1-minute hike: Little Moose Mountain, near Greenville, Maine

Difficulty: Moderate. The Little Moose Mountain Trail offers 9 miles of hiking. Parts of the trail are steep, but the route does not require technical (hand-over-foot) hiking. A picnic table at a scenic overlook a short distance into the trail is a great destination for families looking to get out into the wilderness but not hike far.

How to get there: The Little Moose Mountain Trail is one of the easiest hiking trails to find in the Moosehead region. The trailhead is just outside Greenville near Moose Mountain Inn on Rockwood Road (Route 6/15). Drive into the parking lot of Moose Mountain Inn and park to the far left. There’s a sign for hiker parking. The trailhead is marked by a big wooden kiosk that can be seen from the parking lot. On the right side of the inn parking lot is a multi-purpose trail called “Moose Mountain Inn Trail.” Do not confuse these two trails.

Information: Most of the Little Moose Mountain range is located on a 15,000-acre tract of public land located west of Greenville in Moosehead Junction and Big Moose Townships. Little Moose Mountain Trail, starting in at Moose Mountain Inn, is an uphill climb along the long ridgeline of the mountain from one scenic overlook to the next. Hikers can then descend into a forested bowl containing the Little Moose Pond and Big Moose Pond. Easy half-mile trails connect these ponds to each other and to a trailhead at the top of the Mountain Road. The trail is marked by blue blazes on trees and rocks.

Personal Note: I had limited time and only hiked along the ridge of Little Moose Mountain to a rock pile that I felt might be marking the highest point in the ridge. I could not see where the trail led from there, due to snowdrifts. I didn’t make it to the ponds. From the trailhead to Big Moose Pond (hiking over the mountain) is 4 miles, according to the Moose Mountain in website. So, if you wanted to hike to the pond and back, it would be an 8-mile trip. The trail is great for snowshoeing in the winter, but it may be easier to follow into the bowl in the summer.

Photo by Aislinn Sarnacki. A picnic table is located at a scenic overlook on Little Moose Mountain Trail near Greenville on March 5, 2012. The table, a short hike up the trail, is a perfect spot for a picnic, no matter what time of year.

Aislinn Sarnacki

About Aislinn Sarnacki

Aislinn is a Bangor Daily News reporter for the Outdoors pages, focusing on outdoor recreation and Maine wildlife. Visit her main blog at actoutwithaislinn.bangordailynews.com.