QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: 209,644 acres
- Trail Mileage: 4 miles to summit
- Pets: no
- Difficulty: challenging
- Sights: views, open ridge
Mt. O-J-I Trail in blue; Mt. Coe-South Brother-North Brother loop in red
The roughly 4-mile trail up the 3,427-foot Mt. O-J-I is part of a longer traverse connecting the peaks of Mt. Coe and The Brothers. We were content to just climb to the top of O-J-I on an autumn day with heavy clouds that at times shrouded the tops of nearby mountains, including our own. (The mountain is named for three once-prominent rock slides that seemed to form the letters O, J, and I. But this rock alphabet was altered in a 1930s hurricane.)
The trail up the mountain begins gently, crossing a few wet patches and bog bridges, and gradually climbs to an intersection at 2.7 miles with a 0.2-mile spur to West Peak. Don’t miss this overlook! The views are great from the open-air rocks that form a comfortable place to sit.
From this point, the ridge and Old Jay Rock is another 0.7 miles, the steepest section of the climb. From the rock, the viewless summit is another 0.5. The trail from Old Jay Eye Rock (OJI!) to the summit takes you along an open ridge with astonishing views and short spruce trees. In this final stretch, there are a couple of tricky scrambles up boulders and one dramatic squeeze through a crack in the ledge.
The summit itself is a let down, but if you continue another 0.1 miles on the trail, you’ll reach a ledge with views of Katahdin (not that we could see it through the mist!).
The elevation gained in the hike is about 2,390 feet.
Here’s a great hiking resource to Baxter State Park.
Directions: From the Togue Pond Gatehouse in Baxter State Park, the trail head is 11 miles along the Park Tote Road. Park right before the Foster Field campground. The trailhead is on the right.