QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: 543 acres
- Trail Mileage: 2.3-mile loop + 3.3-mile loop
- Pets: yes
- Difficulty: moderate, with gentle climbs
- Sights: two lookouts, woods
“The Mountain” offers a nice, woodsy 2.4-mile loop with a gentle climb, and is a popular local hike. (You can cut your distance by taking shortcuts.) There are two decent lookouts over Long Pond on the western side of the loop, at small areas of open ledge (see the land trust’s map below for the viewpoints, marked in yellow on the Lond Pond Loop trail). They’re located roughly 0.8 miles from the trailhead. The main artery is relatively wide, an old snowmobile track possibly.
The full Mountain Trail loop is about 2.4 miles. But you can tack on additional mileage if you continue north to to the connected Quill Hill preserved area and its ~3.0-mile wooded loop (my GPS clocked in at 3.3 miles). While there are no clear viewpoints along this forested path, you will see glimpses of Great Pond through the branches as you walk the eastern edge of the loop. The Quill Hill trail crosses a couple of meadows and has a fair number of rolling hills. Quill Hill’s viewless summit is on the west side, about 0.8 miles from the parking lot of Drury Lane.
The 7 Lakes Alliance protects this large conserved area.
Directions: To reach The Mountain trailhead, go about one mile north of Belgrade Lakes Village on Route 27. Turn right onto Mountain Drive. A parking area is .3 miles on the left. To reach the Quill Hill parking area, head east on Route 225. After 50 yards, take your first right on Drury Lane. After 0.2 miles, turn left to access a large parking area.
