Gardner Loop Trail
- 4.9 mi
- round trip
- 2,923 ft
- climb
- 1,823 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Aug–Sep
- best months
Gardner Loop Trail is a hard hike in Maine's Deboullie area, managed by State Park and Recreation. The route is an out-and-back that covers about 9.8 miles, with a total elevation gain of 2,923 feet. The trail starts at roughly 1,248 feet and climbs to a high point of 1,823 feet, with the steepest stretch at about 1.9 miles in, where the grade reaches 36 percent. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Allagash weather station show July highs around 77°F with lows near 52°F, though that station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the higher ground run cooler. Winters are severe, with January highs around 20°F and lows near -6°F. The trip takes about 4.5 hours. The Denny Trail and Whitman Valley are both within half a mile, and the Waterfall Loop Trail is about 1.2 miles away.
Best time to go · Aug–Sep
Best time to visit Gardner Loop Trail
Best months: August–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
20° / -6°
11 wet
Feb
24° / -6°
10 wet
Mar
34° / 5°
11 wet
Apr
48° / 23°
11 wet
May
63° / 35°
13 wet
Jun
73° / 46°
13 wet
Jul
77° / 52°
15 wet
Aug
76° / 49°
12 wet
Sep
67° / 41°
12 wet
Oct
53° / 32°
13 wet
Nov
39° / 22°
12 wet
Dec
27° / 7°
12 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Allagash, ME, 11.1 mi away at 596 ft. The station sits about 1,200 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
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Denny Trail
Next door
1.36-mile out-and-back trail in Maine with 267 ft elevation gain
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Tower Trail
Next door
0.62-mile out-and-back trail in Maine with 799 ft elevation loss.
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Sentier des Grands-Pins
~1h 17m drive
A 1.4-mile point-to-point route in Quebec, Canada.
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Black Mountain Trail
~3 min drive
4.31-mile out-and-back hike in Maine with 1,477 ft elevation gain.
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Whitman Valley
Next door
Whitman Valley is a 1.32-mile out-and-back trail in Maine with 488 feet of elevation gain.
HIKE
Waterfall Loop Trail
~2 min drive
1.01-mile out-and-back trail in Maine with 138 ft gain and 1,140 ft loss.
HIKE
Tronçon Dégelis
~1h 18m drive
A 5.1-mile point-to-point route in Quebec, Canada.
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Upper Pond Trail
~3 min drive
1.0-mile out-and-back trail in Maine with 224 ft elevation gain
HIKE
Whitman Ridge
~3 min drive
2.02-mile out-and-back trail in Maine with 808 ft gain.
HIKE
Tronçon la Grande Baie
~1h 19m drive
A 10-mile point-to-point route in Quebec, Canada.
Route details
- Distance
- 4.9 mi round trip
- Climbing
- About 2,923 ft
- Summit
- 1,820 ft
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Time
- About 2.5 hours
Other routes up Gardner Mountain
Questions about this route
How long is the Gardner Loop Trail on Gardner Mountain?
About 4.9 mi round trip.
How much elevation gain is on the Gardner Loop Trail?
About 2,923 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the Gardner Loop Trail?
It is rated hard.
How long does the Gardner Loop Trail take?
About 2.5 hours round trip.
How many routes go up Gardner Mountain?
2: Waterfall Loop Trail and Gardner Loop Trail.
Conditions and forecast on Gardner Mountain
Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
