Access Grand Falls, ME by west?

[Technetium]

The typical directions say to head north on RT 201 to The Forks, and then turn left onto Lower Enchanted Rd, a logging road that you follow carefully for almost 14 miles. However, I will be staying the previous night at a campground near Eustis. This ends up being a really long loop around the Bigelows and Flagstaff Lake, nearly two hours just to get to Lower Enchanted Rd. At least in the satellite view in Google Maps, it appears there are logging roads that come very close to Grand Falls from the west. I was able to trace a path through these logging roads all the way back to Rt 27 north out of Eustis, and google says it's about an hour this way (but they have a pretty poor approximation of the roads as they appear in satellite view). It certainly looks possible, but I wonder if there is something I don't know that would make this plan not work. Anyone know?

 

[Stan]

If you check the maps of Maine Huts and Trails, specifically Grand Falls Hut, you will see that there is a trail to Grand Falls from near the outlet of Flagstaff Lake. Also, it is usually a reasonable round trip paddle from below that outlet to a landing less than a mile above the falls. There is a network of logging roads north of the Dead River but I believe those are gated, though hiking that way would probably be possible but likely longer than the Maine Hut Trail.

 

[nartreb]

Technetium is asking about Scott Rd, which runs from Eustis to a point less than a quarter mile west of the falls.

The risk would be that there's no particular reason for anybody to maintain that road. Depending on management style, there can be a decade or two when there's no logging going on, during which it's not economical to repair a washed-out road right away.

However, roads that can support big logging trucks tend to be fairly solid, so they don't fall apart overnight unless there's an unusual weather event. Only one way to know for sure, unless you can find a hunter/logger/hiker who can give you a firsthand report.

The other risk is that (part of) the road might be gated. Could be worth tracking down the landowner and giving them a call.

 

[TJ aka Teej]

Logging roads and Google earth - I wouldn't. Ever. Even the Gazetteer isn't completely reliable.
Local, recent info is what you need.
Call the campground you're staying at and ask, then try The Huts and Trails folks.

 

[Technetium]

I think what I might do is a test run the afternoon before. I have a couple hours to spare that day, since there isn't really anything within an hours drive of Eustis I want to photograph that I won't have been to already by then. That way I can also get a chance to see the roads in the light of day before trying it in the dark before sunrise.

I did email the huts to ask, haven't heard back yet but I won't be there until early October, so... plenty of time.

FWIW, the satellite imagery for that area is dated from 2015, so the logging roads should be very accurate.

 

[Tim Horn]

Be sure to carry a chainsaw on your exploration. Been up Scott Road last month on my way fishing and had no issues where I went but I was not going to Grand Falls. I went south to Long Falls. The road was fine and the first bridge was in good shape. I did run into a new blow down on my way out and the saw came in handy.