Sanders Hill Trail
- 2.9 mi
- loop
- 434 ft
- climb
- 841 ft
- high point
- Loop
- route
- May, Jul–Oct
- best months
Sanders Hill Trail is a 2.9-mile loop hike in the Kennebec Highlands of Maine, managed by State Park and Recreation. The nearest town is Rome Corner, about a mile away. The trail is rated easy, with a one-way climb of 434 feet from a starting elevation of 476 feet to a high point of 841 feet. The route also descends 609 feet, and the steepest stretch comes at about 2.2 miles in, with a 21% grade. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in New Sharon show July highs around 79°F and lows near 57°F, while winter brings highs in the 20s and regular snow days from December through February. The trail sits close to several climbing areas, including Sanders Hill and Outcrop, The, both within half a mile. French's Mountain Trail is about 0.6 miles away, and the Kennebec Highlands Trail is roughly 1.4 miles off.
- Sanders HillRock climbing0.3 mi
- The OutcropRock climbing0.4 mi
- Belgrade Lakes BoulderingRock climbing0.5 mi
- French's Mountain TrailHiking0.6 mi
- Blaisdell TrailHiking1.3 mi
Kennebec Highlands TrailHikingPhoto: Knightway, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)1.4 mi
Quill Hill TrailHikingPhoto: Knightway, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)1.6 mi- Great Meadow StreamCanoeing5.5 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Kennebec Highlands TrailHiking · ~2 min drivePhoto: Knightway, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Quill Hill TrailHiking · ~3 min drivePhoto: Knightway, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Whistle Stop TrailHiking · ~25 min drive
Round Top TrailHiking · ~4 min drivePhoto: Knightway, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Lambert TrailHiking · ~3 min drivePhoto: Knightway, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- A-TrailHiking · ~4 min drivePhoto: Knightway, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- The Mountain TrailHiking · ~3 min drivePhoto: Knightway, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Mount Phillip TrailHiking · ~4 min drive
- Monataka LoopHiking · ~5 min drivePhoto: Knightway, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Messalonskee Stream TrailHiking · ~18 min drive
Best time to visit Sanders Hill Trail
Best months: May and July–October. 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
27° / 7°
10 wet · 8 snow
Feb
30° / 9°
9 wet · 7 snow
Mar
39° / 18°
10 wet · 5 snow
Apr
52° / 30°
10 wet · 2 snow
May
65° / 42°
12 wet
Jun
73° / 51°
13 wet
Jul
79° / 57°
12 wet
Aug
78° / 55°
10 wet
Sep
72° / 46°
9 wet
Oct
57° / 36°
11 wet
Nov
44° / 25°
10 wet · 3 snow
Dec
33° / 15°
11 wet · 6 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at New Sharon, ME, 6.1 mi away at 480 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Route details
- Distance
- 2.9 mi
- Climbing
- About 434 ft
- Summit
- 852 ft
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- About 1.5 hours
Questions about this route
How long is the Sanders Hill Trail on Sanders Hill?
About 2.9 mi.
How much elevation gain is on the Sanders Hill Trail?
About 434 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the Sanders Hill Trail?
It is rated easy.
How long does the Sanders Hill Trail take?
About 1.5 hours round trip.
Conditions and forecast on Sanders Hill
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
