QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: N/A
- Trail Mileage: ~1 mile one way
- Pets: yes
- Difficulty: challenging
- Sights: views
This trail was not designed for a leisurely stroll! Though the ascent to the summit of this 1,876-foot mountain is shortish — about 1 mile — it feels like it goes straight up at times.
But the agony is worth it. The small, open summit has 360-degree views that includes Katahdin and other Baxter State Park peaks, Mt. Chase, and Mars Hill.
The base of the trail is marked with a handmade sign, and though it is not blazed, the route up is easy to see and follow. While it starts off steep, it levels out pretty quickly. But don’t get used to this, because at around 0.6 miles it goes steeply up for about 0.3 miles before leveling off again, briefly, and then bringing you to the final, steep clamber up the rocky path to the glorious summit.
Directions: From Shin Pond Road, turn onto the narrow, twisty, dirt Grondin Road, and continue on it for about 7.2 miles. The main road is obvious, so it is easy to avoid turning onto secondary logging roads. The road is also in pretty good shape, especially for the first 5 miles or so, until you reach the intersection with the turnoff to the Sebois River Trail. From here the road gets a bit rougher, and you might want a high-clearance car. At 7 miles, you’ll reach an open area and the road turns left and deteriorates. I parked here, 0.2 miles from the trailhead, and walked the jeep lane to the official trailhead, which has room for about two cars to park without blocking the jeep lane. Helpful for finding the trailhead is downloading the AllTrails map ahead of time, as well as downloading a Google map of this part of Maine.
