Located deep in the 100 mile wilderness, the Great Circle Trail is a recent project (finished in 2021) created by linking together a number of existing trails in the area, including the Turtle Ridge Loop, the Debsconeag Loop trail, a few sections of logging road and a small section on the AT. The loop has beautiful views of ponds and waterfalls throughout and offers a couple brief glimpses of nearby Katahdin. We had a stunning morning filled with thick mist and haunting loon calls and the fall colors were just starting to pop.
Overall the trail is fairly well blazed (blue), well maintained, and easy to follow, though obviously infrequently traveled in sections. The trail should be runable for most, the southern half has a lovely amount of soft pine duff and flowy old logging grades, while the northern parts were a bit more rooty and rocky. The one big climb up to Wadleigh Mt is quite gentle and has a couple of ledgy view points a few feet off route. There are multiple parking areas with access to the loop meaning you can easily pick your start point to be anywhere along the loop.
Official Map and area info from the Maine DACF:
https://www.maine.gov/dacf/parks/docs/maps/nahmakanta-map.pdf
https://destinationmooseheadlake.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/nahmakanta-guide.pdf
Logistics:
Water: There is ample water from streams and lakes along the entire route.
Driving: It's at least 20+ miles on dirt logging roads no matter which direction you come from. The main logging roads are in good shape, we managed fine in a small sedan (fall 2026), but the side roads can quickly get rough. If you come from the East, you'll be passing through North Maine Woods land which requires an access fee and has staffed gatehouses (northmainewoods.org). You can also come from the North or South without a fee. There are multiple parking options depending on where in the loop you want to start.
Camping: The campsites along the route and nearby are FCFS but they do require calling the forest service for a free permit.
