Hiking Old Speck Maine and Camping at Umbagog Lake State Park
If you are a peakbagger in New England, at some point you will be hiking Old Speck, Maine. Old Speck is one of Maine’s 4,000 footers with its summit sitting at 4,170ft. I hadn’t even heard about it before until I was looking at the list of 14 4,000 footers in Maine and this peak is actually 5th on the list!
Hiking Old Speck, Maine is a challenging but very rewarding activity! It surpassed all my expectations. Also, being in Newry, Maine it is extremely close to New Hampshire and Old Speck can easily be completed as a day hike or during the weekend for many residents outside of Maine.
This post will cover my experience hiking Old Speck, Maine as well as talking about a nearby campground that I loved in case you want to make a weekend of your trip! Keep reading to learn about:
- Grafton Notch State Park
- Parking and Trailhead
- Old Speck Mountain Trail
- Summit Firetower
- Umbagog Lake Campground
- Weekend in Newry, Maine (with Views and Brews Pitstop)
Driving through Grafton Notch State Park for Hiking Old Speck, Maine
Grafton Notch State Park is in Newry, Maine just over the New Hampshire border. For those hiking Old Speck, Maine, I highly recommend driving around Grafton Notch or taking time to visit other trails as well! The area was beautiful and I would love to return to explore.
In the summer the trees are so green and full and the drive is especially scenic. There are gorges, swimming spots, and waterfalls to explore. Part of the Appalachian Trail even runs through the area!
There is a ton of wildlife in the park and outdoor activities available year-round. From picnics to backpacking, there are adventures ready for every level. For more information on what is available to do in Grafton Notch State Park, visit the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry here.
Driving west through Grafton Notch State Park on Bear River Road/State Route 26, you can see Old Speck ahead of you at one of the bends in the road. It rises above, looking very intimidating. Looking up at the mountain always makes me so excited to summit though and I got pumped to start hiking Old Speck, Maine as we drove through the park.
Parking and Trailhead for Hiking Old Speck, Maine
The trailhead for Old Speck is at a very large parking lot on the western side of Route 26 in Grafton Notch State Park. The lot is very flat and open with room for many visitors. I don’t recall using a restroom at the trail, but the park map shows restrooms at this parking area (see Trailhead Parking on the left around halfway down the second page).
About a dozen or so cars could park on either side of the lot I would estimate, but it has been awhile since I have completed this hike to know for sure. I do remember it being extremely hot in the parking lot the day Ben and I decided to hike Old Speck. We immediately donned hats and sunglasses to keep the sun off our faces.
Can be Very Hot and Buggy!
We packed up quickly to get into the shade. Further, there were a lot of bugs around so we actually put on bug spray which is not something we often do. Definitely be prepared with sunscreen and bug spray for any hiking you plan on doing in the middle of summer in Maine.
To begin hiking Old Speck, Maine, leave the lot from the western edge and start walking northwest on the Appalachian Trail. There is clear signage and the lot is almost solely for people hiking to Old Speck or on the Appalachian Trail so it is easy to find your path.
Hiking Old Speck, Maine on the Appalachian Trail
For hiking Old Speck, Maine you will likely be climbing the Old Speck Trail which is also part of the Appalachian Trail. This is a 7 mile out and back trail (3.5 miles each way from parking lot to summit). You can reach Old Speck by following the Grafton Loop Trail or coming up from the south on the Appalachian Trail but those routes are all much longer.
In the parking lot you are starting at around 1,500ft elevation. In the 3.5 mile hike, you will gain around 2,800 ft elevation to reach Old Speck’s summit elevation of 4,170 ft. This comes out to around 800 ft elevation gain per mile.
Leaving the parking lot in Grafton Notch State Park, the Old Speck Trail/Appalachian Trail stays heading west/southwest. You will almost immediately come to a fork where the Eyebrow Trail leaves to the right (northwest) and you can add this to your day hike if you’d like because it loops back to the Appalachian Trail and the distance it covers is about the same (1 mile).
The incline on the trail is a fairly consistent for the entire hike and it is definitely steep. You can check out my AllTrails recording here if you’d like. One of my few 5 star hikes I’ve rated in the app!
Steep Climb
The first mile or so has some switchbacks to help with the elevation. This hike is still very steep though! Even reading the stats, it was much more challenging than I anticipated.
Quite a few breaks were taken, we drank a lot of water, and we had more snacks than I usually would on the incline. The trail itself is not technically challenging in my opinion though. There is a normal to low amount of rocks and roots and the trail was easy to follow.
It also helps that the forest in Grafton Notch State Park is beautiful! Everything was lush and green. The sunlight coming through the leaves was making the trail and surrounding woods a magical place to be hiking that morning.
