family hikes in NW Maine?

[weatherman]

Hey all- going with my wife and 5&7 year old kids to Cathedral Pines in Eustis for my birthday in two weeks. Though I'd like to do the whole Bigelow Range, I think I'd be solo (permanently???) So, what recommendations do you have for kids whose idea of a death march at this point is anything bigger than Monadnock? I think we're good for 1500' gain and 5 miles total in a day. I was thinking perhaps some ledges on the way up to Cranberry Peak or Little Bigelow, though the summits would probably be too much total mileage. Any ponds, etc within a couple miles of the road would be great too. Thanks in advance
Weatherman

 

[g o]

hey weatherman,

burnt mountain (3,600 ft) next sugarloaf is a nice easy short hike. a small pool to cool off in on the way and some easy above treeline hiking with fantastic views.

over in rangeley, bald mt. is a 2 mile round trip easy hike. there are picnic tables at the top as well as a tower with great views of the lakes and mountains.

above rangeley, aziccohous mt. (spelled wrong) is short and fun with good views from the top.

have fun!

 

[marty]

Bald Mountain in Oquossoc is an easy hike with amazing views from the tower and adjacent ledges. It's possible that there may be some summit blueberries, too, but probably not for a week or two. It's easy to find, too. Take 16 South (West) into the west side of Rangeley village. Take left on Routes 4/16 (West) toward Oquossoc. Stay straight on 4 where 16 bears to the left. Take left on Bald Mountain Road just before Route 4 ends at the lake. Parking lot is about a mile or so on the left, with a sign.

 

[MichaelJ]

Cathedral Pines has a lovely little sandy beach on Flagstaff Lake, so even if you don't hike to a pond or other swimming hole, you can get wet when you get back to camp.

It's an awesome campground, if you've never been there before you're in for a treat!

And happy birthday in advance!

 

[spongebob]

Go,

I was just going to say Burnt Mountain by Sugarloaf. The trail designer did a good job right Garret? Nice open summit.

 

[twigeater]

Ditto all of the above...

Also,
the AT off Rte 4 to Piazza Rock where the kids can explore...
the AT off Rte 17 to Sabbath Day Pond...
Tumbledown via the Brook Trail...
Mt Blue
Blueberry Mountain
West Kennebago
Safford Brook Trail to Avery Peak?
the lean-to on Little Bigelow is a nice place to stop

Non hiking - pan for gold in the Swift River in Coos canyon

 

[king tut]

i would second what go said, cranberry and burnt. bald mt in rangeley area, which somebody mentioned, would probably be the best for the kids though, a bit easier than the other two. you can also go swimming in rangeley, and my favorite stop is the ice cream place in town. very good blizzards, and you can watch the ducks at the edge of the pond, behind the shack. friendly little suckers.

 

[weatherman]

Wow!

Thanks everybody! Wow- fast response. Guess I'm not the only one taking breaks at work. Next time I'll post a question at 1 AM on the morning of a totally unplanned hike and call it the "VFTT Special"- destination TBA. Good to hear from you again GO, saw evidence of your multiple Redington forays at the summit canister, hope the ribs are 100% and maybe we can link up for a real hike soon.

 

[Sugarloafer]

Ditto Burnt Mountain. You might also want to consider Sugarloaf Mt....not a bad hike for kids if you go up the machine access trail on the ski area side of the mountain (its called Binder on the ski map)

 

[SherpaKroto]

For an "adventure", Redington would be pretty cool for kids, assuming you could drive up to the "trail" start.

A 4th on Bald Mtn. A gem! (GO took me there )

 

[marty]

One thing I forgot to mention about Bald Mountain: it definitely gets crowds on weekends. If you are looking for a quieter hike, then Aziscohos Mountain is a good choice, as suggested previously. It could be pretty muddy down below, however, given all the rain we've had. The views are absolutely spectacular up top!

 

[askus3]

I will be going there in one month and am counting down the days for my big annual trip. But although I haven't done this trail, I was wondering why nobody mentioned the AT in to Horns Pond as a destination. If I remember correctly you could entice the kids with a good swim there. (I approached Horns Pond from the west via the Bigelow Range Trail in 1981). Just a thought. Also, just to entice you to your stay at Cathedral Pines, look at these two photos this one and the next photo in this album .

 

[twigeater]

Horns Pond is a beautiful place, askus3.

 

[g o]

AT from stratton brook road up to the pond is a fairly rough, rocky trail with no views (distractions) until you get to horns pond. once there, the fishing is great! other trails mentioned above are all "easier".

if it is swimming you are after, there are great spots in the carrabassett river and in huston brook down in carrabassett valley.

 

[weatherman]

Thanks for the great pics, Aaron! can't wait. Horns Pond is a bit too long and rough for us at this point, especially having seen recent trip reports from experienced hikers bonking in the heat, and distractions are definitely a good thing. But, wherever we end up, Flagstaff Lake at the end is good in any case. We'll try Monadnock in the humidity tomorrow for a bit of a test to see if 2 or 5 miles is a better plan. Lots of options, thanks all... and we only have 3 days so I'm sure we'll be back.