Hunter Cove Uplands, Rangeley

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 (which might be a touch overgrown) 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.