One of the most remote areas of the A.T. in Maine – now newly accessible via the White Brook Trail. Add Trail Log. Southern Trail Head. MATC maintains the trail east of Route 26, including four designated campsites. The trail is a rugged, remote backcountry trail, and much of it is on private land. Day 3 Stats: Grafton Loop Trail, Campsite Spurs, Appalachian Trail - 11.6mi, 3250' gain, 7hr 5min taken This hike has been on the to-do list for 12 years now, and especially the last 3-4 years, but somehow it still never happened until now. Arrived mid to late afternoon and parked at the designated lot on Route 26. Grafton Notch Loop Trail Eastern Section Part 2. Grafton Loop Trail as well as two overlook trails within the Park boundary (the Eyebrow Trail west of Route 26, and Table Rock Trail to the east). Cross Miles Notch to reach a spur to Slide Campsite after 10.5 miles. Once a route marked by swift-moving rivers flowing through the mountain valley, the Grafton Notch scenic byway begins in Newry, just north of the Sunday River Ski Area, and travels along Route 26 to Grafton Notch State Park and Lake Umbagog, which crosses the New Hampshire border. Jump off into the North Woods' best wilderness. I'm working on the middle portion of a late Sept. trip and will appreciate input about this plan: From Portland, route 95 to route 26 to Grafton Notch park, bridge at Newry and overnight in Bethel. Towns. Table Rock Loop Trail (2.4 miles round trip, moderate-advanced): The Table Rock Loop Trail is a moderate hike compared to the other hikes in the park. Woke up to a friendly hiker in the lean-to (aka Footprints – trail name). Trail Activity. Start at the south end and hike clockwise, traversing the bare granite ledges of Sunday River Whitecap, where tasty blueberries (ripe in August) from trailside bushes will compete with the views for your attention. The blue sky disappeared soon after we got there, but it was still a huge boost to my spirits. Come along for 4 days of hiking, backpacking and camping in Maine. Grafton Notch State Park: Eyebrow loop trail - See 197 traveler reviews, 152 candid photos, and great deals for Bethel, ME, at Tripadvisor. Aug 6, 2016 - The Grafton Loop Trail is a 38.6 mile, backcountry hiking experience in the Mahoosuc Mountains of Maine. You'll traverse the bare granite ledges of Sunday River Whitecap on Maine's Grafton Loop. The design is intended to connect a series of scenic peaks, woods and streams with a trail that will provide a 3- to 5-day, semi-wilderness experience for backpackers, while also providing an alternative route to AT hikers, drawing people away from the heavily used AT. I was camped alone on my first night of a four-day, 38-mile backpack through the mountains of Grafton Notch in western Maine. Less than a decade old, western Maine’s Grafton Loop offers spectacular views and few crowds. The Grafton Notch/Mahoosuc area encompasses some of Maine’s most spectacular mountain terrain. If you are interested in maintaining a section, please see the Baldpate District in the current vacancy section of our Trail Maintainer Page. Answer 1 of 7: Hello! 7. The Appalachian Mountain Club maintains the trail west of Route 26, also including four designated campsites. Hike to the best views in the Ansel Adams Wilderness. A report I read mentioned this route and an old trail that heads up to Miles Notch making part of the Grafton Loop Trail doable as a day hike. The eastern half of the GLT consists of a 21-mile arc that leaves Route 26 in Newry, Maine, and returns to the road in Grafton Notch State Park via four miles on Appalachian Trail (AT). Day 3 Stewart Campsite, road walk to Bald Mtn Campsite. Das Gebiet Grafton Notch / Mahoosuc umfasst einige der spektakulärsten Berggebiete von Maine. It's too bad because Grafton is beautiful! Next day, climb over 4,170-foot Old Speck, the fifth-highest peak in Maine, with views to Mahoosuc Notch from an observation tower rising high above the spruce trees. Day 2 Baldpate Shelter to Stewart Campsite Miles: 13.49 Time: 9:12:56. Next. Add a Photo. Download its GPS track and follow the route on a map. The Grafton Loop