Distance: 1.2 Miles to lookout
Difficulty: Easy
Whenever I get the chance to return home to Millinocket, I try to get in some form of outdoor activity. My most recent trip it was to celebrate Christmas with my family. Due to limited space and not knowing how long we were staying we did not bring much for outdoor gear. Fortunately we had the opportunity to get in some outside time.
With Millinocket not having a lot of snow I thought we would try Rivers Pond Nature Trail. The trail is located about 20 miles outside of Millinocket on the Golden Road on the left. There is a sign marking the road to the trailhead.
When there is snow, you have to park off the Golden Road. Other times you can drive a few hundred feet down the road to the trailhead, kiosk and a larger parking area.
There are a few different routes you can take. We opted for the Tenderfoot trail out to a lookout point with reviews of Rivers Pond and Mt. Katahdin.
The trail was flat and easy to navigate with blue trailblazers easily marking the way.
We did a see an information board on the trail, which provided some interesting information.
The trail meanders through a variety of trees and a beautiful forest.
After about a 1.2 mile walk to come to a point with a beautiful view of Mt. Katahdin, even with some clouds blocking part of the mountain.
You could continue on loop that is about five miles and goes along the West Branch of the Penobscot River and back to the parking lot. We opted to head back the way we came to our vehicle.
We were only a couple miles from Abol Bridge, which is worth the trip to get an even better view of the mountain.
Overall we really enjoy Rivers Pond Trail. We found the woods very beautiful and relaxing. The views of Katahdin and the surrounding mountains were breathtaking. This is a good trail for all ages and abilities. It is flat, easy to follow and has a variety of distance options.
