Horseshoe Lake Trail

Along with the Dobsis Narrows Trail, the well-marked Horseshoe Lake Trail offers a short and pretty walk in the northern part of the 57,703-acre Downeast Lakes Community Forest. The land is cared for by Downeast Lakes Land Trust.

Horseshoe Lake Trail begins at a well-constructed boat launch; there’s also a large parking area and a handicap-accessible parking spot at the trailhead. The main trail follows the forested shore of Horseshoe Lake for about 0.4 miles, before cutting over to the dirt Horseshoe Lake Road. You can walk back along the lane for a ~0.9-mile loop.

While the trail is flat and easy, anticipate uneven terrain with roots and rocks.

Directions:  You will be more comfortable in a high-clearance car when driving the roads in the Downeast Lakes Community Forest, but you could get by with a low-clearance one for this trail. Also helpful is to download a Google map of this area on your phone ahead of time and to use AllTrails to find the trailhead. From the north: Route 6, Follow Bottle Lake Road for about 6 miles. When it turns to dirt, take a right onto Depot Road. Follow Depot Road 1.5 miles to a five-way intersection. Take your second left, onto East Shore Drive. Go for just about 4.5 miles. Take a left onto West Shore Drive, go about 0.4 miles, and you’ll emerge at the large parking area, trailhead and boat launch. From the south: From Grand Lake Stream village, take Milford Road west, veer right onto Wabassus Road, a gravel road, and follow this for about 9.5 miles. Turn right onto a narrow lane (if you’re using Google Maps, the lane passes Deer Cove, at the southern end of Sysladobsis Lake. If you pass the turn to Big Sand Beach, you’ve gone too far.) Go about 3 miles, you’ll cross a narrow bridge/dam. Keep going straight at the intersection, follow the road (it becomes East Shore Road), for about 4.5 miles. Look for the intersection with West Shore Drive, turn right, go about 0.4 miles to the large parking area, trailhead and boat launch.