Ragged Mountain by Karen Herold
Both standing at about 1,300 ft., these twin peaks present Midcoast residents and visitors with some excellent hikes and spectacular views of shimmering lakes, dense forests, and nearby Penobscot Bay. Coastal Mountains Land Trust has spearheaded ambitious efforts to conserve these mountains and their surrounding areas for decades. They manage a good deal of the land in the area and maintain two of its most popular trails: Round the Mountain Trail, a 5.5-mile path circling Ragged Mountain, and Bald Mountain Trail, which winds about 2.5 miles up to its namesake’s summit.
Furthermore, Bald Mountain Preserve and Ragged Mountain Preserve house trails for mountain biking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling, and they offer opportunities for hunting and fishing enthusiasts as well. Nature lovers should keep an eye out for deer, waterfowl, hawks undertaking their fall migration, and three uncommon subalpine plant species, the three-toothed cinquefoil, smooth sandwort, and poverty oatgrass.
Support from the Land for Maine’s Future program helped lead to the purchase and conservation of 308 acres that were added to Bald Mountain and Ragged Mountain Preserves between 2007 and 2008. Additionally, the Town of Camden manages the Camden Snowbowl, a skiing area on Ragged Mountain, and Georges River Land Trust manages the Georges Highland Path that runs throughout the area.
Closest Towns: Camden, Rockport, and Hope
Activities: Hiking, Cross-country skiing and Snowshoeing, Hunting, Fishing, Mountain Biking, Bird Watching, Wildlife Watching, Snowmobiling
Region: Midcoast Maine – Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox, Waldo
Acreage: 1,061
Directions: From Camden, drive south on Route 1 and turn right onto John Street. After about a mile, turn left onto Hosmer Pond Road. There is a trailhead present at the Camden Snowbowl, and another father ahead past Gillette Road. The map below directs you to the trailhead near Gillette Road, which gives you access to both mountains’ trails.
Banner photo: Ragged Mountain pool, Camden Hills, by Steve Cartwright
