mount kineo

Hiking Mount Kineo and climbing the fire tower on its peak is one of those "must-do" items for any visitor to the Moosehead Lake region. Getting there can be slightly inconvenient. There is an hourly ferry out of the public boat launch in Rockwood and this is, by far, your best bet. From the boat landing at the Kineo Golf Course, the hiking trail is immediately to your left when facing the peak. If you need to use the restroom or grab a quick (and very simple) lunch, you can hang a right and go to the clubhouse located approximately 150 yds away. These are the only restrooms available on the mountain so they are highly recommended if you have any "modesty" issues about using nature's facilities. Once on the trail, there are two options to get to the peak. The quickest but, by far, most difficult trail is the Indian Trail which is your first right hand turn option while hiking along the lakeside trail. Unless you are an experienced hiker in good shape and enjoy 4-point scrambles (think hands and feet used at the same time to climb), I would not recommend this trail. It also follows the cliff face so it might be a bit disorienting if you have any issues with heights. The second option and by far the easiest direct route is the Bridle Trail. There are a few steep portions but generally it is a gentle constant incline that anyone in reasonable shape should be able to handle. About 2/3 of the way to the top, there is a wonderful scenic vista that provides a 180 degree view of Moosehead Lake. This is also the best picnic spot on either trail and I would highly recommend planning to stop there for lunch. The cliff face here is a sharp drop-off so be wary if you have dogs or children with you. In general, there is very little risk here but it is not a place to completely drop one's guard as there is nothing to stop a rather sudden and tragic plunge off the side of the cliff. Generally though, it is simply a relaxing picnic spot. From this vista, there fire tower is maybe another 15 min (20 if you take your time) up the trail through generally flat terrain. The fire tower itself is not for the faint of heart. I would not recommend small-children (or any under the age of 12) climb it as it can be quite disorienting to those without a good head for heights and its age is showing at this point. If you have brought a dog or dogs, it is best to simply tie them up at the base as it is not climbable for our four-legged friends. The stairs are quite steep, see-through and the handrails are questionable at best. The view from the top, however, is worth the climb. You have a 360 degree panoramic view of the region from this vantage point. On a clear day, you can see a good 50 miles in every direction. During foliage season, the scenery can be quite breathtaking. Bring a camera and enjoy yourself on this hike.Overall, I cannot emphasize this enough, this hike, while short, is not recommended for young children. Children 12 and up would have no issues whatsoever with either trail (and honestly would probably out hike the adults accompanying them) but children younger very well could get into trouble due to the sheer cliffs nearby the Indian trail and climbing the Fire Tower.

I try to hike Kineo every year. It's a fairly quick hike, taking only 2 to 3 hours, depending on how many breaks you take to enjoy the views and take pictures. I always go up the Indian trail, which is steep and runs along the eastern edge of the cliff, providing spectacular views. It's recommended to go up the Indian trail and down the Bridal trail. Once you're on the bridal trail, it's easy to forget you're in the middle of the largest mountain lake this side of the Mississippi. A ferry ride is necessary to get to Kineo and costs $10 round trip. It leaves Rockwood every hour on the hour, but only between 9am and 4pm, during the Fall season. You may want to check the schedule for when you plan to be there to make sure you time things right. It leaves Kineo at a quarter to the hour, every hour, with the last ferry leaving at 4:45. You want to time your hike so you make it back in time unless you plan to stay on Kineo. :) Loved the Fall foliage views from the indian trail and from the fire tower at the top and I'll be going again next year.

This Mountain has such history going back thousands of years. I absolutely loved being here. If you want some fairly rugged hiking and fantastic views be sure to make it to the top of the fire tower. Was over there for four days of my week and did not get to explore everything. Will need to go back!!!

Well worth the price of admission. We didn't take the longer (uphill) hike, but took the easy 1 mile walk to "Pebble Beach". Wonderful weather, beautiful views. Wish we'd known we would have taken a picnic lunch and stayed longer. Wouldn't miss this budget friendly way to spend an afternoon.

On the advice of several local people, we climed the Indian Trail up and took the Bridle Trail down. Round trip was about 2.5 hours. It is very steep climbing so good sturdy hiking shoes are a must. The weather was beautiful and when we reached the top we could see for miles! We even went further and climed the fire tower. Talk about the views!! Water is a necessity too. We're in our late 50's and we made it fine. It was actually harder coming back down because of pressure on the knees. We would do it again

My husband and i took the moderate trail up Mount Kineo which is very do able for even the least experienced hiker like us. Wear good comfortable shoes because there is some rock climbing involved,.

There is a great hiking trail on Mount Kineo with fabulous views of Moosehead Lake and the surrounding countryside. The trip to top and back takes about 3 hours and you should bring water and wear sturdy shoes as you are climbing rocks and the trail can be muddy and slippery in spots, but the views are worth the hike. The golf course (at the base of the mountain) has a 19th hole with food and beverages, including beer and wine.

