Bradbury Mountain Pownal, ME

 
 

View from summit SummerView from summit Winter

Bradbury Mountain has something for everyone of all ages and is one of the most popular parks in the area. Close to Freeport, ME and less than 30 miles from Portland, it is a great way to get a good hike and still be in the thick of things. Each season offers a new and fun hike with different views of the same landmarks. They even have hawk migrations in the Summer and Fall and you can participate in the hawk count.

State Park, nominal fee to enter (I think it was $3 or $5 for everyone in the car). Open 9am-Sunset, rustic restroom, no trash (only one small can for dog waste)

This is the only State park with shared trails for hiking, biking, camping, bird watching, dogs on leash, picnic area and shelters with grills, playground (being installed), ball field, horseback riding, snowmobiling, snow shoe rental available and cross country skiing.

For more information http://bradburymountain.com/

To Get There:

Take I-295 North or South to exit 22. Follow signs to the park located at 528 Hallowell Road.

Summit Trail

This is one of our favorite hikes. It’s close to home and we can spend as little or as much time exploring the mountain as we want. The shortest trail is the Summit Trail. It is a direct trail from the parking lot to the summit and is only .3m up the 434 foot climb. The most common trail is the Northern Loop which is a mile, or the longest is the Boundary Trail at 1.5 miles. Many of the trails intersect so you can make it an even longer hike. We have done most of the trails at one time or another on the mountain side of the road and have found new and exciting plants and small wildlife each time we have gone. Even in the Winter, this mountain is a good hike.

Grillin\'

Notes: June of 2008 we went with family and friends and had a nice cookout after a great hike. We had kids and our dog with us. We saw a lot of other people around and we ran in to another troop of Brownies (we saw some at Mt. Ag only the week before). This troop helped to patch up the knee of one of the young girls we were hiking with and earned their first-aid badges.


Plan your trips with EveryTrail Mobile Travel Guides

Mount Agamenticus York, ME

 
 

Sign at top of Mt. Ag

Mt. Agamenticus located in York, Maine is a great hike without the long drive and still being close to many amenities. Mt. Ag is located very close to the tourist areas of York and Ogunquit, ME. It would be easy to spend time at the mountain and then hit the beach and have a great dinner in the area. At the top of the mountain the lookout towers offer amazing views of the Presidential Mountain Range as well as views to the Atlantic Ocean. There is active conservation going on all over the mountain as well.

Last visited June 2008

Activities: hiking, mountain biking, snowmobilling, horseback riding, atv riding, bird watching, dogs on leash as well as off leash with voice control, snow shoeing, picnicing

Open Dawn to dusk, no trash, portable restroom, private residence on site

To Get There:

Trail Sign

Directions to Mount Agamenticus from the North:
Take I-95 South to Wells (exit 19)
Turn left from exit onto route 109. Go 1 ½ to 2 miles to route 1.
Turn right (south) onto route 1.
Follow route 1 into Ogunquit and through “downtown”.
At the flashing yellow light hanging over the road, turn right onto Clay Hill Road (also called Mountain Road and Agamenticus Road).
Follow this road 2 ½- 3 miles to a stop sign.
Turn right onto Mountain Road and follow it for about 1 mile.

Directions to Mount A from the South (using Route 1):
Take I-95 North into Maine. Take Exit 7, York (the last exit before the tollbooth for the Maine Turnpike).
Follow signs to Route 1 North (keeping right after the exit ramp). Turn left onto Route 1 North.
Approximately 3.5 miles after turning onto Route 1, turn left on Mountain Road. (Across from Flo’s Hotdog Stand)
Follow Mountain Road for approximately 4 miles to a stop sign after crossing the interstate. Turn right and continue on Mountain Road for approximately two and a half miles from the interstate overpass.

There is a parking area located at the base, or you can follow the road up to the top where there is another parking area. There is a large sign showing the trail system and welcoming you to the area. There is a lookout tower, picnic tables, a private residence that has a large deck lookout for the public and rental hall. You will also see the first of many ski lift parts along the trail. The mountain has a history of having been a ski resort for a few years in the 60′s.

Old Ski Lift

There is active conservation in this area. According to the website:

Community Conservation
The Mount Agamenticus Conservation Region contains 10,000 acres of land and is one of the largest remaining expanses of undeveloped forests in coastal New England. The region is known for its abundance of vernal pools, rich biodiversity, and unique trail system and is home to many of Maine’s rare plants and animals. State, local and non-profit landowners are working together to protect Mount A’s water, wildlife, and land. These landowners make up the Mount Agamenticus Steering Committee and include: the towns of York and South Berwick, The York Water District, Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Great Works Regional Land Trust, York Land Trust, and The Nature Conservancy.

You can choose the length of hike you want from a short jaunt to a longer two peak hike. The trails are easy to follow and are marked well. One thing we found different was that the blaze colors are referenced for the use of the trail, not for the particular trail you may be walking on. At the head of each trail, you can find a box with maps and sometimes other helpful information.

Map box w/ Animal track identifier

Notes: We saw many families hiking and having picnics. We even saw a brownie troop helping to re-establish various plants in the area. We choose the Ring Trail and had a nice easy hike. The hardest part was the trail from the top to the Ring Trail; we went down Sweet Fern, and it was a little steep and had loose rock. There were many frogs, and one family was looking at a sunning snake.

View of Atlantic OceanView of Presidential Mts.Turtle Crossing at base of Mt. Ag

10/5/08

View from Vulture View
Tree on Second Hill

Tree on Second Hill

Stairs on Vulture View

Stairs on Vulture View

View from Vulture View

Ring Trail, Mt Agamenticus at EveryTrail

More information