Hike New England - Peary Mountain

Peary Mountain

Mountain:		Peary Mtn. (958')
Trail:		snowmobile trail
Region:		ME - Southern
Location:		Brownfield, ME
Rating:		Easy/Moderate
Features:		Summit, views, brook
Distance:		2.4 miles
Elevation Gain:		600 feet (cumulative)
Hiking Time:		Actual: 1:15 Typical: 1:35
Outing Duration:		Typical: 2:45
Season:		Fall
Hike Date:		10/21/2007 (Sunday)
Last Updated:		08/18/2009
Weather:		Sunny
Author:		Chip Lary

Pleasant Mountain with Pleasant Pond in front of it
(photo by Chip Lary)

Route Summary

This is an out-and-back hike to two peaks of Peary Mountain from which there are outstanding views within Maine as well as to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. See the Trail Guide section for a detailed route description.

Fall Foliage
(photo by Chip Lary)

Trail map of hike route to Peary Mtn. in Brownfield, Maine (map by Webmaster)

Trail Guide

This description covers a hike to two peaks on Peary Mountain in Brownfield, Maine. This is highly recommended for a fall foliage hike.

The trail starts across, and about 20 feet farther along, the road from the parking area. There is no official sign for the trail. Since this trail is on private land, the beginning of it has several warning signs, though. It has a chain with PVC pipe across the entrance to prevent people from driving on it. The signs warn that no motorized vehicles other than snowmobiles are allowed without the landowners' permission. The main trail is a snowmobile trail that goes all the way across the mountain, but this hike, upon nearing the top, will turn off to the left and then follow footpaths to two of the peaks.

View from Peary Mountain: The hump to the left is Mount Tom with Lovewell Pond in front of it; the mountain to the right is Pleasant Mountain. (photo by Chip Lary)

Right at the start of the trail there will be a stream to your right. The road will be quite wide since some logging is done on this land. It soon becomes a narrower track, but still much wider than just a hiking trail.

The first quarter-mile rises very gently and it crosses over the stream. In the fall the road was covered so that it was like walking on a carpet of colored leaves. Earlier in the year it is a dirt track.

After this easy section, the next quarter-mile rises more steadily. The road has some washouts in it and if it is wet there will be muddy places. You come near the stream once again, now on your left. At this point there are two tracks – one that stays close to the stream and one that bears away slightly to the right. The one to the right is the better worn of the two and is the main trail. The one on the left by the stream will soon connect back to it, though, so it doesn't much matter which you take, other than the footing they will provide.

Mount Tom with Lovewell Pond in front of it (photo by Chip Lary)

Once you have gotten past the steeper section on the road it will level off some and become overgrown with grass. It will also open up some; the trees which were quite close up to now are farther away and more sun comes in.

While walking on the grassy section carefully watch the trees on the left. There will be a piece of wood nailed about eight feet up on a tree with a faded arrow pointing to the left. This is the direction to take. There will also be a short section of rock wall in the direction you will take. On the right are the remains of an old cellar, but it is not easy to see from the trail. The grassy road continues straight, but you will be leaving it now.

As you take this sharp left you will be on a track that has still had traffic of some kind on it, but it is more overgrown and rutted than the main track you had been on to this point. You will also walk over some rock ledges for the first time.

View from Peary Mountain (photo by Chip Lary)

Keep an eye out on your right on this section. In no more than a quarter-mile the trail will leave this road and finally become a foot track. The start will not be that easy to spot, especially in the summer. There is a sign saying, "One Way Do Not Enter" that may be visible where you will head to the right. It is on a stick and sometimes propped against a tree, but it had fallen over when I hiked it last. This sign indicates that the road you had been on is private property and you should not proceed any farther on it. There is also an attempt to give directions on it, but they do not match the hiking trail, so you should ignore them.

This footpath is the final section. It rises the last couple hundred feet very quickly, so it is quite steep. As you come up it there will be a fork in the trail. The trail to the right goes to one peak that faces north and west. The trail to the left goes to another peak that faces east. For now, take the trail to the right.

After one last scramble up, you will come to a rock ledge with a view through the trees to Mount Tom. While this is a nice view, it is nothing compared to what is coming.

View from Peary Mountain (photo by Chip Lary)

Continue on the ledge until you come to a wide open ridge that has 180-degree views from Mount Tom to the north-northeast all the way to cultivated farm fields to the south-southwest. There is a makeshift stone bench here that you can sit on and enjoy the views of the White Mountains to the northwest. The fall foliage was at its peak and all of the surrounding hills and mountains were bursting with color.

Once you are done with the views here retrace your steps back down to where the trail forked. This time take the other trail (it will be on your right as you come back down off the ridge.)

This trail is well worn right at the beginning, but there are sections where you need a good imagination to still see a trail to follow. You will need to pay attention on this one. There are cairns now and then to help. If you are unsure where the track is, though, just keep heading in an easterly direction and you will soon identify the trail again. It takes no more than 10-15 minutes to reach the second ledge. The trail to this view will rise much more gradually than the first one did.

View from Peary Mountain (photo by Chip Lary)

This ridge has views of Mount Tom on the far left and Pleasant Mountain straight ahead. Lovewell Pond and Pleasant Pond can also be seen in front of these two mountains. The colors from the leaves, combined with the blue of the water, made for quite a show. There are a few rocks to sit on here, but nothing that would be comfortable to remain on for too long a rest.

Once you are done taking in these views, retrace your steps back to where the trail split. Take a right here to head back down the steep section to the overgrown road. Take a left onto the road and follow it back down to the grassy, open road. Take a right here and follow this road all the way back down to where you parked your car.

I encountered a few other people while on this hike, but it seemed like it was not one that was much traveled since it was not that well worn by feet. Near the end of the hike as I was coming down to the road there were a man and woman cutting brush. They turned out to be the landowners. They had purchased the land a year or two before and had decided to continue to let people use it for hiking. I thanked them for that and they seemed to appreciate it. They explained that there was another landowner for part of it, which was where the "one way" sign had come from.

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Mount Tom
(photo by Chip Lary)

Pleasant Mountain
(photo by Chip Lary)

View from Peary Mountain (photo by Chip Lary)

ME - Southern

Driving Directions

The trailhead is located in Brownfield, Maine.

From Rt. 302:

From Rt. 302 in Fryeburg, take the combined Routes 5 and 113 southeast.
After 4.8 miles on the combined Routes 5 and 113, turn right onto the gravel Farnsworth Road.
Drive for 1.3 miles, then park in a small dirt parking area (3–4 cars) on the right, shortly before a bridge.

From the South:

At the junction of Routes 160 and the combined Routes 5 and 113 in East Brownfield, head northwest on the combined Routes 5 and 113.
After 2.2 miles, turn left onto the gravel Farnsworth Road.
Drive for 1.3 miles, then park in a small dirt parking area (3–4 cars) on the right, shortly before a bridge.

In the parking area, there is a blue sign for snowmobiling that has "Brownfield 7" on it.

The trail starts about 20 feet farther up the road, on the left-hand side.

Other Notes

The main trail is a snowmobile trail so be on the lookout for vehicles on the trail during the winter.

View from Peary Mountain (photo by Chip Lary)

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