Things to do in Moosehead Lake

If you’ve seen my post about camping on Moosehead Lake, you’ll know that my family and I have been camping there for almost 5 years and that it’s one of my favorite regions in the state.  One of the best parts of camping in this region is the excellent exploring and hiking that abounds. There are many hikes that I enjoy in that area – it’s much less trafficked than Acadia and offers amazing views just the same. Fall in Moosehead Lake is so beautiful, if you have the chance to visit – don’t miss it. Save this post for when you go so you’ll have information about hikes in Moosehead Lake!

Mount Kineo– 1,789′, 5.6 miles round trip

This is a great hike for families that offers excellent views of Moosehead Lake and the surrounding peaks from the fire tower.  This hike is accentuated by the fact that you have to take a shuttle to get there from the Rockwood boat landing.  We made this hike on Columbus Day weekend.

I used Maine Trail Finder to learn more about the trail.  We took the Carriage Trail to Indian Trail and the Bridle Trail for our descent.

You can find the details for the Kineo Shuttle here.

Little Spencer- 3,040′, 4 miles round trip

Little Spencer is north of Kokadjo along the northern shores of Spencer Bay.  Be on the lookout for moose on the Spencer Bay Road.  Despite the relatively short distance of 4 miles, this trail is challenging because of its rock slides and the 70 foot chimney that require scrambling up a steep rock face with the aid of ropes and hand holds.

You can learn more about the hike and how to get there in the Maine Mountain Guide.

Directions to the trailhead from the Maine Mountain Guide::

• Take the Lily Bay Road to Kokadjo
• .4 miles past Kokadjo, turn left onto Sias Hill Rd
• At 1.2 miles turn left on Spencer Bay Rd.
• At 7.4 miles, turn right at the sign for Spencer Pond Camps
• At 2.2 miles you will reach the trailhead on the right

White Cap- 3,654′, 6.6 miles (including the road walk)

This peak is in the Hundred Mile Wilderness and is the highest point on the Appalachian Trail between the Bigelows and Katahdin.  This hike is spectacular and I highly recommend it for some solitude and gorgeous trail! On this Columbus Day weekend, I had the trail mostly to myself on this cloudy cool morning and luckily the cloud ceiling was high.  I passed a few backpackers leaving the lean-to and passed a few hikers on my descent

Directions to the trailhead from the Maine Mountain Guide:

• Take the Lily Bay Road until you reach the Frenchtown Rd. south of Kokadjo
• Follow for 10.9 miles and bear left.  You will pass West Branch Pond Camps and pass between First and Second West Branch ponds (I was able to use Google maps for the majority of the drive which helped to ensure I was on the right track).
• At 11.6 miles bear left and go another mile- This section of road was rough, a high clearance vehicle with good tires is recommended (I had to borrow my dad’s truck to get there).
• At 12.6 miles bear right and proceed to a gate at 13.7 miles.  There is parking to the side of the road before the gate.  The trailhead is approximately .5 miles along the road.

I hope you liked my favorites hikes in Moosehead Lake. We’re working on completing the Moosehead Pinnacle Pursuit, so check back for updated hikes!

Have you hiked any of these peaks?  What time of year did you go?  Let us know in the comments section.

Happy trails from Maine!

• Willow

Like this post? AWESOME! Pin it so others can like it too!