The trails to Baker Pond and Mountain Brook Pond (from the north) leave from a gated road 0.3 miles further west on Upper Valley Road from the parking area. A short trail to Mountain Brook Pond (from the south) leaves about 20 feet east of the parking area where there is a sign. This short trail heads north, down the bank on a wooded path, which leads into a small clearing just short of Mountain Brook Pond. Log bridges lead down to the shore for a pretty view of the pond.
For the longer trails, at the gated road 0.3 miles west of the parking area, turn right and walk around the large gate, and then up an old rocky road bed. Shortly, where older grown-in road bed branches to the left, the Baker Pond Trail heads to the right. The old road crests over three small hills until then straightens out. It then crosses a brook and bears to the right. The road then reaches a junction, where a sign indicates that Baker Pond is 0.4 miles to the left, and Mountain Brook Pond is 0.7 miles straight ahead and then quickly right.
To Baker Pond: From the junction, the trail to Baker Pond follows a graded path, bears to the left, and then and crosses a wooden bridge. This lowland trail can often be wet and muddy. Ahead, the path narrows, and bog bridges are around the pond. The trail ends at Baker Pond Campsite. Just below the campsite is a nice view across the pond.
To Mountain Brook Pond: From the junction, the trail to Mountain Brook Pond continues along the rocky road bed. It quickly reaches a junction with an old logging road. Here the trail turns right (sign). Ahead, the road becomes overgrown and passes through a small clearing with good views of Baker Mountain. The trail turns into a grassy path as it heads down into the woods. Continuing on, the trail descends to Mountain Brook Pond and a small clearing with pond views. In the winter, when ice conditions are safe, this can be made into a loop, by crossing over to the trail on the other side and returnin to the parking area.
This trail is within 66,000 acres of conservation land owned by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) as a part of AMC’s Maine Woods Initiative. The Maine Woods Initiative is the AMC’s strategy for land conservation in the 100-Mile Wilderness region. The Initiative is an innovative approach to conservation that combines outdoor recreation, resource protection, sustainable forestry, and community partnerships. Through conservation purchase with our partners, AMC permanently protected over 66,000 acres of land in the region, creating a 63-mile-long corridor of conservation land stretching from AMC's property near Greenville north to Baxter State Park. This land is open to the public for recreational uses including hiking, paddling, camping, skiing, and snowshoeing. Fishing and hunting are also permitted in accordance with state law.
Project partners include the Trust for Public Land, The Nature Conservancy, Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, the Land for Maine’s Future Program, the federal Forest Legacy Program and the Forest Society of Maine.
This trail passes through a property that was acquired in part with funds from the Land for Maine’s Future program. For more information about the LMF program and the places it has helped to protect, please visit the LMF webpage.
For more information visit AMC's Maine Woods Initiative online or contact:
Park on the left side of Upper Valley Road in a small parking lot, 4.4 miles north of the junction of Greenville Road and Katahdin Iron Works Road.
From the east via Brownville: Approach the Katahdin Iron Works Road on ME Route 11 either 26.0 miles south of Millinocket or 5.5 mi. northbound from Brownville Junction. Signage for the Katahdin Ironworks Historic Site (KIW) may be missing, so check your mileage. Turn west onto Katahdin Ironworks Road. The checkpoint at the entrance to KI Jo-Mary Forest is 6.3 miles from ME Route 11. Stop and register (fee charged May through October $10 per person $6 for Maine Residents).
From the west via Greenville: At the blinking traffic light in the center of Greenville on ME Routes 6/15, proceed north one block and turn right onto Pleasant St. After 2.0 mi. the road becomes gravel. This road becomes the KI road. At 11.0 mi. from Greenville, stop and register at the North Maine Woods Hedgehog checkpoint (fee charged May through October $10 per person $6 for Maine Residents).
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