Rangeley and near Rangeley

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Map shows trails in Franklin County

  • Mingo Springs Trail and Bird Walk — This is a very well maintained, wide, smooth and easy 2.6-mile or so path (with a shorter version possible) that takes you through varied terrain around the gold course, including some pretty meadows. 
  • Cupsuptic Lake Trail — A 0.5-mile trail with bog bridges brings you through a forest and wetland to the shores of the lake and a viewing platform.
  • Rangeley River Conservation Lands — This short walk has promise, but needs some TLC (in summer 2017). Looks like a good place for fishing. 
  • Hatchery Brook Preserve — A short loop, about a mile, with picnic tables and places to swim. 
  • Hunter Cove Wildlife Sanctuary — Another short, 1-mile or so loop with a picnic table and spot for swimming, if you’re inclined. Interior trails needed some work in summer 2017. 
  • Hunter Cove Uplands — Across the cove from the Wildlife Sanctuary, you can walk a 3-mile network of footpath and ATV track that brings you through forest and to a cove overlook.
  • Bonney Point Trail —  From a .6-mile loo,  a .4-mile there-and-back leg takes you to a pretty spot on the lake with a picnic table and a dock for swimming. 
  • Bald Mountain — A very popular 1.2-mile (one way) hike to a fire tower with stupendous views. Steep in parts. 
  • Maine Forestry Museum Trails — The roughly 1.6-mile network of trails take you to a pretty stream and a picnicking place by Haley Pond. 
  • Wilhelm Reich Museum Trails — Both the trails and the museum offer up something a bit different than the usual. There’s about 3.5 miles of trails in the network.
  • Smalls Falls — This is not really a trail (just a quick clamber up alongside a waterfall), and it’s also not really in Rangeley!, but it’s a great spot if you love waterfalls and waterfall pools.
  • Rangeley Lake State Park — The trails here are short one-way paths (one is about .9 miles, the other .8 miles, approximately). They can be rooty at times.
  • West Kennebago Mountain — A 3,705-foot mountain with radio towers and helipad at the top. Moderate 1.8-mile (one-way) hike with decent views.
  • Azicohos Mountain — A gorgeous 1.8-mile (one way) hike to a 3,215-ft peak. It’s on private land, and the trailhead is a mite tricky to find, but the path is well-blazed and easy to follow.
  • Angel Falls — An easy, but rocky .4-mile or so trail up a stream to the 90-foot Angel Falls. 
  • Spencer Pond — A 0.3-mile easy trail to a little pond.
  • Piazza Rock — Along the Appalachian Trail, this 1.8-mile (one way) easy hike leads to a large rock jutting sideways from the mountain, and to some caves caused by fallen boulders. 
  • Rangeley Lakes Trails Center — More than 30 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails in the winter, hiking/biking trails in the summer (although they might be wet).
  • Saddleback Mountain — Choose your own adventure on how to summit one of Maine’s tallest mountain and experience its majestic ridge line.
  • Rock and Midway Ponds trails — It’s about 0.4 miles from the trailhead to Rock Pond, a remote pool in the mountains, and another mile or so to overlooks of Midway Pond and of Rangeley Lake. You can also continue for a mega hike to Saddleback Mountain!
  • Quill Hill — A privately owned mountain top that has been outfitted with a large viewing area, parking lots, picnic tables, and a 0.75-mile wheelchair accessible trail. Astonishing 360-degree views. Very popular spot.
  • East Kennebago Mountain — Mostly popular with hikers seeking to do New England’s highest peaks. Not really recommended otherwise, although there are nice views along the ATV/jeep access road.

In Rangeley Plantation

  • South Bog Conservation Lands — This 2.3-mile there-and-back trail goes over a stream and up and down a small incline to a fairly nice view of the lake. Avoid the lower path! It’s very wet. 
  • Mountain Pond — The 1.5-mile trail climbs to a remote pond. 
  • Four Ponds Trail on the AT — You can hike nearly 4 miles on a relatively flat section of the AT to reach remote ponds.