Bell’s Mountain, Crane Mountain

These trails offer short hikes to small mountains within land protected by the state. It was rather tricky finding the trailhead for the 232-foot Bell’s Mountain. While the parking lot was easy to find, off Bell Mountain Road, the trailhead was so overgrown when I visited it was impossible at first to detect. Look to the left of the overgrown drive behind a gate (the driveway goes to a little cabin). Behind the hedges and bushes will be a trail sign. An orange tag might be visible from the road. The Bell’s Mountain trail is a little steeper than the one up Crane Mountain (summit 304 ft). The gravel access road to both is pretty good, quite passable. While there are views from both peaks, they are not of the ‘stop-dead-in-your-tracks’ caliber.

Directions: From Route 1, turn onto Bell Mountain Road, roughly 2.5 miles after the intersection of Route 1 and Route 189. Go about 1,200 feet to the Bell’s Mountain trailhead on left. The trail is to the left of the parking lot, if you’re facing away from the access road. To reach Crane Mountain trailhead, continue on the gravel road for 0.7 miles. Bear right at fork in the road and follow to the end of a short road for trailhead parking.