QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: N/A
- Trail Mileage: ~2 miles one way
- Pets: yes
- Difficulty: moderate
- Sights: views, fire tower
Flagstaff Mountain (~2,462 feet, elevation gain ~1,076 feet) is a remote mountain with decent views from the summit that get a lot better if you’re brave enough to scale the 50-foot fire tower (I wasn’t!). A further impediment is that the first 15 or so rungs are missing from the ladder, so you have to shimmy up the tower’s support bars to reach the first rung.
Be prepared for an overgrown trail with few markings and a long drive to the trailhead. From the turn off of Route 27 in Eustis, it’s a bit over 11 miles on dirt road. Most of the logging roads were in good shape in 2024, with the sketchiest part being near the end, along Long Falls Dam Road and Loop Road. But a high-clearance car will serve you well, especially up the final rougher 0.4 miles on the narrow Loop Road. There’s room for about two cars in the small grassy clearing by the trailhead off Loop Road.
The unmarked but easy-to-follow track starts out on a grassy, overgrown trail that is wet and muddy in parts and alternates between short forested sections and grassier sections. When the track turns, the path follows an eroded, stony section before entering a drier forested stretch. The last leg that brings you to the tower follows a mossy lane tucked in between conifers.
My GPS clocked the distance one way at 2.5 miles, longer than AllTrails’ agreed-upon 2 miles. Darn.
Directions: You can approach this mountain in several ways but Google directed me in a way in which I encountered logging roads in decent condition. I recommend downloading Google maps ahead of time on your phone to use for navigation. Here are my instructions, good luck!: Turn off Route 27 in Eustis onto King and Bartlett Road. Go ~1,100 feet, turn right onto Airport Road. At 0.3 miles, veer left to stay on Airport Road and follow it for 2.24 miles. At this point, turn right onto Big Eddy Road, and in about 400 feet, turn left onto Scott Road. Follow Scott Road for about 6 miles. At the intersection here, stay straight/go right onto Long Falls Dam Road, follow for 2.34 miles, looking for a narrow lane on your left. This is the Loop Road. Follow Loop Road 0.4 miles to the trailhead and a small grassy area for parking, it’s a snug fit for 2 cars.
