It may be accessed from the Grafton Loop trailhead on Rt. The trail was clearly not kept up this year, very overgrown particularly between Old Speck summit and slide campgrounds. I did the full loop in June of 2020 and had an excellent time. I called Banks and they were no help. There is a campsite about 2 miles after the summit of Old Speck. Fun hike. Occasional problems finding a trail marker, but overall well marked. 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. Day 2 was certainly the most challenging with the ascent of Baldpate, descent to the road followed by the ascent of Old Speck, however all of this was along the AT with plenty of people and trail marking and maintenance. Fun hike. Grafton Notch State Park: Eyebrow loop trail - See 197 traveler reviews, 152 candid photos, and great deals for Bethel, ME, at Tripadvisor. Water is available at each campsite. 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. We would absolutely do it again, hopefully doing the full loop next year. The western portion of Grafton Notch State Park offers two rugged trail experiences offering spectacular views of the Mahoosuc Mountain Range and of Old Speck Mountain on the eastern side of Grafton Notch. Privys were functional and the campsites are solid. No fires are allowed on the trail or at the campsites. Campsites were in fair shape with Privy's. I would suggest keeping a GPS handy, because there were several times when I could not see any markers and had to reference my GPS to figure out where the trail was. The western portion of Grafton Notch State park offers two advanced hiking trails that offer excellent views of the mountain range and challenging terrain. 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. A rugged hike but worth it when you see the 360 degree views from the tower! 26 by walking south on Route 26 for.5 miles to the trail sign on the road. All Rights Reserved. Two trails allow for moderate or more challenging options, and for a longer hike continue up to Baldpate Mountain for 5.8-7.6 miles total. Lots of PUDS but great view from Sunday River Whitecap. The Grafton Notch/Mahoosuc area encompasses some of Maine’s most spectacular mountain terrain. If you are interested in helping to maintain the GLT, please contact MATC Baldpate District Overseer Tom Gorrill at woodencanoeboy@gmail.com or (207) 657-4249; or Kim Marion, AMC North Country Volunteer Coordinator at 603-466-2721 X192. Your log in attempt was not successful. Grafton Notch is a magnificent mountain pass in Southwestern Maine, a short drive from Gorham, NH, the last major trail town that Appalachian Trail thru-hikers visit before leaving New Hampshire. The trail leaves Route 26 and continues 17.1 miles to the summit of East Baldpate where it intersects with the Appalachian Trail. No fires are allowed on the trail or at the campsites. Countless PUDS but the views are spectacular. Including a section of the Appalachian Trail, it provides a multi-day loop backpacking experience. Grafton Notch Campground in Newry, Maine. The Appalachian Trail goes through GNSP. Coming north on ME Route 26, the trailhead and parking area will be on the left with signs indicating the state park. Tough elevation but worth it in the end! Eyebrow Trail in red (at the north end of the map); Grafton Loop Trail in blue. After a .5 mile descent, the East Baldpate campsite is on the right. has shaft play. Andover, Andover West Surplus Twp, Grafton Twp, Newry, Riley Twp, Click on a parking icon to get custom directions. This trail is not for the faint hearted as I have done it four times. About 0.1 mile before the southwest summit, the Woodsum Spur trail leaves the main trail to the right. Length: 38.6 milesLocation: Western Maine on the ridges and peaks surrounding the Bear River Valley, Grafton Notch, and Maine Route 26Trail Type: LoopScenery: Forests and brooks with small waterfalls give way to numerous open summits with views across western Maine’s rugged mountains, especially the Mahoosuc Range, and into New Hampshire to the Presidential RangeApproximate Time to Hike: Most can comfortably fi… It has become an increasingly popular destination for hikers and backpackers wishing to hike a loop. Saturday was a beautiful hike up Bald and Stowe mountains; nothing too steep and the AMC has done some great additions of planks and stairs in the most steep areas. The trail, which connects to the Appalachian Trail at Old Speck and the East Peak of Baldpate Mountain on either side of ME Route 26, highlights the natural features and mountain peaks of the area encircling Bear River Valley. Visit the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, Appalachian Mountain Club, and Maine Appalachian Trail Club online for more information and a printable map or contact: Northern Trailhead: This trailhead also serves as the main trailhead for Grafton Notch State Park. It was similar to a Wilderness Area trail, like you might find in the Wild River. Grafton Notch Trail is a 53.9 kilometer lightly trafficked loop trail located near Newry, Maine that features a river and is rated as difficult. We hiked just the western portion of the