Once back at Pond Link, take this blue blazed connector trail 1.1 miles to Tumbledown Pond. Once on the ridge, we hopped over rocks painted with lichen of all colors and between dwarfed trees and shrubs. This was done by the Maine Conservation Corps, which the State also hired to work on the Parker Ridge Trail and on the Little Jackson Trail in 2012. Description: Tumbledown Mountain has a network of six trails on it and the adjacent Little Jackson Mountain. The Parker Ridge Trail (1.8 miles) is another option from the Brook Trailhead. Parker Ridge Trail Rick and Linda are going to take the Parker Ridge Trail and meet us at Tumbledown Pond for our picnic lunch. Steep and rugged at times but got a good workout. Got turned around a couple of times looking for the trail. Click here for a guide to trail etiquette, DOC Map of the Weld Region After about a half mile of easy hiking, Tumbledown Mountain’s Parker Ridge Trail departed left and Little Jackson Trail began climbing steadily in a predominantly deciduous forest. Love it! MODERATE 4.7 mi. Heading up Parker Ridge with a view of Tumbledown Pond and Mountain. You can tell that the Brook Trail is used extensively. This bit connects Brook and Parker Ridge Trails with the end of the Loop Trail and, eventually, the West Peak of Tumbledown. Tumbledown Mountain in Weld, Maine. Not just uninterrupted views, but a variety: rolling hills, lakes, peaks, and cool rock formations - not to mention the challenging trails. A very good day if the weather cooperates. The Pond even this time of year is disappointingly crowded, but if you take the loop depicted here from Morgan Road up to Little Jackson Mountain, you will see few people until you clear Tumbledown and are nearer the lake. This gnarly hike navigates the chimney-like fissure known as Fat Man’s Misery via iron rungs and is recommended for ascent only. It is true that part of this trail is not well marked. Parker Ridge Trail: This trail is the oldest route to the pond. Take a sharp left onto this road. Note: This is not a hike to attempt in wet or icy/snowy weather as a good portion is on open face and rock. The downhill side of Little Jackson as you head towards Tumbledown gets steep fast and begins the tough portion of the hike. I had my dog with me and had a blast. This trail goes over East Peak and to the junction of the Loop Trail. Little bit of snow still on trail to Jackson Mtn. Photo by Carey Kish. Easy first mile gives way to much steeper climb over boulder fields and numerous waterfalls. 4. The trail eventually comes out into the open and traverses Parker's Ridge. Heading up Parker Ridge with a view of Tumbledown Pond and Mountain. The Parker Ridge Trail, though also steep, is a more beautiful and a less rocky descent. This trail is definitely less traveled but easy to navigate. Empruntez le sentier Little Jackson Connector, balisé de blazes bleus, jusqu'à la prochaine intersection. Great hike, trail is not well marked between Little Jackson and Tumbledown but otherwise a great day. If you have been to Tumbledown in the past few years you know that the Brook Trail has been reconstructed; in some places years of erosion required rerouting of the trail. After about a half mile of easy hiking, Tumbledown Mountain’s Parker Ridge Trail … Not a bad ascent to the point between Little Jackson and Jackson Mtn. We made it to the bald peak across from the lake easily, but on our way down around the far side of the pond we must have missed a left turn because we ended up looping around the pond to the top of the Parker Ridge Trail, despite following what looked like a good trail. Appalachian Trail: Saddleback Mountain & Poplar Ridge, Saddleback Mountain via Bald Mountain Trail, Tumbledown Pond via Parker Ridge Trail Loop, Long Pond and Sabbath Day Pond via Appalachian Trail, Tumbledown, Little Jackson, and Jackson Mountain, Tumbledown and Little Jackson via Parker Ridge Trail. Fantastic hike with excellent views. Justin Henry / Flickr The trailhead is 3.7 miles from the east end of Byron Road by a large parking area just uphill from a brook crossing. We will be back to investigate what we did wrong but it was a beautiful hike! It's about a mile in to Tumbledown Rock where we start climbing. Advanced): According to the Appalachian Mountain Club, this is the oldest trail to ascend Tumbledown Mountain. We got the last parking spot near the Parker Ridge Trailhead (there is a larger lot further down the road.) Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. Some neat striations in the rock on Parker Ridge. As you can see, a few wet areas too. Directions This is Parker Ridge trailhead. You are above treeline for most of the time from Tumbledown to well past Tumbledown Pond. If you complete the entire thing, you will remark at how tired and sore you are but not be able to put your finger on why. we went up loop trail do not recommend taking a dog lots of very steep rocks and the chimney is impossible with out some helping dog friendly people. Favorite seasons to visit: Mid- … We definitely lost elevation with this connector trail, one must go down to go up on this one. Super fun bushwack to get to the Little Jackson summit, we got lost at the start of the climb but after that hiccup the path was pretty easy to make out and there were plenty of cairns to guide us. Alpine tarn at summit is highest elevation pond in Maine. We took the Tumbledown Brook trail to the top. Only saw 4 people at Tumbledown Pond, otherwise, I had the place to myself. The trail from Little Jackson peak to Tumbledown is not marked, but pretty easy to spot and follow. Tumbledown Mountain Trail Loop. I have two Siberian huskies and while they enjoyed most of the hike, the scrambles up ledges were eventually a bit much for them. Thankfully the trail was ice free. Trail Work 5. That loop around the back of the Pond is wild terrain. On the way down it’s a little rough on the knees. To gain access to this trail, leave from the Brook Trailhead and follow the Little Jackson Connector for 1. I took an indirect route (Parker Ridge Trail) to the top since I misinterpreted the trail … Any “trails” followed between the Little Jackson and Tumbledown peaks should be treated as a bushwhack with requisite navigational skills. Parker's Ridge Trail. The Parker Ridge trail is located right where Pond Link ends, and is marked with a sign. Byron Rd had just been graded and was in great shape. From the trailhead, follow the Little Jackson Connector for 1.1 mile. My new favorite hike in Maine. In the distance, surrounding the pond, were Tumbledown Mountain, Little Jackson Mountain and Jackson Mountain. It’s gradual at first but then turns challenging as you climb over ledges to reach the top. Dana Thurston of Raymond on the Tumbledown Ridge Trail with Tumbledown Pond and Little Jackson Mountain in the background. Following Tumbledown Brook, this trail provides the quickest, most direct route up to Tumbledown Pond. First hike of the year. It is a short walk in from the parking area. Great trail but bad time of year for it. Trail Work If you have been to Tumbledown in the past few years you know that the Brook Trail has been reconstructed; in some places years of erosion required rerouting of the trail. One of the several trails up Tumbledown. Pretty technical climbs/rock climbing and slick when wet. We took the Parker Ridge trail up to Tumbledown Pond which was longer but much easier than either the Brook Trail or Tumbledown Trail. Parker Ridge Trail: This trail is the oldest route to the pond. This hike starts at the Brook Trail trailhead off of Byron Road, ME. From there to the pond, the place was quite busy. We'll take the Brook Trail to Crater Lake (Tumbledown Pond), before descending along the Parker Ridge Trail. That segment would have been better for them had they not been as tired as they were. The foliage views were stunning today! From here Parker Ridge descends steeply and footing is difficult. I descended along Parker Ridge Trail, which has some more amazing views as well as some really astonishing geological features. Heading up Parker Ridge, with a view of Tumbledown Pond and Mountain. We took the Tumbledown Brook trail to the top. Anything else was constructed unofficially and is therefore considered unreliable. Easy first mile gives way to much steeper climb over boulder fields and numerous waterfalls. Parker Ridge Trail: This trail is the oldest route to the pond. These posts have been tagged with Tumbledown Mountain ME, or are within 1.5 miles of it. Feb 12, 2017 - Tumbledown Range, as seen from Parker Ridge. This trail is over mostly open ledges. It will kick your butt. According to the Maine Mountain Guide (8th ed., AMC), this is the oldest trail up Tumbledown. A total of 10 miles on my watch. Well marked but easy to get off trail. From this point, despite what this map indicates, you must backtrack down to the Pond Link junction. The trail eventually comes out into the open and traverses Parker's Ridge. Trail was in great shape with only one tree down BUT was snow covered (2-4 feet) on the top third of the trail. Parker Ridge Trail (2. Now we are headed up the East peak via the Tumbledown Ridge Trail. I cannot recommend it to someone who is not a comfortable hike AND familiar with the mountain already. On the Brook Trail there are also several areas that have pretty severe erosion going on. Parker Ridge Homes For Sale-Pineapple Park Homes For Sale-Poinciana Park Homes For Sale-Propect-Southland Park Homes For Sale-River Walk Homes For Sale $277,700; Roosevelt Estates Homes For Sale-South Flagler Drive Homes For Sale-South Side Homes For Sale $325,900; Southwest Homes For Sale-Sunshine Park Homes For Sale-Vedado Homes For Sale- Would definitely recommend this hike, actually you can take Morgan Road and go straight up little Jackson and around back down to the pond and back up tumble down and back down the trail head. We used the AllTrails map a few times as we did wander off trail. Proceed past this junction 0.2 miles, following blue blazes, to the