QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: 172 acres
- Trail Mileage: 3 miles in network
- Pets: yes
- Difficulty: moderate
- Sights: Hunter Cove on Rangeley Lake
Hunter Cove Uplands in green; Hunter Cove Wildlife Sanctuary in blue
Not to be confused with the nearby Hunter Cove Wildlife Sanctuary on the other side of Hunter Cove, this 172-acre Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust preserve offers a 3-mile trail system and a cove overlook.
The trail begins by crossing a meadow before crossing a stream and heading up a hill on a wide multi-use road into the woods. A couple of times the trail makes slight detours around wet sections. Look carefully for the trail blazes at these points! We managed to miss them both times, wandering a bit off trail.
The mostly flat snowmobile/ATV track brings you to the lake overlook in about 1.1 miles. First, though, you’ll reach an intersection at 1 mile, with a sign pointing left to the lake, 0.1 mile away. After checking out the cove (access to the water is a bit reedy and difficult), you can make a couple of loops through footpaths that wind through forest. While much of the forest is pretty and dry, there are some wet sections that could have used a bog bridge or two.
Directions: From Rangeley, take Route 4 toward Oquossoc for roughly 4 miles. (You’ll pass Hunter Cove Wildlife Sanctuary at 3.2 miles on the left.) The land trust has a large sign for Hunter Cove Uplands on the left, marking the parking lot, which can probably hold at least five or so vehicles.
