NATURE WALKS AND HIKING

Foothills Land Conservancy

Pond Road Wilton,

Aerial view of headwaters of Wilson Lake photo by S. Atwood Aug. 2007	Exploring the headwaters of Wilson Lake photo by Nancy Prince

 

Mt. Blue is located fourteen miles northwest from Wilton off Maine Route 156 in Weld , only a 25 minute drive from Wilson Lake Inn. Mt. Blue's main hiking trail begins 3 1/2 miles beyond the Center Hill picnic area. The trail is 1 1/2 miles to the 3,187 foot summit. The trails on and around Mount Blue, Tumbledown, Little Jackson, Blueberry, and Bald mountains are suitable for hikers of all abilities. There’s also a multi-use trail in the Center Hill section of the park for mountain bikers, hikers, equestrians, and ATVs. A 25-mile shared-use trail system leaves from park headquarters that accommodates ATVs, horses, mountain bikes, and snowmobiles.

Distance: Trails ranging in length from 1.5 to 3 miles, all requiring at least some difficult climbing.

What to expect: Woodland paths leading to steep rocky cliff trails, capped by an alpine pond.

How to get there: From Wilson Lake Inn, take Lake Road to Main Street turn left on to Route 156 heading to Weld, where signs lead to Mount Blue State Park. At the crossroad, take Route 142 almost four miles to Byron Road. Go less than a mile to where the paved road veers to the left and becomes West Road. At this juncture, Byron Road becomes a dirt road. Take it about four miles, past Mountain view Cemetery and Morgan Road over a wooden bridge to a culvert. There the trail head for the shorter, and easier, Brook Trail is on the right next to the culvert. Farther down the road is the longer Loop Trail.