QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: 36,000 acres in Bigelow Preserve
- Trail Mileage: 3.2 miles to 3,194-ft peak
- Pets: yes
- Difficulty: strenuous
- Sights: 360-degree views
Cranberry Peak, on the east; Little Bigelow to the west
This 3,194-foot peak is the smallest of the seven that range across the magnificent 36,000-acre Bigelow Preserve Public Land. The 3.2-mile Range Trail to Cranberry’s peak (from base to summit; it’s 2.9 miles from the trailhead kiosk) begins fairly gradually, before hitting a steeper section and then easing up for the final mile. The elevation gain is a bit over 2,000 feet.
You’ll see a few mediocre views along the way, which makes the summit, a dramatic rocky point, so splendid. There are views all around, of Sugarloaf, the next Bigelow peak, Flagstaff Lake, and mountains.
In the winter, you’ll probably have to park a little farther away from the trailhead, adding just .2 miles to your walk. No biggie. Also, for the first 1.5 miles or so, you’ll likely hear, and occasionally see, the nearby Stratton mill. It was producing a sweet odor the day we were there.
Directions: The parking area is at the end of Curry Road, a dead-end road in Stratton, off of Route 16.
