Howe Brook Trail
- 1.9 mi
- round trip
- 846 ft
- climb
- 1,688 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Howe Brook Trail is an easy out-and-back hike in Baxter State Park in Maine, managed by State Park and Recreation. The trail is about 3.8 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 846 feet, and it reaches a high point of 1,688 feet. The climb is front-loaded, with the steepest stretch at about 1.8 miles in, where the grade reaches 15 percent. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical July averages from a nearby weather station run to a high of 76°F and a low of 55°F, and the station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the higher ground run cooler. The trip takes about 1.5 hours. The trail starts within the park, and several other routes lie close by. Canoe Portage, a cross-country ski route, is 0.3 miles away, and Traverler Mountain Trail is 0.5 miles off. South Branch Campground Remote Site is 0.8 miles away, and Trout Brook, a canoeing spot, is about 2.9 miles away.
Best time to go · May–Sep
Best time to visit Howe Brook Trail
Best months: May–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°
Feb
25° / 6°
Mar
34° / 16°
Apr
48° / 29°
May
62° / 40°
Jun
72° / 49°
Jul
76° / 55°
Aug
75° / 54°
Sep
67° / 45°
Oct
53° / 35°
Nov
41° / 25°
Dec
29° / 13°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Patten 2, ME, 19.6 mi away at 820 ft. The station sits about 900 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
Photo: Pat Spinney, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)North Basin Cut-Off
~21 min drive
North Basin Cut-Off is a 0.61-mile point-to-point trail in Maine with 26 feet of elevation gain.
Photo: Pat Spinney, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)North Peaks Trail
~21 min drive
5.16-mile point-to-point trail in Maine with 243 ft gain and 3,332 ft loss
Photo: davidwilson1949, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)North Basin Trail
~21 min drive
0.79-mile point-to-point trail in Maine with 260 ft gain.
HIKE
South Branch Campground Remote Site
~1 min drive
0.44-mile out-and-back trail to South Branch Campground Remote Site in Maine.
HIKE
Traverler Mountain Trail
Next door
8.00-mile point-to-point trail in Maine with 3,349 ft gain and 3,625 ft loss.
HIKE
South Branch Mountain Trail
~2 min drive
4.17-mile point-to-point trail in Maine with 1,970 ft elevation gain
HIKE
Ledges Trail
~2 min drive
0.65-mile out-and-back trail in Maine with 204 ft gain.
HIKE
Middle Fowler Pond Trail
~3 min drive
4.71-mile out-and-back hike in Maine with 627 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Fowler Brook Trail
~5 min drive
1.23-mile out-and-back trail in Maine with 169 ft gain and 324 ft loss.
HIKE
South Branch Falls Trail
~3 min drive
0.45-mile out-and-back hike to South Branch Falls in Maine.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