Enjoyable Trail in a Beautiful Forest
Hiking Old Speck, Maine was difficult physically but still extremely enjoyable because there was no mental challenge of where to place your feet and having to make sure you were on track. After the switchbacks, you will hike around 0.7 miles, making almost a full circle around the edge of the mountain. Then, you suddenly arrive at the ridgeline!
As I was hiking Old Speck, Maine, the first view off the ridge took my breath away. The ledge came up unexpectedly and I could not believe how far we could see! Definitely made the push worth it and was the perfect place to catch our breath.
I snapped a few photos before rounding the corner and turning back into the woods. The trail continued on this ridgeline the rest of the 1.8 miles to the summit.
About a quarter mile from the Old Speck summit, the Appalachian Trail hooks up with the Grafton Loop Trail. At this junction, you should turn left and continue on the Grafton Loop Trail until you reach the firetower at the summit. You wouldn’t want to continue on the AT and start heading down to Georgia! (very lame joke, sorry)
Trail Stats:
Mileage: 7.0mi
Elevation Gain: ~2,779ft
Date Hiked: June 13, 2021
Moving Time: 4h 9min
Parking:
Trailhead Parking Grafton Notch State Park or
44.59013, -70.94692
Amazing Firetower Views: The Reward for Hiking Old Speck, Maine
I don’t remember if I never knew there was a firetower at the summit or if I simply forgot. Either way, I was ecstatic to see the summit firetower as we were finishing the ascent of hiking Old Speck, Maine! Hiking along, you step out of the woods and all of a sudden it is right in front of you!
This firetower on Old Speck is quite a tall one as well! I was hiking with Ben this day and when we first arrived we had the top of the firetower all to ourselves. Fantastic 360 views await you at the top of the ladders.
From the firetower’s base, you are still below some trees and you do not have views in all directions, but it is still a wonderful spot to rest. There’s a great log to sit on and area to relax, snack, and drink water while waiting for others on the firetower. However, the true reward is the views at the top of the firetower and I definitely recommend climbing it to anyone doing this hike.
You can see for miles and miles in every direction with no obstacles in your sight. On a sunny summer day everything is blue, green, and pristine. A wonderful breeze blows fresh air up to you and it’s an amazing spot to take in the nature around you.
I didn’t want to leave! But of course others coming up the mountain deserve to share in the experience as well so Ben and I climbed down the stairs and had some sandwiches. After the sweaty, tiring experience of hiking Old Speck, Maine, it was great to rest for a few before heading down the mountain.
Camping at Umbagog Lake State Park before Hiking Old Speck, Maine
If you are thinking of hiking Old Speck, Maine, I highly recommend checking out the campground at Umbagog Lake State Park! Ben and I camped here the night before our hike and it was wonderful. I would love to return.
The site was big enough for my car and had a little fire pit in the dirt. Overall the site we had was fairly small but there was definitely a range of sizes at Umbagog Lake Campground.
The campsites were part of loops through the woods next to the lake. It wasn’t a large cleared out area by the sites which was nice. It felt like there was still a little privacy between each party.
I would have loved one of the lakeside sites but maybe next time! The lake itself was beautiful and I could have sat there all day. Ben and I watched the sunset after making hot dogs and took some photos.
Wonderful Beach and Campground Amenities
There is a little beach for people to enjoy as well as a dock and even some kayaks and other watercraft to rent it looked like. I don’t remember the campground being noisy, even for a summer Saturday night. It was extremely family friendly too!
One of the highlights for me at the Umbagog Lake Campground was the bathrooms. There were extremely well maintained bathrooms while I was there and they were in a large building that also had a showering area and I believe a rec room. The building had a nice second level deck as well where you could relax and enjoy the lake view from afar.
The night before hiking Old Speck, Maine, Umbagog Lake Campground was the perfect spot to relax. There was a nice store, L.L. Cote, about 10 minutes away in Errol that had all the camping items we needed including bug spray and hot dogs, rounding out the wonderful night.
Weekend in Newry, Maine with a Views and Brews Pitstop
I recommend that if you are planning on hiking Old Speck, Maine, that you make a weekend out of it and spend some time in Newry,. There are many other wonderful things to see in Grafton Notch State Park such as Screw Auger Falls, the Moose Cave, and picnic areas. You can drive through in the morning or evening, before or after camping for a night.
And as I said, I highly recommend visiting Umbagog Lake State Park and spending some time at the campground there. There area was beautiful and we had the most relaxing night by the fire sitting in our hammocks.
Lastly, if you’re tackling Maine’s Views and Brews list (see my page on it here), you can add in a stop to Sunday River Brewing before or after hiking Old Speck, Maine. This brewery has a great environment with seating areas both inside and outside. They have a wonderful variety of options and delicious food to try as well!
I hope you enjoyed reading about hiking Old Speck, Maine and my experience camping at Umbagog Lake State Park! For a quick summer weekend getaway this pair makes for a rewarding 24-48 hours in New England. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions by commenting below or contacting me here!
