Burnt Mountain Maine: Carrabassett Valley Winter Hike

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If you are looking for a fun adventure in New England, you must hike Burnt Mountain, Maine (also known as Burnt Hill)! This is a fun and challenging trail I completed in winter and it makes you feel so accomplished afterwards. Sitting immediately next to Sugarloaf Mountain in Carrabassett Valley, there is so much to do nearby as well! 

Burnt Mountain in Maine is an out and back hike with mileage totaling around 6 miles. With less than 2,000 ft of elevation gain, this hike is difficult but doable! I have only hiked this trail in winter so I cannot comment on the conditions during the summer. If anyone is able to leave a comment below this post, please do!

There’s incline, false summits, and breathtaking views. Add in a snow covered forest and Burnt Mountain Maine becomes everything you love (and hate?) about day hiking. Check out the later sections in this post to learn more about hiking this mountain. 

Parking for Burnt Mountain Maine

To hike Burnt Mountain you will actually be parking at the Sugarloaf Ski Resort. I am sure in the warmer months parking is different too because of course the ski mountain isn’t actually open! Lots that are usually full to the brim and neighborhoods of condos will be all but empty. Please check signage in the neighborhoods if you are there in a warmer month.

That said, if you are hiking Burnt Mountain in winter, you likely need to snag any spot you can get! As I’ll explain in the next section, the trailhead is past a street of condos but this is private parking only in the winter. Parking lots are full of skiers and snowboarders so you will have to park in any of the open letter lots and walk to the trailhead.

Trailhead for Burnt Mountain Maine

I did find the AllTrails navigation helpful to direct me to the correct spot by the condos to start the hike. The trail is at the back of a fairly large lot away from the main lodge.  

Going past Gondola Village down Adams Mountain Road, you will have to cross Mountainside Road (the main road that winds up through the condos). Cross onto Bigelow Mountain Road (straight across) and walk to the end. Keep walking when this road ends (there is likely a packed trail already) though you might need to climb over some piled up snow from some plows.

The trails back here are used for hikers, snowshoers, dog walkers, and cross country skiers in the winter. There are also a couple blue signs on tall wooden posts pointing you towards “Burnt Mtn. Hiking Trail”. The hiking trail eventually diverges from the main path.

If my AllTrails can help you find the trailhead, check out my starting point at this link for my AllTrails Burnt Mountain Maine hike. The actual trail to search for is “Burnt Mountain Trail”.

Beginning of Burnt Mountain Trail

The hike up Burnt Mountain Maine is strenuous, but not technically challenging in the winter. You will be hiking at an incline for the large majority of the hike, but it is not terribly steep at most parts. Snowshoes and/or microspikes (depending on conditions, though be prepared with both) are highly recommended! I’ve linked a style for each that I enjoy using.

The beginning of the trail has a very nice ascent through a beautiful section of the forest. It is wide enough to not feel cramped but wooded enough to protect you from the wind a bit. I found it absolutely gorgeous to walk through and was a wonderful way to start the day.

My legs got a quick warm up but luckily it wasn’t too cold this day. There were blue skies and the sun was just peeking through the trees as it was still pretty low in the sky at 9 in the morning. It was very very quiet as nearly everyone in the vicinity was on the ski mountain, not an adjacent hiking trail.

Climbing Burnt Mountain Maine

The trail briefly exits the woods and you’ll have to turn right onto one of the cross country ski/snowshoeing trails. A few yards down the trail you should see a blue Burnt Mountain Trail sign on a tree on your left. The path kind of goes to the right around some rocks and then up a quick incline that is a bit slippery. If you continued straight (as in don’t veer off the ski trail) you could do a great snowshoeing loop as a more moderate hike.

From there you are pretty much on an incline the entirety of the hike. I was having the time of my life and right when I said how much fun I was having is when the snow became so deep and inconsistent. Just a quarter mile from the top, I had veered off trail for a little and was severely post-holing. 

It was so hard to tell where I could step because the snow was either a half inch deep or up to my knee. I knew something was wrong because the rest of the path all day had been well worn and I’d been perfectly fine with my microspikes. Overall, there wasn’t a point when I should have needed snowshoes the day I did this hike.

I knew the trail was back to my right but it was still quite an effort to get over the debris and find it again. So glad I was dressed warm! When it started to take awhile, I became nervous that I actually might not be able to reach the top but I knew I was so close. Then again, that’s close in hiking terms which in reality feels much much longer.

Please be aware of your surroundings and know your plan. The cold and uneasiness got to me on this hike and it took me a minute to decide whether or not I would continue since I was by myself. Eventually, when I found the path again and it was clear where I had to go, I decided to keep on since I don’t like giving up if I can help it.