is a roughly 39 mile, 9 summit hiking loop formed by connecting a portion of the Appalachian trail with the Grafton Loop Trail. The trail, which connects to the Appalachian Trail Stewart Campsite is a five mile hike from the trailhead. Follow the white-blazed Appalachian Trail south for 0.1 miles to the start of the orange-blazed Eyebrow Trail. Detour west on the AT to a campsite by Speck Pond ($8) at the north end of the Mahoosuc Range, nestled in a spruce-lined mountain bowl and said to be the highest pond in Maine at 3,400 feet. Eyebrow loop trail. Grafton Loop Hiking trail in Ketchum, Maine (United States). The eastern half of the GLT consists of a 21-mile arc that leaves Route 26 in Newry, Maine, and returns to the road in Grafton Notch State Park … The park lies amidst some of Maine's most spectacular mountains, the. See colorful wildflowers and big views on the Appalachian Trail. Paula T wrote a review Oct 2019. Saved by Keith Case. Said he rolled into camp at 8:30p and apologized if he woke us. This trail is partially within the 9,993-acre Mahoosuc Ecological Reserve, which, like all Maine State Ecological Reserves, is specifically set aside to protect and monitor natural ecosystems. Directions to Grafton Loop Trail trailhead: The southern trailhead is located just north of where Eddy Road meets Route 26 in Newry, Maine. The complete circumnavigation of Grafton Notch includes 34 miles of the Grafton Loop Trail, of which four miles overlaps with the Appalachian Trail, plus another four mile section of the AT/Old Speck Trail. Start at the south end and hike clockwise, traversing the bare granite ledges of Sunday River Whitecap, where tasty blueberries (ripe in August) from trailside bushes will compete with the views for your attention. Don’t get me wrong, I still felt grungy but its amazing what a nights sleep will do to rejuvenate the … This significant trail-building effort was done over a six-year period by members of the Grafton Loop Trail Coalition, which includes the Appalachian Mountain Club, Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, the Maine Appalachian Trail Club, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the Maine Conservation Corps, Hurricane Island Outward Bound School, several timber management companies, Sunday River Ski Resort, and other private landowners. Grafton Notch State Park - Old Speck Mountain and Eyebrow Loop - Maine Trail Finder. Took me about ten hours to drive up from Jersey. Andy would be joining me again and we car spotted again to cut off a long roadwalk. If you are interested in maintaining a section, please see the Baldpate District in the current vacancy section of our Trail Maintainer Page. Grafton Loop Trail Directions From the intersection of Route 2 and Route 26 in Newry, Maine: the Eddy Road parking lot is 4.7 miles up Route 26 on the right; the Appalachian Trail lot is 12 miles on the left. I had quite a wonderful adventure doing a solo overnight on the Grafton Loop Trail, which climbs over three and a half peaks on the East side of the notch, then crosses ME 26 (following a section of the AT), and goes over another 2.5 on a southerly trajectory that leaves you a short half-mile's walk back along the road to your car. Table Rock is 900 feet above the trailhead and offers fantastic views of Old Speck Mountain, the Eyebrow, and Grafton Notch. Finish with a 13.2-mile trek through fern-floored woods and past a final viewpoint atop Puzzle Mountain. Circle the Rockies on this high-alpine route. We planned to hike in a short way that evening, then take three more nights on the trail to complete the Grafton Loop Trail, one of my favorite backpacking trails in New England. The trail leaves from the end of this parking area at the sign. Funding was provided by several private donors and foundations, as well as by the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund and federal Recreational Trails Program funding. Grafton Notch Loop Trail. Explore the Appalachian Trail's wildest stretch. Day three is long but rewarding, following the AT through cliff-lined Grafton Notch, over the twin Baldpate Peaks, and