QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: Not sure
- Trail Mileage: 16 miles in network
- Pets: yes
- Difficulty: easy to difficult
- Sights: views
When you ski at Hammond Ridge, it’s easy to feel like you’re an Olympian ski champion! The trails sweep back and forth along the ridges above Millinocket Lake, and are fast without being hairy. The trails are groomed for skate and classic skiing, and there’s a mix of beginner, intermediate, and expert trails — though the majority are suitable for intermediate skiers.
There’s a beautiful view from the blue Katahdin View trail. Make sure to ask at the base lodge where that is — don’t miss it! Also, the restaurants and cabins here are great, and are open year round. The trail system is free to use, but donations are appreciated.
I visited in March 2017, and the red Black Cat trail — the steepest — was not groomed because the conditions were too icy.
This trail system, along with other groomed trails in Millinocket and East Millinocket — Bait Hole, Northern Timber Cruisers northern trails, and the Sno Rovers trails in East Millinocket — make this area a fantastic place for x-c skiers!
Directions: The address is 200 Katahdin View Drive, at Knife Edge Brewing.Take exit 244 off I-95. Follow Route 11/157 west toward Millinocket, drive through town, and then follow Route 157. You’ll see signs to Baxter State Park. NEOC is 8 miles out of town on Millinocket Lake, on Blackcat Road. Once you’re on Blackcat Road, drive just over one mile to the main lodge.