Tackling the False Summits

I remember noticing at least 3 false summits on this mountain so hang in there! Each open rockpile you face looks like your last but just as you crest it you see another one in the distance. There is a massive mound of rocks on the final, true summit (and nowhere “up” left to go) and when I went there was a flag marker so it was easy to know when I’d reached the end.

Overall there were lots of flags on cables and cairns directing you to the summit. I definitely got off path a couple times going up and coming down. The cairns are just little rock piles that sometimes would blend in with the bigger rock pile I was climbing. And the snow that half covered everything made some of the cairns and flags difficult to spot. 

The trail is very open and above the treeline as you cross the false summits and reach the top. This is absolutely freezing in the winter wind! You may have warmed up on your hike in the forest but remember to bring all the layers and accessories for reaching the summit! 

Winter Accessories

For winter hiking, I always recommend at minimum the following clothing and accessories:

Lastly, gaiters might help keep snow out of your boots unless you are wearing hiking pants that go over your shoes. It was warm enough out that I was fine in my layers, but my feet did get very cold from the snow that kept falling into my boots. If I were able to keep my feet dry I would have felt much more comfortable on this hike.

Summit Views and Fast Descent

The wind whipped through my leggings and was pretty brutal so while I was doing great in my layers, my legs were pretty cold. Safe to say I did not stay up there long. That said, at least it was blue skies and sunny so the views were amazing!

The summit of Burnt Mountain (otherwise known as Burnt Hill) sits at about 3,543 ft. I was blessed with the clearest blue sky day and not a single cloud. The views of Sugarloaf and the surrounding mountains were actually breathtaking.

It was fun knowing my friends were over on the other mountain enjoying their ski day while I was freezing on top of Burnt. I felt extremely accomplished for pushing through the difficult end of the trail and the cold and wind. I could not have asked for better views on top and I’d love to return to see them again in the summer. 

As anyone who has been there knows, Carrabassett Valley is simply a gorgeous spot in Maine. Natural Heritage Hikes has some great information on the landscape you will encounter and some foliage you may see in the warmer months when hiking Burnt Hill (as they refer to it).

Since it was too cold to be up there long, I headed down the rocky false summits back to the treeline. More than once I almost got lost again as I tried to find the best route down to the next cairn or flag. Downhill is always more of a struggle for me and I was nervous about slipping since I wasn’t using my microspikes on the rocks (the ice was too thin and I didn’t want to damage them).

The plan was for me to complete my hike and meet my friends at The Bag & Kettle for lunch. However, since I got lost on the way up and struggled to summit, my ascent took a very long time and I was behind schedule. But all I wanted was warm food haha. 

I got the call that they were going to eat just as I entered the trees and when I tell you I ran down that mountain, I am seriously not joking. Easily the descent took a third to half of the time it took me to climb the mountain. 

Headed down I was too focused on getting out of there quickly to take much note of my surroundings, but thank goodness for the white tape marking the entrance back into the woods at the final junction of the hiking trail. I reached the end of Bigelow Mountain Road, stashed my microspikes, and jogged up to the restaurant. With freezing feet and rosy cheeks, I rushed into The Bag for some fries and a drink and to share my story of the day. 

Trail Stats

Recharge After Hiking Burnt Mountain Maine

When you’ve finished your epic day hike of Burnt Mountain Maine, there is so much more you can do in the area. For starters, there are a ton of restaurants open at the base of Sugarloaf if you are hiking in the winter. Some of these restaurants are Widowmaker, The Bag & Kettle, and Shipyard Brew Haus.

If you are just looking to warm up and rest you can grab coffee or hot chocolate at D’Ellies or Java Jones. Eight8 Donut Cafe has a wonderful variety of mini donuts to snack on as well. Check out Sugarloaf’s Dining Page for other restaurants in the ski village and down the Access Road.

If you are looking for some shopping there’s even a few stores you can check out as well. Nearly every store has winter gear (of course) but there’s also fun gift items at Downhill Supply Co. and The Sugarloaf Shop. Sugarloaf’s Shopping Page details everything in the village.

Lodging in Carrabassett Valley

Of course there are a ton more options on websites like VRBO, Airbnb, and many reviews of other locations on TripAdvisor.

I hope this post piqued your interest and has you excited to explore Carrabassett Valley off the ski slopes. For returning visitors that are often in the area, you might not have thought of hiking Burnt Mountain Maine before. With stunning views at each of the false summits though, it is certainly a hike to remember. It also helps of course knowing there’s a warm meal waiting for you at the bottom of a cold winter hike!

If you enjoyed this post, you may enjoy other Maine Posts or Winter Hiking Posts I‘ve written or you may be interested in checking out my Hiking page.

Please let me know if you have further questions that I may be able to address. My Contact Page is always available! I would love to hear your experiences hiking in this area or if you have any further recommendations!