Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Maine / Western Maine Mountains

Appalachian Trail: Old Blue and the Bemis Range

Appalachian Trail between South Arm Road (Andover) and Route 17

North of Andover, the Appalachian Trail climbs out of Black Brook Notch onto Old Blue Mountain, crosses Elephant Mountain, and then runs along the open ledges of the Bemis Range before dropping to Route 17 near the Height of Land. It’s a long day or an easy two-day trip with one lean-to near the middle of the range.

A July hiker who posted on Views from the Top described steep, rocky ledges on the climb of Old Blue and called the open ledges on Bemis hot and exhausting in full sun.

The hike

The southern trailhead is on South Arm Road, about 7.6 to 7.7 miles from Route 120 in Andover. Maine Trail Finder says the trail quickly becomes very steep, with iron rungs on the steepest rock faces, then eases through mixed hardwoods with a view over Black Brook Notch before steepening again through spruce-fir forest. Maine by Foot puts the 3,600-foot summit 2.6 miles up, with about 2,170 feet of gain, and describes views over scrubby, stunted spruce rather than an open top. The July Views from the Top hiker found Old Blue’s summit a broad dome with many unmarked paths and advised watching the blazes.

From Old Blue, the AT continues east toward Elephant Mountain. The July hiker passed old-growth spruce and a boggy col with puncheon below Elephant, then reached the Bemis Range, where he described more than four miles of open ledge.

The Bemis Mountain Lean-to sits along the ridge, about 4.5 miles from Route 17 by Maine Trail Finder’s count, with a privy and a fire ring. A May trip report on Views from the Top describes a hiker reaching it at 7 p.m.: “I arrived at the shelter at 7 p.m. and found the last entry in the register was from November.” The July hiker, on a summer weekday, found four people lounging there and expected about 20 young campers that night.

Maine Trail Finder describes the range from the north: from Route 17, the trail crosses Bemis Stream, which splits around a small island, crosses the grade of the old Rumford Falls and Rangeley Lakes Railroad, and climbs over First and Second Peaks to the lean-to. Third Peak and Fourth (West) Peak, the highest in the range, are beyond it. The ridgeline averages about 3,000 feet. The July hiker described the Bemis Stream valley as about 1,000 feet of descent and 800 feet of climbing back to Route 17.

North of Route 17, the AT continues through the Four Ponds area to Route 4. South of South Arm Road, it heads toward the Baldpates and the Grafton Loop Trail.

Tips

Camping

The Bemis Mountain Lean-to is the overnight stop on this section. Maine Trail Finder says fires are allowed only in its fireplace ring, and that building a fire outside a provided ring is illegal in Maine. The ATC’s Maine rules allow fires only at designated sites and prohibit camping above treeline. When in doubt, camp only at designated shelters and campsites. No permit or fee was found. Trail conditions go to the MATC Baldpate District Overseer (baldpate@matc.org).

Inside Intel: The May Views from the Top report found the Bemis Mountain Lean-to register’s last entry dated the previous November, a sign of how quiet it can be early in the season. In midsummer, the July hiker pumped water there and found it busy. No other camper accounts recommending a site on this section were found.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

A cold spring night on Old Blue's snowy north side:

Hikers have met two feet of snow here in late May, and the Bemis Lean-to sits high on an open range. See the sleeping bags testers rate.

See the picks →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.