| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Douglas Mountain, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Eagle Scout Trail, Nature Loop, Ledges Trail, Woods Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, July 21, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
As the guidebook says, no parking for Ledges and Woods Trail. You’ve got to park at the parking area for Eagle Scout Trail and walk from there. That said, there DID appear to be a small dirt parking area by Ledges and Woods trails where a car was parked and there were NOT no parking signs but given that signs directed you to the other parking lot, what the guidebook says etc, I still would not park here without someone looking into this. The parking area had room for probably a dozen plus cars and although several others were there, still had room. It also fit a large bus!! Road in is dirt but should be suitable for any car. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Easy to trivial even with high water. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trails are well signed. Eagle Scout Trail is blazed in orange. The western part of Nature Loop is blazed in blue but the eastern half is blazed in orange…maybe to distinguish the two or for continuity since Eagle Scout Trail is blazed in orange and this is the most direct route to the summit?? I think Ledges Trail was blazed in yellow but not certain. Woods Trail was blazed in green. There was an unknown and unsigned white blazed trail diverging right from Eagle Scout Trail not too far in as well. Blazing seemed relatively regular and I didn’t find the trails difficult to follow. There’s a relatively trivial stepover blowdown shortly after a bridge over a small brook on Eagle Scout Trail (10-15mi in at a slow pace), a slightly less trivial duck under about 10-15mi before reaching Nature Loop, and a very large crawl under that I think you can go around just before reaching Nature Loop. I don’t recall any blowdowns on the other trails but that doesn’t mean there weren’t any… |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Good trails for dogs. |
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 | Bugs: |
They were out and annoying but not horrific. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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|
 | Comments: |
1st hike of the day. A great little redline with the folks as they drove up to stay the weekend :) Route: Eagle Scout Trail —> western half of Nature Loop to summit —> OAB on eastern half of Nature Loop —> down Ledges Trail —> OAB on Woods Trail for me while my folks road walked to the car and I followed suit.
Eagle Scout Trail has several mud pits and some standing water but nothing terribly difficult to avoid or excessive. Flat/gradual until the left turn where it starts to climb but even then I don’t know if I’d categorize that section as steep. There was something hanging in a tree a short ways in on the right. My father thought it was a hunting blind but I thought it too primitive. Anyone know? There was also an unsigned but white blazed trail somewhere around here AND a bridge seeming to lead to nowhere (I can’t recall for sure but I do NOT think it was in the immediate vicinity of the white blazed trail). The western end of the Nature Trail might we easy to miss where it starts at the end of Eagle Scout Trail. This trail also had some mud/water pits and the weirdest turn I’ve ever seen on a hiking trail as it’s nearly 180 degrees.
We loved the observation tower! We had a view but not all the way to the Atlantic. The mountain seems busy enough that you might have to share or take turns in the tower on the weekend. Ledges Trail wasn’t too steep or scrambly and the ledges were mostly dry other than at the start where they were also likely the steepest. Woods Trail was pretty gradual and passes by an old well house or something. Note that the distances for Ledges as Woods trails on the signs on the mountain are over exaggerated. I found the guidebooks distances to be much more accurate.
There was a huge group of kids at the summit when I did the OAB to the summit along Woods Trail. I did not note the connecting trails between Ledges and Woods trails and they are not needed for redlining purposes. The road walk at the end was downhill and pleasant. Gaia had me at 3.5-3.75mi, 800ft of gain. |
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 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
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 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-07-24 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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