Moxie Bald Mountain, near The Forks

There is much to love about this heavenly mountain! Except maybe for the long (about 4.5 miles) hike to the 2,630-ft. summit. But those miles are for the most part gradual and easy through pretty forest. (For those with 4-wheel drive vehicles, there is an alternative place to park that sheds several miles from the hike: see directions below).

If you start your hike from Troutdale Road on the shores of Moxie Pond, you first have to jump some rocks across a narrow section of the pond. Then in about 2.4 miles, you’ll reach a short side trail to the Bald Mountain Brook Lean-to. I recommend checking it out to see the miniature gorge. A couple hundred feet farther on, you’ll cross a gravel road (which is where some park to to begin their hike). Continue through the forest for another 1.2 miles—the path begins to get a bit steeper on this section—to an intersection, which is the start of the 1.3-mile loop around and to the summit. I recommend going right, up the steeper .5-mile trail to the summit, passing massive slabs of boulders that form caves and narrow passageways, like tunnels through ancient pyramids. Once you get to the top, you’ll have 360-degree views. Beautiful.

From the summit, you can continue on the AT trail north. In .4 lovely miles, on a thin ledge that a fellow hiker says “was perfectly made to be walked on,” you’ll reach another intersection. You can go straight here to circle around the summit on the bypass trail and return, in .5 mile, to the AT path you came in on. But if you have the time and the stamina, I highly recommend turning right and walking another 1.4 miles to the North Peak. You don’t lose too much elevation, and the last .5 mile, across open ledges, is thrillingly beautiful.

Directions: From Route 201 in West Forks, drive 5.2 miles on Lake Moxie Road to where it splits in a T-intersection. Go right on Troutdale Road, a narrow dirt road that can have potholes. In roughly 8 miles, you’ll see the AT sign on your left for Moxie Bald (earlier on the road, you might have seen the AT sign for Pleasant Pond Mountain on your right). A small parking area is farther on your right. You can also reach the trailhead from Bingham. Here are the AMC directions for this route (I can’t vouch for these!): From Route 201, turn right (east) on Route 16 and drive 5.5 miles. Turn left on Town Line Road. At 2.8 miles from this intersection, bear right at a fork onto Deadwater Road. At 4.4 miles, cross a bridge onto the road, now called Troutdale road, which you can follow until, at mile 11.2 (from Route 16). you reach the AT parking area on your left. Along the way, at 9.7 miles, you will reach a four-way junction. An unnamed road leaves to the right (Baker Dimmock Road departs on your left across a bridge.) Take this unnamed road if you want to do a shorter hike. At some point, you’ll see the AT trail cross it (a bit above the Brook Lean-to). Find a place to park off-road.