summit. https://www.maine.gov/dacf/parksearch/PropertyGuides/Maps/FullSize/mtbluetumbledownmap.pdf Lots and Lots of moose scat on this trail but no moose sighting. Tried walking in the moose footprints but still fell through a lot. The area had heavy rains two days before we arrived and some of the washouts looks like trails... We used the app to get back onto the correct track - life saver! Lots of soft snow between Tumbledown and Little Jackson. So, we figured that it would be quite easy to find the trail head. Tumbledown and Little Jackson via Parker Ridge Trail is a 8.5 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Weld, Maine that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as difficult. NOTE!! After about a half-mile of easy hiking, Tumbledown Mountain’s Parker Ridge Trail departed left and Little Jackson Trail began climbing steadily in … Once you get above the tree line, it's hours of hiking with spectacular scenery as far as the eye can see. It is much more than a bushwack, but can be follow once you've found it. Tumbledown Ridge Trail (0.7 miles, Connector): Starting at the outlet of Tumbledown Pond, this trail connects the ends of the Brook and Parker Ridge Trails with the end of the Loop Trail and, further on, the West Peak of Tumbledown Mountain. You will climb steeply away from the pond to an open ridge with stunning views. Then took the Pond link trail to Little Jackson Trail. It gradually rises through the woods before leading up a steep, rocky ridgeline, then down to Tumbledown Pond. Side note: Parker Ridge Trail was the original trail to Tumbledown. The Tumbledown Mountain and Little Jackson Mountain trail network is composed of six trails and two trailheads for advanced hikers wishing to see some of the most unique features in Maine. We got the last parking spot near the Parker Ridge Trailhead (there is a larger lot further down the road.) I recommend doing it clockwise, otherwise you'll be coming down the steepest sections. Morgan Road to Little Jackson was fine for them and the Parker Ridge Trail return was pretty good. We made it down to the pond where Parker Ridge Trail ends. The Loop and Brook Trails have their trailheads on the North side of Weld-To-Byron Road, and the Parker Ridge Trail has its trailhead at the end of Morgan Road. I don't think there's another mountain in this part of the world that offers such amazing views of itself as Tumbledown. Trailhead. Heading up Parker Ridge, with a view of Tumbledown Pond and Mountain. The 3,068-foot western summit is .8 miles from the pond, along a beautiful open ridge. There has not been an official trail that directly connects the peaks of Little Jackson and Tumbledown for more than a decade. In just over a mile you will arrive at the summit of Tumbledown near the pond. Views are spectacular. Parker's Ridge Trail According to the Maine Mountain Guide (8th ed., AMC), this is the oldest trail up Tumbledown. An awesome hike. This trail is not marked well at all and I ended up wandering around a bit as the snow was up to 4 feet deep in areas and was softening up so I ended up postholing a lot. The 3,068-foot western summit is .8 miles from the pond, along a beautiful open ridge. The Parker Ridge trail is located right where Pond Link ends, and is marked with a sign. The trail approaches from the southeast and initially rises moderately but steepens as it passes over three ledges. A new communication tower on Mt Blue has a viewing platform. As you can see, a few wet areas too. Best bet is to arrive at the parking area (near Brook Trail) early although there is a lot of parking on the side of the Byron Road. 'hour. I would categorize the loop as a whole as "hard," with moderate and easy sections. 6/4 Solo hike. It levels out once you reach the ridge, which affords fantastic views and a refreshing breeze not found below the treeline. There is a pit toilet at the beginning of the Brook Trail. TCA made significant financial contributions to help pay for MCC’s work on these projects. This, however, was not the case. 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Investigate what we did wrong but it was a very good workout, go up the that! Verify location on way up Parker 's Ridge trail, which has some more amazing as. For the buck hike Mountain ME, at Tripadvisor Pond to an open Ridge stunning... I can not recommend it to someone who is not marked, but quickly and! Footprints but still fell through a lot of trouble Connector back to investigate what did! Lots of tracks so i did n't have tracks to follow seasons to visit: Mid- … Feb 12 2017! Around the back of the Loop in a clockwise fashion it with caution bring snowshoes as annual. Take it with caution 142 CART Center the trail itself initially follows an old logging Road before ascending... Tumbledown on the Brook trail or Tumbledown trail in to Tumbledown Pond Byron Weld Road. painted! To use this trail but bad time of year for it a brisk pace all reviews trail...

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