Moxie Mountain

This 2,933-foot mountain might appeal to readers of science fiction, as it has this incredible gravel-and-sand shelf close to its peak that looks as if it could be the surface of the moon, or from some post-apocalyptic landscape. This arid, rocky expanse provides hikers with great views, with lots of mountains near and far. Then, at the peak, about 0.6 miles farther along, you’ll find a radio tower, solar panels and helipad. If you’re stopping for lunch, I recommend pausing at the small rocky outcrop about 170 feet before the summit.

(Close to the junction of the West and South trails, you might also see a touching memorial — a stone cairn with a few colorful plastic trinkets. We think it was made for a beloved dog.)

There are two ways to summit the mountain — both of the trailheads require driving long, bumpy logging roads. While they can be passed with a low-clearance car, you might be more comfortable in a high-clearance one.

South Trail: The ~1.6-mile trail on the south side of the mountain is steeper (1,430 feet elevation gain) than the western trail. Departing from Heald Pond Road, it is well marked with cairns, signs, and blue tags. It starts off on an overgrown logging road before taking a sharp right (marked with a cairn and an arrow) into a low spruce forest interspersed with sections of loose rock. This trail goes steeply uphill. At about 1.2 miles, you’ll see a side spur leading to an outlook. Shortly after that, you’ll reach the intersection with the West Trail heading to Deer Bog. Go right at this point to reach the summit in about 0.4 miles. This section is moderately steep, with some rock scrambling and one thankfully short part of the trail dipping precariously down an eroded bank before climbing again.

But if you’re coming from this direction, don’t miss the fantastic western ledges! You reach them by taking the West Trail about 0.2 miles. Then look for a sign to a lookout on your left. If you start descending down into a forest, you’ve gone too far.

West Trail: The ~2.2-mile trail on the western side is more gradual, with a steepish section at its bottom which gives way to a moderate ascent along a ridge through spruce and fire trees, until you reach the gravel-sand shelf about 1.5 miles from the start of your hike. This trail is easy to follow, with red plastic tags and ribbons helping guide the way. (BTW, AllTrails measures this trail at 1.8 miles.)

The first 0.4 miles follow a rough logging road. Look for a small sign for “Moxie Mtn. West Trailhead” and a cairn on your right marking the start of the trail. While the first ~0.3 miles or so is fairly steep, it levels out once you reach the ridge, which is covered with a pretty fir and spruce forest. Once the trail opens up and the terrain becomes sandy, at about 1.5 miles, look for an “Outlook” sign at on your right, it’ll bring your quickly to the open clifftop/sandy shelf. Returning to the main trail, continue 0.2 miles (past a sweet dog memorial) to joins the South Trail. From this junction, it’s 0.4 miles to the top. This section is moderately steep, with some rock scrambling and one thankfully short part of the trail dipping precariously down an eroded bank before climbing again.

Directions: You might prefer a high-clearance car to drive these long dirt logging roads. Also, the AMC Maine Mountain Guide is really so helpful for finding these trailheads! I also recommend downloading Google maps and AllTrails ahead of time for navigating to these remote trailheads. For the south trail head: From Route 201 in Bingham, turn east onto Route 16. In about 5.5. miles, turn left onto the gravel Townline Road (for some reason this road is not named on Google Maps). Stay straight when it intersects with Dead Water Road. Follow Dead Water Road for about 2.2 miles, and then take a left onto Heald Pond Road. You’ll follow this approximately 4.5 miles to the trail head, which is marked with a sign on your right. Park off the side of the road. It’s helpful to download a map on your phone that shows these dirt roads before you leave for your hike. For the west trail: Turn onto Cate Hill Road from Route 201. This road is about a quarter-mile south of the Wyman Lake Rest Area. You’ll turn into a wide, open lot, with Cate Hill Road on the far left and Carney Brook Road straight ahead and slightly to the right. Take Carney Brook Road, it’ll be marked with a sign, and follow it straight for 4.2 miles. You’ll pass Chase Pond Road on your right. Keep going straight for another two miles, passing lesser roads. Look for the “Moxie Mountain Hiking .4” miles sign on the right. Park here and walk up the logging road 0.4 miles to another sign for “Moxie Mtn. West Trailhead,” indicating the start of the footpath up the mountain.