Dad and daughter hiked Mt. Zircon (2,240 ft) in Milton and Peru, Maine, on July 21, 2018. This moderate out and back 5.8 mi hike took us about three hours, with a picnic lunch at the summit, and plenty of breaks to enjoy the scenery. As described in online articles and guides, the start of the hike, a gravel road off South Rumford Road across from the Androscoggin River, is not the easiest place to find (Google Maps will likely point you to the wrong side of the road). The best directions we found were in the AMC Maine Mountain Guide – look for the Rumford Water District tree farm sign, and the gravel road leading uphill past a red gate.
The trail starts with a steady uphill climb on a gravel road for 2.1 miles. This summer day, there were numerous raspberries and wildflowers on the sides of the road and the edges of adjoining woodlots, as well as a variety of colorful butterflies.
At about 1.5 miles, we reached a spring house on the left side of the gravel road, with an outlet pipe falling into a mossy hollow on the right side of the road (you can read more about the Moon Tide Spring house and the now-defunct Zircon Water Bottling Company here). The water was cold and fresh, and we filled our 3L Osprey water bladders to capacity on the return trip, and enjoyed this spring water for several days after the hike.
At 2.1 miles, we turned left onto the path to the summit through the woods, which gained elevation quickly along a narrow but well-maintained path.
We saw a variety of toads and a couple wood frogs, as well as the recent tracks of deer.
To our delight, the beginning of the rocky section to the summit was filled with blueberries, our first ripe ones of the season. The path to the top weaved past several rocky ledges, giving views in almost all directions, including the Whites, Black Mountain and Sunday River.
We had packed a lunch, and enjoyed it in a shady spot between the summit cairn and the fallen fire tower, with squadrons of dragonflies keeping away any biting flies. After we finished eating, we used the bag and containers from lunch to collect blueberries to bring back for the next morning’s pancakes, being mindful of the fragile plants and lichens surrounding them.
The same path and gravel road brought us back to our car after a relaxed downhill walk. We had the trail to ourselves most of the time, only seeing a couple people on the gravel road walking their dogs, and two riders on dirt bikes on the ATV section. Mt. Zircon is a quiet hike which delivers great views, fresh berries, and, as a bonus, cold, clear spring water.
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Hiking in Maine 
Great views!!
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