ATV trail in orange; hiking path in blue.
By Tom Ancona
Like its namesake, Rum Mountain is a spicy, silly hike—in the best way possible! Any mountain with dozens of handwritten trail signs and a trail that ends at a suit of medieval armor definitely fits that description.
Rum Mountain can be reached by boat, with access from Wilson Pond, or by vehicle via an ATV trail off the Katahdin Ironworks (KI) road. We opted for the latter. After parking in the high-clearance vehicle lot (the road was in great shape), we had a ~1.3 mile walk to the trailhead along a well-used, rolling ATV trail.
The Rum Mountain hiking path is heavily marked with multi-colored tagging tape, as well as more signs than I’ve ever seen on a trail. Most are handwritten, offering words of encouragement (e.g., Keep Going! It’s Worth the Effort!). Or they point out interesting trees and other sights along the way.
The trail climbs more than 800 feet in just 0.7 miles—short and steep! Just below the 1,820-foot summit, you’ll encounter a small, very manageable roped scramble over a five-foot ledge. The climb is reminiscent of nearby Little Spencer Mountain, but shorter and with less elevation gain. Even so, this is a strenuous hike that isn’t ideal for those uncomfortable on steep terrain. We also encountered a few blowdowns along the way.
The approach along the ATV trail and the lower sections of the hiking path pass through lovely raspberry thickets before coming to a series of thick birch forest and, higher up, wonderful spruce, hemlock, and cedar forest. Some of the cedars are the largest and oldest I’ve seen in northern Maine.
The summit itself is tree’d in, but a short spur trail leads to an overlook of Wilson Pond and surrounds, with Mount Kineo and Moosehead Lake visible in the distance. The spur also leads to a suit of medieval armor tied to a tree; a large mirror reflects the view to him. This is a fittingly quirky ending to a funky, fun hike that’s well worth checking out.
Directions, water access (There are really good directions for this mountain from Amy Niemczura-Sowa on AllTrails. Summing up her directions here): You can put your boat in at the Lower Wilson Pond boat launch on Pleasant St/East Road, 3.6 miles from Greenville’s Main Street. It’s a 2.5-mile paddle to the trailhead. After you turn the corner around a spit of land, Birch Point, look for a driftwood teepee on a small pebble beach. There are no signs for the trail; just a small opening in the trees.
Driving directions: From Main Street, drive 5.3 miles east on Pleasant St/East Rd/Katahdin Ironworks (KI) Road. At 5.3, turn left on gravel road with a lot of signs. There are two parking options, depending on your car clearance. The grassy low-clearance lot will be 0.2 miles on the left, with room for one to two cars. But the road was in such good shape when we visited, a low-clearance car could have made it to the second lot. This grassy lot is 0.5 farther on, also on the left, with room for 5 to 6 cars. You’ll follow an ATV multi-use trail for about 1.3 miles to the hiking path, which goes straight up the little mountain.
