Big Spencer Mountain, near Moosehead Lake

My map shows the trailhead quite far from the access road! I don’t know what that’s all about, but I sketched in a line from the parking area as it appears on Google maps.

Big Spencer, along with its neighbor to the west, Little Spencer, provides a dramatic backdrop to many vistas in this area, about an hour’s drive north of Greenville. The two Spencers dominate the terrain, and though they lie close to one another (their summits are about 4.0 miles apart as the crow flies), they are still about an hour’s drive apart along unpredictably maintained logging roads.

Of the two mountains, Big Spencer (3,227 feet) is slightly easier to hike than Little Spencer, though the elevation gained, ~1,850 feet, is about the same; it’s just spread over two miles instead of one! Supposedly there are wonderful 360-degree views from the summit of Big Spencer, but I cannot testify to this because the day we hiked the mountain, it was snowy, windy, and bitterly cold, as we caught the first snowfall at elevation of the season.

The mountain lies within the state of Maine’s Big Spencer Ecological Reserve. Prepare for a long drive along dirt logging roads. In 2024, these roads would not have been easy for a low-clearance car.

Once you finally reach the trailhead (hallelujah, rejoice!), you’ll be welcomed with a large blue sign for the mountain and a large parking area. Though the trail is not blazed, it is obvious and easy to follow. The first half of the hike offers a relatively easy, gradual ascent up an old tote road, through pretty forest. At about 1 mile, you’ll walk through dark spruce trees before emerging on an open, grassy meadow, with views, a picnic table, fire pit, and old latrine. We couldn’t find signs of the former warden’s hut.

Soon after leaving the field, you’ll pass a marshy area (a beaver pond), and then the trail climbs steeply for the second half of the hike. The AMC Maine Mountain Guide says you climb more than 1,000 feet in about 0.7 miles, so get ready for some gasping. There are well-built stone steps in places, along with three wooden ladders spaced quite far apart along the path. (We only found the final ladder to actually be necessary.)

Once you get within a quarter mile of the top, you’ll reach what I think is the most difficult section of the hike, with slightly tricky climbs up short rock ledges. But one ledge at least is equipped with a helpful rope, and another has a ladder.

When you emerge among the krummholz, close to the summit, you have a quick stretch to a short communications tower, helipad, and solar panels and some fabulous views (allegedly). The Maine Mountain Guide says hikers should conclude their hike here and avoid the private communications equipment visible at the next summit (I could see none of this!).

Directions: It is helpful to download a Google map of Maine onto your phone while you still have wifi! Then you can navigate offline, when there is no cellular signal, and find this trailhead and other challenging ones tucked within labyrinthine, unmarked, and remote logging roads. From Greenville, drive north about 18.8 miles on Lily Bay Road to Kokadjo. Shortly after leaving the tiny village, bear left at the fork. Continue north and straight, past the left-hand turn onto Spencer Bay Road (at about 1.5 miles after the village). Go a total distance of about 8.4 miles and turn left onto Bear Brook Road. Continue 6 miles, and the blue sign for Big Spencer will be on your left. I added a Google map screenshot of the area below to help you visualize the route from Kokadjo a bit.

Two great guidebooks to invest in, with detailed driving directions and hike descriptions: The 12th edition of the AMC’s Maine Mountain Guide, and North Woods Walks, by Christopher Keene. (You can find the latter in Greenville bookshops and stores.) Using a Delorme Gazetteer might also be helpful.