Nahmakanta Great Circle Trail and Debsconeag Backcountry

Nahmakanta Public Lands (Jo-Mary Road, west of Millinocket)

Nahmakanta Public Lands covers about 43,000 acres west of Millinocket, in the middle of the 100-Mile Wilderness. The Bangor Daily News reported in 2021 that the land holds 24 great ponds and 50 miles of undeveloped shoreline. That September, the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands opened the Great Circle Trail, a loop of about 30 miles that ties together the Debsconeag Backcountry Trail, the Turtle Ridge and Tumbledown Dick Trails, and a stretch of the Appalachian Trail.

Carey Kish, writing for Eastern Mountain Sports’ blog, says the loop was proposed in 2005 by Jay Hall, the unit’s longtime forester, and that its 14 miles of new trail took 12 seasons to build.

The hike

Most hikers start at the Turtle Ridge trailhead on the Jo-Mary Road and go counterclockwise, as both Kish and Backpacking Routes did. The first day follows the Tumbledown Dick Trail past Leavitt Pond to Tumbledown Dick Falls, which Kish describes as a 70-foot cascade; Backpacking Routes notes a steep side trail down to a pool at its base. The route then joins the white-blazed AT north to the south shore of Nahmakanta Lake, follows a dirt road, and picks up the blue-blazed Debsconeag Backcountry Trail. Both itineraries end the first day at Sixth Debsconeag Pond, about nine miles in by Kish’s count.

The Debsconeag Backcountry is an 11,802-acre ecological reserve, according to Maine Trail Finder. Maine Trail Finder says its figure-eight trail system passes Stink Pond and climbs open granite ledges above Seventh Debsconeag Lake, with views toward Nesuntabunt, White Cap, and Pemadumcook Lake. The loop then crosses a low ridge to the north end of Nahmakanta Lake and fords Rainbow Stream.

Back on the AT, the route heads south past Pollywog Gorge, which Kish calls the Pollywog Stream gorge. A Great Circle Trail sign leads past Pollywog Pond to Wadleigh Pond, where the group site has two shelters, a tent platform, an old stone fireplace, and wooden steps down to the water, according to Backpacking Routes.

Day three climbs Wadleigh Mountain, the loop’s high point at 1,866 feet (Backpacking Routes) or 1,886 feet (Kish). Kish says its fire tower was removed in 2017, but a spur below the summit has a view of Katahdin. The trail then passes wet ground near Third Musquash Pond and reaches Sing Sing Pond, where a side trail climbs Turtle Ridge. The last day is about three easy miles past Hedgehog and Rabbit Ponds to the car.

Backpacking Routes rates the loop physically easy, with about 3,000 feet of total gain, but warns that it can be wet, some sections were “not clearly marked,” and the blue blazes are shared with other trails. Its writer missed one turn at a Rabbit Pond sign.

The loop shares several miles with the 100-Mile Wilderness section of the AT.

Tips

Go counterclockwise from the Turtle Ridge trailhead, as both trip writers recommend.
Pick September. Backpacking Routes calls June “very buggy” and July and August hot and humid, and suggests September and early October.
Bring cash or a check for the Jo-Mary checkpoint, per Kish, and expect about 16 miles of gravel road with fast logging trucks.
Carry a map and watch junctions. Older trails keep their original names, and Great Circle Trail signs appear only on the new sections.
Carry a liter or so. Every campsite is on a pond, and Backpacking Routes refilled at ponds and streams along the way.

Camping

Camping is at primitive pondside sites, and the Bureau says remote sites on its lands are almost all first come, first served. Kish says each site on the loop has a picnic table, fire ring, and box privy. Build fires only in the rings, use local firewood, and don’t cut live vegetation. The state page says fire permits are required at the Sing Sing, Rabbit, Pollywog, Leavitt, and Tumbledown Dick Pond sites. On the AT, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy says camping is limited to designated sites from south of Nahmakanta Lake to the Pollywog Stream bridge and near Rainbow Lake. Store food securely and carry out all trash. The land is managed by the Bureau’s Eastern Public Lands Office (207-941-4412).

Inside Intel: Backpacking Routes calls the Wadleigh Pond group site, with its two shelters and open pond access, the jewel of the loop. It also recommends Tumbledown Dick Pond for a cool swim near the falls on hot days.

Trail facts

Distance: About 30 miles (Bangor Daily News, Backpacking Routes, Kish)
Route type: Loop; 2 to 4 days
Difficulty: Moderate; about 3,000 ft of gain (Backpacking Routes)
Campsites: Pondside sites including Leavitt, Tumbledown Dick, Sixth Debsconeag, Pollywog, Wadleigh (group site with shelters), Third Musquash, and Sing Sing
Water: Ponds and streams throughout; treat all water
Permits: None for camping (Backpacking Routes); checkpoint fees on the Jo-Mary Road
Fires: In rings only; fire permits required at some sites (state page)
Dogs: Allowed (Maine Trail Finder)
Trailhead: Turtle Ridge trailhead, Jo-Mary Road (about 16 miles from the checkpoint)
Last verified: October 7, 2026

The Lowdown

Wet ground near Third Musquash Pond:

Backpacking Routes warns this loop can be wet and calls July and August hot and humid. See how three rain shells compare, including one built for hikers who run hot.

Read the comparison →

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.