Haystack Mountain Trail
- 0.3 mi
- round trip
- 357 ft
- climb
- 1,337 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Aug–Sep
- best months
Haystack Mountain Trail is a short, out-and-back hike in Haystack Mountain State Park in northern Maine, managed by State Park and Recreation. The trail is about 0.6 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 357 feet, and it reaches a high point of 1,337 feet. The climb is front-loaded, with the steepest stretch at about 0.12 miles from the start, where the grade reaches 33 percent. The most comfortable months for a visit are typically July and August, when typical averages from the nearby Presque Isle weather station run from highs of 79°F to 77°F and lows in the mid-50s. That station sits about 700 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the summit run cooler. The hike takes about half an hour. The trail starts within the state park, and the closest neighbors are the North Branch Presque Isle Stream, about 4 miles away, and the Kidder Loop Trail, about 4.1 miles away.
Best time to go · Aug–Sep
Best time to visit Haystack Mountain 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
22° / 3°
11 wet · 8 snow
Feb
26° / 5°
8 wet · 7 snow
Mar
36° / 16°
10 wet · 6 snow
Apr
50° / 29°
11 wet · 2 snow
May
65° / 41°
13 wet
Jun
74° / 50°
13 wet
Jul
79° / 56°
14 wet
Aug
77° / 54°
12 wet
Sep
69° / 47°
11 wet
Oct
54° / 36°
13 wet · 1 snow
Nov
40° / 26°
11 wet · 3 snow
Dec
28° / 12°
11 wet · 7 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Presque Isle, ME, 10.5 mi away at 599 ft. The station sits about 700 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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Photo: JJLosier, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Trans Canada Trail (Nb)
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Route details
- Distance
- 0.3 mi round trip
- Climbing
- About 357 ft
- Summit
- 1,339 ft
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time
- About 0.5 hours
Questions about this route
How long is the Haystack Mountain Trail on Haystack Mountain?
About 0.3 mi round trip.
How much elevation gain is on the Haystack Mountain Trail?
About 357 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the Haystack Mountain Trail?
It is rated moderate.
How long does the Haystack Mountain Trail take?
About 0.5 hours round trip.
Conditions and forecast on Haystack 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