Trout Mountain (1,409 ft) is the centerpiece of a 3,598 acre Preserve owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy (TNC), adjacent to the south side of Baxter State Park, and open from dusk to dawn (no overnight camping). Information and trail maps can be found on TNC’s Trout Mountain Preserve website. This hike is also fully described in The AMC Maine Mountain Guide. The relatively easy trail to the Trout Mountain summit, listed by TNC as 2.7 miles one-way, capped by an 80-foot observation tower, measured a total of 5.26 miles roundtrip by my AllTrails app, with only 827 feet elevation gain, the whole thing taking about an hour and 45 minutes.
The trail starts from a small kiosk accessible from the same turn as the large emergency helicopter landing area, just short of Baxter State Park’s Togue Pond Gate, where a bald eagle circled when I drove through. The trail is a well-maintained single track that is fairly rocky. After the Nature Conservancy sign welcoming you to The Trout Mountain Preserve, the trail winds through a widely spaced young forest with knee-high ferns.
After 2 miles, the incline increases quickly, but it’s through such a beautiful green, moss-covered forest with hobblebush and bright red berries that the strain likely won’t hit you for a little bit. I reached the tower in a little less than an hour’s time. It looked incongruent on this quiet mountain, but I was grateful for its elevation in order to see the surrounding countryside.
The tower, which a stamp shows was erected in 2020, seemed absurdly tall while climbing it, and even taller once I was at the top. I could see the surrounding north Maine woods, Millinocket Lake, and Katahdin shrouded with clouds, looking like the cloud would move away soon. There is also an outhouse near the summit. I had the tower to myself, and enjoyed the meager remains of my trail snacks from a weekend at Baxter State Park. The hike back was almost uniformly downhill, and I passed another solo hiker, then a small family, each headed up to the top.
(Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate Hiking in Maine blog earns from qualifying purchases.)
Hiking in Maine 