My sister and husband loved their hike--they did the steeper option. My husband and I biked. The trail map and info is not great, so be sure to ask questions before leaving the dock (go right!).

My family hiked Mt Kineo the first week of August. The boat shuttle from Rockwood cost $10/person round-trip, which was a little pricier than I expected, but fair enough. The shuttle left every hour; you just sort of show up at the dock with cash in hand and if there are more passengers than room, he comes back again. I stressed quite a bit about what trail to take, since some of the reviews depict the Indian Trail as death-defying. My kids, ages 10 and 12 are fit but not keen on excessive physical exertion! We decided to go for it, though, and we are so glad that we did. The Indian Trail is steep but beautiful, and lots more fun for kids than plodding up some boring woods trail. I always felt that they were safe, and although there are some steep cliffs, you aren't clinging to the edge or anything. It was fine! We did take the Bridle Trail down, partly because it's just easier to climb cliffs upward than downward, and partly because rain was threatening. Indeed, it poured on our way down and the trail was a little slick, but fine. In fact, I was a little surprised at the pitch of the Bridle Trail, which was billed as this ultra-easy saunter to the top. There were no cliffs, but the trail was steep enough. I forgot to time the hike, but I think it was maybe 2ish hours round trip, with a short rest at the top.

Hard to get to but very fun. The golf course was challenging and beautiful. Hiking to the summit provided you will an incredible view of the lake and miles beyond! The shuttle was timely and folks very helpful.

We chose the moderate trail going up, and it was a great hike, the views from the top were worth the sweaty hike up.

My husband and I took the Indian Trail on our way up to the observation tower. Views along this route are awesome. It was a difficult climb in some spots. Wear proper shoes and bring water. The trail is marked fairly well with blue paint on the trees. We descended using the Bridal Trail which is a little easier. My only complaint about this excursion is the outrageous price that is charged for the water shuttle. $10.00 per person for a 5 minute ride. That cost does at least cover your return trip. Waterway Robbery!!! I would still recommend doing this hike as the views are totally worth it.

Mount Kineo is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited and is a must-see for people visiting the Rockwood or Moosehead Lake area. This is the perfect place to do a day hike, and there is also a 9-hole golf course on the peninsula. Most people visiting Kineo take the ferry, which is a small pontoon boat, but since I am more of the adventurous type, I took my kayak over from the Rockwood boat ramp where the ferry is, and camped out at Hardscrabble Point, which is about a 2.7 mile paddle to the northern tip of the peninsula and has about 3 or 4 campsites with a privy. If people decide to paddle over though, definitely take caution and pay attention to the roughness of the water because the wind can pick up speed pretty quickly, and can make the crossing very difficult and unsafe. I luckily, did not have any issues on this part, but once I got to Hardscrabble Point, I set up my campsite and took a few minutes to eat lunch. Hardscrabble Point is an awesome spot to stay for the night and offers awesome views of the lake. This is also where the Carriage and North Trails meet. The first time I visited Kineo, I took the North Trail, which starts off flat, but then becomes very steep, so I would not recommend this for people who are not used to hiking/climbing steep terrain. It is still very doable, but towards the top, attention needs to be paid to footing and hand placement in a couple of spots. The second time I visited Kineo, I started off taking the Carriage Trail, which is flat and follows the outside edge of the peninsula to the Bridle and Indian Trails. I have not taken the Indian Trail, but the Bridle Trail is much easier than the North Trail, and is better for those who are looking for something less strenuous. People still need to be careful on this trail, especially after it rains, because the trail can be slippery and muddy in some places. Once people get to the top of the trail, this is where the Indian Trail meets with the Bridle Trail, and there is a really cool lookout spot where people can enjoy an awesome view of Moosehead Lake. From this point, there is a short 0.4 mile hike to the summit, where there is an old fire tower that people can climb to the top of and get breathtaking views of the entire lake and surrounding mountains. The second time I hiked Kineo, I did it just as the sun was setting, so it was a little dark, but still an awesome experience nonetheless. It does get windy up there, so dress appropriately, although I did go during the Summer, so it was not that bad. By the time I hiked back down, it was pitch dark, which can be a little tricky, but I did have my headlight, so it was't much of a problem. I do recommend bringing plenty of water and a couple of snacks, if people are planning on making a day out of it, but there is a place to grab snacks and water at the clubhouse on the golf course right near the ferry dock. I do not golf, but if people are coming for the golf course, it still offers spectacular views.

We took the boat over to Mt Kineo to hike, We went up Bridal Trail wich was easy with no views but the foliage was nice. We came down Inidan Trail, the views were spectacular! It was not diffucult, we did it with an 8 year old and it took about an hour. Watch for the bald eagle.

Having rented a house and seeing the majestic mt kineo every day. We decided to hike up the mountain. Word of caution here. Bring proper footwear, plenty of water and a MAP. What we anticipated being a 1-2 hour hike turned into 5 hour treck scaling rock around the whole mountainside. The signs here do not give route distance and it's easy to take a wrong turn and end up on the other side of the mountain. Otherwise the views are beautiful.