loop on 9/18-20/2020 as our first ever backpacking trip (though we've put some 10-15 mile day hikes in our books this summer). This 12-miler climbs out of Black Brook Notch and connects a string of summits with far-reaching views of distant peaks and countless lakes. From Whitecap the trail descends to a campsite below Sargent Mountain and then to Bald Mountain. Not many other hikers on the loop, lots of day hikers near trailheads on 26. Access to the eastern half of the trail is from the northern end of the parking area. Slide Campground had a bear box. Grafton Notch lies in Western Maine, along the border with New Hampshire, just east of Mahoosuc Notch. Coming north on Route 26, the parking area are will be on the right, directly across from Eddy Road on the left. GF and I did the Western half of this loop from 5/8/2015 to 5/10/2015. The Grafton Notch/Mahoosuc area encompasses some of Maine’s most spectacular mountain terrain. This potentially has the makings of a great trail, but the only views were on Sunday River Whitecap. This major trail effort was a cooperative effort among private landowners, the state of Maine, and nonprofit organizations such as the AMC. Bald Mountain tentsite has a privy and tent platforms. There was an issue with your submission. I've come away thinking that the non-AT sections of the trail are used significantly more by Grafton Notches moose population than human population and that is quite okay with me. Here the Grafton Loop trail branches off and heads south. Trail was marked, including signs for upcoming camp sites. Highly recommend Lane campground, it has a waterfall and small pools to take a dip (chilly but soothing). Completed in the summer of 2007, the Grafton Loop Trail offers 39 miles of hiking along a trail that connects a series of scenic peaks and other natural features in Maine’s Grafton Notch. This is a tough little trail! West of ME Route 26 (17.5 miles, strenuous): The western section, leaving from the northern trailhead at the A.T. crossing of ME 26, follows the A.T. southbound along Cascade Brook. From the Grafton Loop Trailhead, the closest campsite on the eastern section is 5 miles from the road, on the other side of 3,000-foot Puzzle Mountain. Indeed, water and snack a must! We camped Saturday night at the Bull Run Campsite (2 miles south of Old Speck Mountain), which had all the same amenities as the Bald Mountain campsite. Got an 87, 6.9l with a banks kit (pre sidewinder, no waste gate) and the turbo needs to be rebuilt. Please try again. This trail passes through a property that was acquired in part with funds from the Land for Maine’s Future program. Lovely loop, campsites were full every night, but everyone always got a spot. Mere feet before the junction is a .02-mile side trail leading to the South Peak, which is worth the jaunt on a clear day. I probably didn’t pay attention as much to the directions about the loop trail that exists, even as I’m reading it now. The most strenuous hiking we had was the decent down the AT to the parking lot; those are long four miles with packs when you're a newbie. Phenomenal views scattered throughout, but mostly in the woods. Grafton Notch State Park is also part of the Maine Birding Trail. Unique trail structures were designed and built on Sunday River Whitecap to protect fragile plants unique to the area. The section of trail over Puzzle Mountain is mostly on land owned by the Mahoosuc Land Trust and permanently protected from development. The west loop from 26 up to Old Spec's fire tower was fine. The western section of the Trail has been open for use since 2003. Our nights were cold, in the 30F's, but reasonable with the gear we had. There was still snow on anything above 3000 feet. We're accepting reservations for the 2020 Camping Season 2020 - OPEN Mid-May through Columbus Day. It had absolutely STUNNING views and I would suggest it to anyone hiking the loop as a point to enjoy. Grafton Notch State Park and Mahoosuc Public Lands West Side of Route 26 •Old Speck Trail (7.6 miles, 7 hours, challenging) affords spectacular views from an open observation tower at the summit. Log in or create an account below to unlock all the great features of Maine trail finder: keep track of trails you want to do, preserve memories of trails you’ve done, earn badges, and more! The Glencliff Trail ends at a junction with the Carriage Road in a sag between the South Peak and the main summit. View from Sunday River White Cap was phenomenal! Friday night we parked at the southern parking lot 985 Maine 26, Newry, ME 04261 Near intersection of Rt 26 and Eddy Rd and hiked the 0.5ish mile south from parking lot to the Grafton Loop Trailhead (44.530831,-70.825252) Parking is not allowed here at this trailhead, hence the road hike. The only camping is at four designated campsites on the eastern section and four on the western section. This section of the trail is quite rugged hiking, even more strenuous than the Presidential Range in … More information about the reserve can be found at Maine Natural Areas Program’s Ecoreserve Fact Sheet for Mahoosuc Unit. 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