The Caribou-Speckled Wilderness Area was established in 1990 and is entirely in the state of Maine. At 11,000 acres, it’s the state’s largest wilderness area and both of these routes take you over the area’s two namesakes:
- Caribou Mountain at 2,840’ offers spectacular views, not just from the summit but also along the upper granite ridges of the Mud Brook Trail. The mountain got its name after two brothers shot the region’s last caribou there in 1854 and it’s claimed that the brothers carved their names into the rock on the top of the mountain.
- Speckled Mountain at 2,906’ is the higher of the two peaks and has good views in most directions from the summit. A fire tower was removed in 1986 but the foundation remains. The landscape is dominated by pine, spruce, & fir but the "specks" of hardwood, providing brilliant color in the fall, gave the mountain its name.
If you love running to the sound of moving water, this loop is for you. Virtually the entire Caribou Mountain loop, as well as segments of the Haystack Notch, Miles Knob, and Great Brook trails, are near moving water. There are multiple brook crossings and, while generally benign, several could be sketchy (especially on the Haystack Notch Trail) in high water conditions so be prepared. The USGS gauge on the Wild River in Gilead Maine is a good indicator of how rivers in the area are flowing.
The Red Rock Trail is one of my favorites in the area, following a ridge between Miles Knob and the junction with the Great Brook Trail (part of the Miles Knob FKT Loop). It’s included on the Standard Route while but - in order to add an option with a little more heft – had to be bypassed on the Long Route.
ROUTE – STANDARD (26 Miles, 5,800’ Vertical): From the parking lot across Rt 113 from the Spruce Hill Trailhead, run North on Rt 113 (downhill) to the Caribou Trail trailhead (sorry, there was no way to link these two mountains together without this 3-mile section of paved road). Run the Caribou Mountain loop via Caribou Trail to Mud Brook Trail (or vice versa) returning to the trailhead This loop is also a separate FKR route (Caribou Mountain ME)). Multiple times you will cross both Morrison Brook (on the Caribou Trail) and Mud Brook (on its’ namesake trail). Then, from the trailhead, run back Southon Rt 113 (uphill) 1 mile to the Haystack Notch Trailhead (all road running is now over, whew). Follow the Haystack Notch Trail* (crossing Stoney Brook near Rt 113 and the West Branch of the Pleasant River at the other end) to join the Miles Knob Trail. Take Miles Knob to the Red Rock Trail which terminates at the Bickford Trail just before the summit of Speckled Mountain. Continue up & over Speckled Mountain, following the Bickford Trail to the Spruce Hill Trail which will return you to the trailhead and parking area.
* There is one confusing (and mapped wrong in All Trails) section on the Haystack Notch Trail near the junction with the Miles Knob Trail. As the Haystack Trail emerges into a wide open but overgrown field you will be presented with two cut but unmarked paths. The wrong path heads to the right, slightly uphill. The correct path heads to your left (hugging the tree line) and comes to a small cairn in about 1/4 mile. Just after this cairn, make a 90 degree right turn on a cut path through the middle of the field. In about 1/3 mile you will get to a signpost and the Miles Knob Trail.
ROUTE – LONG (29 Miles, 7,000’ Vertical): This route adds about 3 miles and 1,200’ vertical plus an alternate start/finish on Hut Road. Follow the Standard Route until the Haystack Notch Trail meets the Miles Knob Trail. Instead of taking the Red Rock Trail, stay on Miles Knob to the trailhead at Hut Road. Run up Hut Road, to the Great Brook Trailhead, follow it to the Red Rock Trail and turn left, rejoining the Standard Route. If needed, there is additional water on the lower section of the Miles Knob Trail and the Great Brook Trail. The additional section is part of the FKT route Miles Knob Loop (ME).
If you are doing the Long Route, I suggest parking at the Miles Knob Trailhead and run the loop clockwise, up 1 mile on the gravel Hut Road to the Great Brook Trailhead.
