Glassface Ledges 5/10/2026

This morning, we headed over to Rumford with a list of potential hikes to check out. After striking out on all three possibilities (so many gates and no trespassing signs!), we decided to go on a little hike up Glassface Ledges. The short, but rewarding jaunt up the Glassface Ledges Trail is a popular local hike. Although I drive by it all of the time, I realized that it had been seven years since I actually hiked there.

Trailhead kiosk

Heading through the cemetery with the ledges in the background

Leaving from Hastings Landing in Rumford Center, the trail passes through a cemetery before climbing moderately 0.8 mile to the clifftop viewpoint. Beyond the viewpoint, a herd path continues another 100 yards or so to the 1,337' peak. As we sat at the viewpoint, the low clouds rose, revealing beautiful views of the Androscoggin River Valley.

Muddy start to the trail

New bridge

The actual peak above the viewpoint

Sampson at the viewpoint

After enjoying the view for a bit, we headed back down to our car. After revisiting Howard Pond Overlook last year and now Glassface Ledges today, it makes me think I should go back and rehike the Mystery Mountain Trail sometime soon. Out of the five Rumford area ledge-top viewpoints of the Androscoggin Valley, it is now the one that I have gone the longest without hiking.

View from Glassface Ledges

View west

View south

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Bull Rock & Sugarloaf 5/3/2026

For our second hike of the weekend, we headed over to Dixfield to hike the loop over Bull Rock and Sugarloaf. It was a cool day with some rain showers as we started, but it dried up during our ascent. We hiked the loop counterclockwise, first ascending to Bull Rock.

Sampson & I taking a break on the way up

View of Dixfield from Bull Rock

View northwest from Bull Rock

North & South Sugarloaf from Bull Rock

After a brief break, we continued on to the summit. The super steep trail into the saddle and to the north peak is always a fun challenge! It was windy at the top as we enjoyed the views and ate lunch.

View west from the summit

View southwest over Dixfield

View south

After lunch, we headed down the much shorter side of the loop, arriving back at the car only half an hour after leaving the summit. Sugarloaf is a beautiful and easily accessible hike that often gets overlooked, and I enjoy having it as a nearby option!

Descending

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Bucks Ledge Community Forest 5/1/2026

After a bit of rain yesterday, today went back to the dry, sunny, and windy weather that we have been seeing a lot of lately. We took advantage of another beautiful day by heading over to Bucks Ledge Community Forest in Woodstock. Starting from the main parking lot, we walked up the improved gravel road to the accessible trail and its viewpoint, from which are great views of Bucks Ledge. We then cut over to Mann Road, before ascending Bucks Ledge from the west.

Trailhead

Viewpoint on the accessible trail

Sampson at a trail intersection

At the top of Bucks Ledge

After pausing to enjoy the great views from the top of Bucks Ledge, we continued along the ridge line on the J n J Trail to the top of Moody Mountain. This section of trail was especially enjoyable with its multiple viewpoints along the ridge.

View along the ridge

The summit of Moody Mountain

View from the top of Moody Mountain

After another break at the top of Moody Mountain, we descended the steep trail to the logging road. Before heading up the north side of Lapham Ledge, I took a short out-and-back detour down the Echo Lane Trail, which I hadn't been on yet. It's an easy walk to Rumford Avenue and back, and makes a nice alternative entrance or connection with the elementary school. We enjoyed lunch at the top of Lapham Ledge and then headed back down to the car via the Bucks Ledge Alternate Trail.

Lapham Ledge summit sign

View from Lapham Ledge

Bryant Pond & Mount Christopher

It was an excellent day for a hike, and the trails are all in good shape. Even with a number of cars in the parking lot, we passed only one person on our entire hike, which is rare for this busy trail system!

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Tumbledown Dick Mountain 4/26/2026

Continued perfect weather today meant that I was able to get a second mountain hike in this weekend! After previously hiking Tumbledown Dick Mountain in Peru from both the east and the west, today we returned to do both on the same hike. We parked on Pulsifer Road where it splits, and started by hiking up the trail in the saddle between The Pinnacle and Tumbledown Dick Mountain. Upon reaching the logging road, we descended to the west to reach the end of Hammond Hill Road. From here, we headed up to the Hedgehog Hill Viewpoint, taking a detour on the way to visit the mine below the viewpoint. Although Hedgehog Hill is actually a peak slightly further west, the viewpoint is signed as such and provides a nice view to the south for relatively minimal effort.

Mine near the Hedgehog Hill Viewpoint

 

View up the valley between Tumbledown Dick Mountain and Black Mountain form the Hedgehog Hill Viewpoint

View south from the Hedgehog Hill Viewpoint

From the Hedgehog Hill Viewpoint, we connected back to the logging road that we had previously descended. Following that road up the mountain, we turned onto the eroded trail leading to the summit of Tumbledown Dick Mountain. We made good time up to the summit, and it was an absolutely perfect sunny spring day, so we ended up spending over two hours relaxing on the summit. We even saw a Forest Service helicopter fly below us in the valley between Tumbledown Dick and Black Mountains twice.

Start of the trail to the summit

Memorial plaque at the summit

Sampson at the summit

 

View southeast from the summit

View southwest towards Black & Speckled Mountains

After the extended break, it was a relatively quick and easy descent back to where we parked on Pulsifer Road. Tumbledown Dick Mountain is always a fun hike, and it was especially nice because we had the entire mountain to ourselves today! It was also the first hike of the season that we didn't see any snow.

Forest Service helicopter

Speckled Mountain

The Presidential Range

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