| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Bradford Hill (Turner), ME |
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 | Trails: |
Old River Road Trail, Fox Run Trail, Deer Path Trail, Bradford Loop Trail, Bradford Hill Trail, Greenleaf Path, Mower Homestead Path, Abenaki Path, Ledges Trail, Ridge Trail, Homestead Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, June 26, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Huge parking lot at the northern entrance |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All crossings had a bridge or stepping stones |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Varied widely. Fox Run Trail and Deer Path Trail were minimally maintained, but clear enough. Greenleaf Path and Abenaki Path were very overgrown and we turned around. All other trails were well maintained. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Sampson had a great time |
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 | Bugs: |
Lots of deerflies and mosquitoes. Some ticks too |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
At 2,675 acres in size, the only conserved land in Central Maine which surpasses Androscoggin Riverlands State Park is Kennebec Highlands Public Land. While I had biked in the state park, I hadn't hiked in it until today. In addition to the multi-use and mountain bike trails, the park has an extensive network of hiking trails. Some of these trails are quite remote, such as Bradford Hill Trail, which requires a minimum 9 mile round-trip hike to reach.
We started at the northern trailhead and followed Old River Road Trail south to Fox Run Trail. After following that a short distance, we branched off onto Deer Path Trail. This lightly used trail passes through a remote part of the park, and requires care to follow. We then made our way to Bradford Hill Trail, in the center of the park. We made a counterclockwise loop on this surprisingly well maintained trail over Bradford Hill. While Bradford Hill doesn't have any views in the summer, it does have an interesting semi-open summit, which is covered in blueberry bushes.
We then made our way north on Old River Road Trail, roughly following the shore of Gulf Island Pond. We attempted to take Greenleaf Path to the shore, but we turned back due to how overgrown the trail was. Soon afterwards, Mower Homestead Path provided much easier access to the shore of the lake. We also attempted Abenaki Path, but it was also very overgrown.
We turned away from the shore onto Ledges Trail, which has seen recent trail work. This trail makes a short, but steep climb to the top of a ridge, passing some impressive ledges along the way. The trail switchbacks up the steepest part of the ascent and has some excellent trail work, including stone steps and bench cut.
We followed Ridge Trail north down the north side of the ridge back to Old River Road Trail. To round out our hike, we followed Homestead Trail back to the trailhead, passing some nice views across the lake and old foundations along the way.
While navigation isn't always the easiest, Androscoggin Riverlands State Park is a great place to get some serious mileage in on minimally used trails. There may not be any mountaintop vistas, but there are great views along the lake and lots of other interesting sights to see. |
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 | Name: |
Sam Shirley |
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 | E-Mail: |
newenglandskier13@aol.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-06-26 |
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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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