down a ladder on Lightning Ledge to a relaxing evening at Lane Campsite, where a spur trail leads to a waterfall and swimming hole. Hah!! By David Mills. While driving down Route 26 last week I spotted the logging road and the plan was in place for this week. From Sunday River Whitecap, the Grafton Loop Trail descends into Miles Notch, elevation 2,350 feet, and after cutting through the notch, begins a long and gradual climb up an arm of Old Speck Mountain. The trail connects to the AT at two points on either side of Grafton Notch to create a loop, ~42 miles in length. Copyright © 2021 Maine Appalachian Trail Club • PO Box 7564 • Portland, ME 04112 • Email: Campsite Maintainer Wanted – Baldpate District, Summer 2021 MATC Employment Opportunities. Grafton Notch Loop Date of Hike: 7/4/17 Appalachian Trail: 4.0 miles / Grafton Loop Trail: 30.8 miles / Appalachian Trail:3.8 miles Total Miles: 38.6 miles (12,645 feet elevation gained) Trip Report: - Whitney and I celebrated Independence Day with a bang by hiking the Grafton Notch Loop. From the junction of Routes 2 and 26 in Newry, Maine, travel North on Route 26 (towards Grafton Notch State Park) 12.0 miles and turn left into a parking area. 38.6 miles, Loop. Grafton Loop West Side – Click for Downloadable/Printable PDF – Track Collected with Gaia/iPhone The Grafton Loop Trail (West Section) The Grafton Loop Trail is a new trail completed in 2007 that is designed to help take some of the pressure off the nearby section of the Appalachian Trail and the Speck Pond campsite which receive very heavy use. It is 7.3 miles north of the southern trailhead. On the 24-mile shuttle hike up to the Moxie Bald summit, the Maine wilderness unfolds a dizzying array of flora and fauna, and panoramic lake, valley, and peak views. © 2021 Pocket Outdoor Media Inc. All Rights Reserved, The 10 Best Loop Hikes in the United States. More information about the reserve can be found at Maine Natural Areas Program’s Ecoreserve Fact Sheet for Mahoosuc Unit. The Grafton Loop Path presents a terrific style of backpacking in Maine’s rugged mountains. Back on the GLT to finish the loop! Previous. From the junction of Route 2 and Route 26, travel North on Route 26 (towards Grafton Notch State Park) 4.7 miles and turn right into a gravel parking area. Last week I headed up to Maine for a few days on the Grafton Loop Trail. Summit nine peaks and graze on trailside blueberries in Maine. •Eyebrow Loop Trail (2.2 miles round trip, 2-3 hours, challenging) rises steeply to an “eyebrow” shelf/overlook on Old Speck Mountain at 2,900 feet. The complete loop didn’t open till 2007 after a serious collaboration between personal land house owners, the state of Maine, and a […] Post navigation. The section of trail over Puzzle Mountain is mostly on land owned by the Mahoosuc Land Trust and permanently protected from development. Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Maine. Post navigation. Backpacking: Grafton Notch Loop Day 3. summit1187 June 17, 2018 June 17, 2018 Hiking/Backpacking, Maine. This byway follows along the Bear River for much of the trip. Including a section of the Appalachian Trail, it provides a multi-day loop backpacking experience. Length. The Grafton Loop Trail is a 38.6 mile loop through Grafton Notch with commanding views of the Mahoosuc Range. September 2020. The last lonely stretch of the AT beckons from the mountains of western Maine. Trailhead 44.539216, -70.829565; ME 26, opposite Eddy Rd., 4.7 miles north of ME 2 in Newry, Red tape Use designated campsites; no fires. (Mike Thicke / Flickr). Route 26 runs through the middle of the notch and it can easily be reached from the Lakes Region in about three hours. From the junction of Routes 2 and 26 in Newry, Maine, travel North on Route 26 (towards Grafton Notch State Park) 4.7 miles and turn right into a gravel parking area; it is just north of the intersection of Eddy Road and Route 26 in Newry. The hike: Crossing nine peaks, this route links a rocky section of the AT with 31 miles of smooth singletrack for a view lover’s tour de force. 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