QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: 57,703 acres
- Trail Mileage: 1.3 miles, or 3.2 miles
- Pets: yes
- Difficulty: moderate
- Sights: West Grand Lake, caves
You’ll want a high-clearance, sturdy car to access Pineo Peaks trails, since the trailhead is at the end of a 1.6-mile eroded, unmaintained lane. Once you get to the trailhead, you have your choice of hiking up to some interesting caves on the Pineo Peaks Trail, or along a lakeside trail to a campsite across from Princeton Island.
The 1.3-mile (round-trip) trail to Pineo Peaks does not include views — except of the grand West Grand Lake shimmering in the distance between leaves — but you could amuse yourself exploring “granite ledges, small crevasses, and extensive caves and rockfalls,” of this area. The trail begins moderately before getting quite steep around 0.46 miles. It reaches a boulder field at around 0.6 miles, with the small loop another 0.1 miles farther. When I hiked here, I found a shortcut where you could clamber up the rock face with help from a rope attached to a nearby tree. This was fun! But you could bypass it easily and just do the loop that takes you up and onto the ridge. If you’re ever unsure of where the trail goes below the ridge line, as I was, just hug its base.
Or, from the trailhead and parking area below, you can follow a mostly flat trail for 1.6 miles to a campsite along the rocky shore, ambling through mature hemlock. In 0.3 miles from the trailhead, you’ll reach a short side trail to a lake lookout and bench. When you get close to the campsite, you’ll cross Obbrook Stream and the trail will bend toward the lake. Throughout the walk, the sound of small waves breaking over the rocky shore can be soothing. (Note: In the fall of 2025, the trail portion beyond the lake lookout was closed for maintenance, with lots of blowdowns obscuring the trail.)
The trail system is part of the wonderful 57,703-acre Downeast Lakes Community Forest, protected and cared for by the Downeast Lakes Land Trust.
Directions: Head north on the Amazon Road for 8 miles. Turn left onto Pineo Point Road, go 1.6 miles to a clearing with ample space for parking. This last section is quite rough and best handled with a high-clearance car.
