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Backpacker Magazine – June 2010

Secret Hikes: Appalachian Trail

The last lonely stretch of the AT beckons from the mountains of western Maine.

by: Michael Lanza

Mile 10, Cascade Trail - AT (Dean Goss)

| Secret Hikes: National Parks Home |

The best secret trail in the East’s national parks isn’t some unknown bridle path in Acadia (there is none), and it’s nowhere near the Smokies (with 9 million annual visitors!). The hidden treasure here is this northern 33-mile section of the Appalachian Trail—yes, the granddaddy of long trails is part of the national park system.

Our map correspondents call this four-day point-to-point, from ME 26 in Grafton Notch to ME 17, “the loneliest stretch of the AT.” Why? Hiker magnets like Baxter State Park and the 100-Mile Wilderness attract the crowds, leaving this stretch blissfully quiet. You’ll traverse the West and East Peaks of Baldpate Mountain and Wyman, Old Blue, Elephant, and Bemis Mountains. This is more than just a series of nondescript peaks: It’s the White Mountains-caliber scenery of western Maine’s rolling mountains and lake-dappled, verdant spruce forests. Don’t try to blitz this route—it’s rocky and lacks switchbacks, and three lean-tos (Frye Notch, Hall Mountain, and Bemis Mountain) are spaced for a four-day trip.

›› Magic Moment Where the AT drops into a saddle between Elephant Mountain and Old Blue Mountain, you pass through an Eastern old-growth forest of red spruce, which germinated about the time the Mayflower reached the New World.

›› Local Knowledge At Dunn Notch, detour .9 mile east off the AT onto the parallel Cascade Trail. It runs another .9 mile along the West Branch Ellis River, passing dozens of falls, including 60-foot-high Dunn Falls. Link back to the AT at East B Hill Road.

›› Do It South end: on ME 26 in Grafton Notch State Park, 18 miles north of Bethel. North end: on ME 17, 26 miles north of Rumford. Map/Guidebook Appalachian Trail Guide to Maine ($28; atctrailstore
.org) Contact (304) 535-6331; appalachiantrail.org

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READERS COMMENTS

I have to ask where is the AP
Posted: Jan 11, 2012 monkey butt

this is the most challenging stretch of the entire a.t. wish i had gone slower to enjoy it
Posted: Dec 29, 2011 thru hiker

This is an amazing stretch of the AT. One that I plan to rehike next year, and take my time because I did this in 2 days on my thru hike.
Posted: Oct 27, 2011 Lunatic (GA-ME 2009)

It's articles like these that ruin the beauty of the trail. I can't even hike the Appalachian trail in PA anymore without seeing a flock of obnoxious tourists on the trail. Stop spoiling the magic.
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Posted: Jan 13, 2011 dabvsd

lonely - are you KIDDING? The parking lots are jammed with annoying out of staters all season. It used to be great, before all the articles.
Posted: Oct 16, 2010 teal

are there any shuttles that could get us back to our car if we begin at the north or south part of this section?
Posted: Sep 28, 2010 logan eiland

Definitely a great section, baldpate west/east my favorite peaks of the trail. I'm also glad you recognized how crowded the 100mile wilderness is, the only time I had real solitude was when I was stealth camping.
Posted: Sep 07, 2010 j

I hiked the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail in South Western Pa. in May it was awesome , cant wait to try this trail maybe next year when I get more vacation time , looking forward to sending away for the Map/Guidebook.
Posted: Aug 17, 2010 Michael Gillard

I'm thru-hiking the AT right now - soo excited to get to this section!
Posted: Jul 28, 2010 Laura Kinney

sounds like this would be an AWESOME trail to hit during peak autumn color. I think I'll consider packing the camera and heading up and maybe taking a little longer then the suggested 4 days..
I would assume the air quality is going to be much better then southern appalachia too, having GSMNP in my backyard, I've tracked thru most of the TN sections of the AT already. Time for something new!

Posted: Jul 16, 2010 Jamie Dahl

My husband and I cannot get to Maine this summer, however, we live in NY near the CT Border and we have decided to Hike all the sections of the AP Trail in CT by the end of October 2010. So far we have hiked three sections. We are really enjoying this and might think about doing another state next year. JULIAP
Posted: Jul 12, 2010 Julia Pietruszewski