This trail winds along the banks and through the gorge of Henderson Brook just east of Long Pond. To reach the trail head, drive south from the junction of Greenville Road and KI Road for 3.4 miles. Turn right (south) onto Chairback Mountain Road and follow this for about 0.9 miles to a small parking lot on the left.
The trail heads east and descends to the edge of Henderson Brook, which it follows down valley past a series of pretty waterfalls and pools, crossing it several times. A rope strung across the brook in two places offers some assistance.
The trail merges with the AT after 1 mile. Turn left (north) here to reach Katahdin Iron Works Road in another 0.1 miles.
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.
Visit AMC's Maine Woods Initiative online for more information or contact:
Appalachian Mountain Club, Greenville OfficeThe trail starts a quarter mile before Gorman Chairback Lodge and Cabins on the Chairback Road at a small, inconspicuous wooden sign reading Henderson Brook Trail. To reach the lodge and parking, drive south from the junction of Greenville Road and Katahdin Iron Works Road for 3.4 miles. Turn right (south) onto Chairback Mountain Road and look for the Henderson Brook Trail sign. There is a small parking area on the left side of the road.
From the east via Brownville: Approach the KI (Katahdin Iron Works) Road on ME Route 11 either 26.0 miles southbound from Millinocket or 5.5 miles northbound from Brownville Junction. Signage for the Katahdin Iron Works Historic Site (KIW) may be missing, so check your mileage. Turn west onto KI Road. The KI 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 Route 6/15, proceed north one block and turn right onto Pleasant Street. After 2.0 miles the road becomes gravel. At 11.0 miles 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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