| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Bald Mountain (Woodstock), ME |
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 | Trails: |
Bald Mountain Trail, Little Concord Pond Loop Trail, unnamed trails, Speckled Mountain Trail, Bald Mountain Loop |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, October 8, 2026 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Small parking lot, but it didn't fill up today |
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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: |
all unbridged crossings were easily hoppable. The trail heading northeast from Little COncord Pond has some muddy areas. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Official trail were well cleared. Unofficial trails were in varying conditions, but none were terrible. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Great for dogs! |
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 | Bugs: |
found a tick |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
On this beautiful fall day, we found our way back to Bald Mountain in Woodstock to explore a few trails that we hadn't hiked yet on the mountain. We were the first car in the Little Concord Pond State Park trailhead lot at around 8:30, and we started up the trail to Little Concord Pond. Upon reaching the pond, we opted for the trail heading along the west shore of the pond.
At the pond's most northwestern point, we found the first, and most mysterious, of the three new trails that we planned to explore. I had noticed this trail before, but was not able to find any maps showing it or references to where it went. We started down the trail, and it soon became clear that although the trail was lightly used, it was well cared for with no real blowdowns at all and a clear trail corridor. The trail descended a bit as it wound through the forest. Eventually, the trail popped out at the end of a woods road, and we realized that we were at the end of Pelletier Road near Concord Pond. It was great to discover this new approach to the trails on Bald and Speckled Mountains!
After retracing our steps back to Little Concord Pond, we took the trail heading northeast towards the logging roads on the north side of Speckled Mountain. Just before the trail reached the logging road, we took a right turn on a somewhat eroded trail heading uphill. This was the second new to us trail which climbed rather gently to the south. The trail had some blowdowns, but was easy enough to follow, and it became rather level as it reached the wide col between Bald and Speckled. We reached the 4-way junction in the col with the blue-blazed Speckled Mountain Trail. After determining that the trail south of the col was too muddy and overgrown to be worth following, we headed west to the summit of Bald Mountain.
Despite the beautiful weather foliage, we had the summit of Bald completely to ourselves for over an hour while we relaxed and ate lunch. Just before we left, we did see one other hiker with her dog, one of only 3 people we would see during the hike. Continuing west from the summit, we soon took a sharp left turn onto our third, and final, new trail of the day. This unmarked, but well used path soon took us to the bottom of Shagg Crag, the popular rock climbing cliff on Bald Mountain. The cliffs were very imposing from the base, and they were covered in climbing hardware. The trail took us through the rubble along the base of the cliff. We passed one pair of climbers along the way. Soon past the end of the cliffs, the trail reached a viewpoint on top of a tall ledge. I had no idea that this southeast facing viewpoint existed, and it was the best kind of surprise when exploring a new trail!
After enjoying the beautiful view towards Abbotts Pond, we headed back along the trail, and down to where our car was parked. It was a very successful day of new trail exploration, and now I have been down every notable trail that I am aware of on Bald and Speckled Mountains. |
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 | Name: |
Sam Shirley |
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 | E-Mail: |
newenglandskier13@aol.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-10-08 |
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 | Link: |
 https://walkingmaineswildside.blogspot.com/2026/10/bald-mountain-woodstock-1082026.html |
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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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