail. After reaching the park road, walk downhill to get to the second portion of the trail just beyond the halfway house barn. Follow this trail to get to the summit. Use caution as the trail from this point is extremely steep.