| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Pleasant Mountain, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Ledges Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, June 11, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
The parking area is on Mountain Road, approximately 3.2 miles from its junction with US302, on the left. The trail starts on the right and the trail sign in visible while driving in. The sign for the parking area is parallel to the road and is easy to miss, even when going less than the posted 30mph speed limit. There are many roads and driveways on the left as that is the Moose Pond side of the road, so best to watch for the trail sign and slow down after about 3 miles. The parking area is quite large and can probably hold 20 or more vehicles if strategically parked. According to Loon Echo Trust documents, there is no roadside parking on Mountain Road. Bridgton has a full-time police department who patrol regularly. Draw your own conclusions. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Several drainages that should be easy stepovers in wet conditions, but all dry today. There is no running water on this trail, so you need to carry in whatever you need. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There was a major trail maintenance project scheduled for May and it appears that they implemented many erosion control features, mainly many rock steps in erosion prone areas. I believe it was a joint effort of AMC and Loon Echo Land Trust. The trail is sparsely blazed with dark blue metal markers, diamond shape with white dots in the center. The footpath is generally well defined and easy to follow as there are fewer leaves on it. Most of the tricky spots have a blaze visible, sometimes after making a turn rather than telling you a turn is coming up. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Great trail for dogs with two caveats. One, there is no running water on this trail. The other is that you need to watch dogs and children in the ledges section. There are several areas where the trail is very close to steep terrain or drop offs. The terrain just off trail is covered with slippery leaves or loose topsoil and the pitches are such that one could easily slide downhill or even over a sheer drop. There are several areas of exposed slabs but no technical moves required. LELT requires dogs to be on leashes. I observed 3 violations of this rule, but they were all well behaved. |
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 | Bugs: |
There were a few buzzing around, mostly later in the morning after the temperatures were warming. Maybe the lack of water keeps the population down? |
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 | Lost and Found: |
NA |
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 | Comments: |
The trail starts on the opposite side of Mountain Road from the parking area requiring care in crossing the road. Near the .1 mark there is a kiosk with several notices posted, included a trail map. There were copies of the trail map available, as well as doggie bags and a supply of handmade walking sticks. I didn't see any notice related to the walking sticks. I assume they are available for use with return expected at the conclusion of the hike. There is a locked box for donations.
The first .6 miles generally follows an old road of some sort, at easy to moderate grades, so the pathway is quite wide and with many rocks, most of which can be avoided. Between .4 and .5 is the muddy section, most of which can be easily avoided. After the mud, the trail begins to narrow, and near the .6 mark crosses several dry drainages. At this point the trail turns into a narrow footpath, with several switchbacks. Many of the switchbacks have rock steps at the turns. I assume this is for erosion control. The footpath alternates between dirt and rocks, easy to moderate grades, with rocks steps covering some of the steeper pitches.
At about .8 there are several areas of exposed slabs at various angles, but none too steep. In between the slabs, the trail alternates between dirt and rocks. Many of the slabs can be avoided by narrow strips of dirt footpath on one side or the other. The slabs are mostly textured and appear to have good grip in all but icy conditions, but a few are smoother and would probably be slippery if wet. At 1.1 miles the trail reaches the exposed ledges with several places to sit and enjoy the views. From here to the summit (.7 miles), the trail alternates between dirt, rocks and slabs, mostly exposed, but a few short sections ducking into some trees, with various grades, mostly moderate. Just before reaching the summit, the trail passes behind two service or utility buildings.
The summit offers spectacular views to the west where you can identify peaks from Mt. Israel to Mt. Washington and everything in between.
While there are no sections I would call difficult, the elevation gain is 1500-1600 feet in 1.8 miles. With the switchbacks, rock steps and some flatter sections, it is an easier hike than that statistic would suggest, but by no means an "easy" hike. There are several good spots to take a break if needed. |
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 | Name: |
SpartyHikerfromME |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-06-11 |
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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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