Bouchoux Trailhead (Jensen's Ledges) — Attraction in Town of Hancock

The drive down the Dead End to get to the Trailhead is very enjoyable. Awesome homes and views on the way. Plus it feels so hidden because you drive for almost 10 minutes down this tiny gravel road. I would say the hike is moderate for non-hikers. We took 3 small kids (3, 5 and 6) and the two older ones made it up with minor complaint. The littlest had to be carried. The incline continues for a little over a mile before it levels off and you get rewarded with the first of a few incredible views. When you reach the top and there are Warning and No Tresspassing and Fall Hazard signs, youre almost there. Walk past those toward where you hear water. If the waterfall isn’t raging you can cross the water and there are some amazing rock sculptures(?) that are really cool to check out. The view from there is the second best. Continue past there and a little further you will get the best view of the bend in the river and the ranges of mountains in the background. There is a large flat rock for sitting and rehydrating. I recommend going when the fall foliage is at its peak. We didn’t go any further but we were at the top so I imagine we didn’t miss anything. The hike down was much easier, though you have to be careful. You should have boots or at least high top sneakers. The rocks are loose and the leaves made everything slippery so lots of fancy footwork was necessary. When you leave Bouchoux, you can follow signs for the Equinunk General Store which was awesome. We purchased some great local coffee, handmade soaps and locally made ice cream (Butter Pecan. HEAVEN) The store owners were very friendly and kind. The whole area around Bouchoux is quaint and beautiful. We stayed at Bass’ Golf Course Cabins while we were in the area. I rated them too if...

Apparel alert: Wear hiking boots that cover your ankles & tough full-length pants. A good walking stick wouldn't go amiss either. At the parking area, there are 2 trailheads, one up to the ledges, and a shorter one that brings you down to the river. As the trailhead signboard mentions, this is habitat for the timber rattlesnake. We had come to climb up to Jensen's Ledge, but first took the trail down to the river's edge. This trail passes through grassy open woods and essentially terminates at the railroad tracks that parallel the river. Unfortunately on the opposite side of the tracks, the invasive Japanese knotweed has taken over and by August had formed a nearly impenetrable thicket well above head height that you have to bash through to get down to the water. It may not be worth the risk: on the return trip, just after crossing back over the tracks, a large rattlesnake slithered across the somewhat overgrown trail between members of our party and took up a position against a discarded tie on the side, and let us know it wasn't happy about our presence. By contrast, the trail up to the ledges is wide and well-worn (well-maintained even?), bare enough that it's much less likely hikers would fail to notice a snake. Nonetheless, the ledges themselves look like prime sunning and shelter for snakes, so dress, and proceed, accordingly. *This is private land so major gratitude to the landowners who graciously tolerate the public use, and to the individual (his contact is on the signage) who liaisons with them on behalf of all of us so we can enjoy the...

This trail takes around 35 minutes to get to the top. The first 25 minutes is a uphill climb on a wide rocky old jeep trail. The last 10 minutes the trail evens out. When you pass the stone bench on your left, the hardest part is over. The trail brings you up to a stream that runs to a waterfall off the side of the cliff. After that point the trail is poorly marked so use caution to stay on the trail you want to be on. There seems to be an atv trail going into the woods away from the ledges and is unmarked.

If you follow the trail a few minutes more after the stream its brings you up to the stone ledges with the rock structures. The view is amazing, where you are able to look over the Deleware River and see for miles. The trail continues further on, but it is not as heavily used and I did not follow it further, so I am unsure where it heads.

Its a great hike, and well worth the out of the way trip...