QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: 5,793 acres
- Trail Mileage: 1.2 miles one way
- Pets: yes
- Difficulty: moderate
- Sights: cliff, 180-degree views
By Travis Chandler
North of Amherst Mountains Community Forest is a delightful hike that will not destroy your car getting to it (sparing even a 2-wheel drive Honda CRV). Over its 1.2 miles, the trail’s difficulty steadily increases, transitioning from old gravel logging road to jeep track before culminating at a commanding 180-degree view from a high bluff with a 300-foot vertical drop. (Online, the bluff is listed as having an elevation that varries between 678 feet and 801 feet. Our GPS measured it at 752 feet.)
The trail is located within a vast area of land protected by the Frenchman Bay Conservancy earlier in 2026.
From the trailhead, the path starts behind granite rocks streaked with quartz and black specks of biotite. For the first 0.3 mile, you’ll follow an old logging road. At 0.3 miles, take a right at the intersection. Here the trail changes to a grassy lane that gently rises and falls in a mixed forest.
At 0.6 miles, do not follow the obvious logging road up the hill. Instead, make a sharp 270-degree turn up a washed-out trail that heads steeply up. The old jeep track wags back and forth a bit before emerging onto the top of the bluff for marvelous views of Big Peaked Mountain and more distant hills.
The elevation gain is about 364 feet.
Note: Th climbing wall and possibly also the hiking trail might be closed or restricted during Peregrine falcon nesting season, so fall is a reliable time to hike here. And beautiful!
Directions: At the intersections of Route 193 and Route 9 in Beddington, head east for 18.6 miles until reaching the second Amherst Public Land sign on the right. Keeping left at intersections, follow signs for Half Mile Pond. At the intersection where a sign says 0.5 mile to Half Mile Pond, take the private road to the left and go straight through the horseshoe turn. At 3.6 miles from Route 9 there will be a T-intersection where an old logging road to your right was blocked with rocks to keep out vehicles. This is the new trailhead for Fletcher Bluff and where 6-7 vehicles may park. The trailhead is up the blocked logging road up over the steep graveled hill.
