QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: 34,955 acres
- Trail Mileage: 2.7-mile loop
- Pets: yes
- Difficulty: challenging
- Sights: view down the valley
Eyebrow Trail in red (at the north end of the map); Grafton Loop Trail in blue
This is a tough little trail! But the views are lovely from the ridge, as you can look all the way down the notch. We think it’s called the Eyebrow Trail because the trail curves over an exposed cliff with rock grains that are curved like an eye. You can see this pattern in the rock wall when you’re standing below it in the parking lot.
You can pick up the Eyebrow Trail from the parking area for the Old Speck Mountain trail and others. Both trails—for Old Speck and Eyebrow—start out on the Appalachian Trail. In about 0.1 miles, the red-blazed Eyebrow Trail branches off to the right. I recommend taking this and doing the Eyebrow Trail loop counterclockwise, to get the very steep portion out of the way first. Then you can descend on the less steep Appalachian Trail. The Eyebrow Trail has rungs, a steel rope, and a ladder to assist hikers over the steepest section of exposed ledge.
Here’s some good info on the state park.
Directions: The trail starts from the big parking lot at the bottom of Old Speck Mountain, off Route 26 in Grafton Notch Park.
