Waterfall Loop Trail
- 1.0 mi
- round trip
- 2,198 ft
- climb
- 1,810 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Aug–Sep
- best months
The Waterfall Loop Trail is a 2-mile out-and-back hike in Maine's Deboullie, managed by State Park and Recreation. The trail starts at about 1,714 feet and climbs to a high point of 1,810 feet, with a total elevation gain of 2,198 feet for the round trip. The steepest stretch comes at about 0.5 miles, where the grade reaches 52 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. The hike takes about 2 hours. The Crater Trail is 0.8 miles away, and the Gardner Loop Trail and Denny Trail are each about 1.2 miles off. Whitman Valley lies roughly 1.3 miles away.
Best time to go · Aug–Sep
Best time to visit Waterfall 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, 11.3 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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Gardner Loop Trail
~2 min drive
4.92-mile out-and-back trail in Maine with 1,700 ft elevation gain.
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Denny Trail
~2 min drive
1.36-mile out-and-back trail in Maine with 267 ft elevation gain
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Tower Trail
~3 min drive
0.62-mile out-and-back trail in Maine with 799 ft elevation loss.
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Sentier des Grands-Pins
~1h 19m drive
A 1.4-mile point-to-point route in Quebec, Canada.
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Black Mountain Trail
~5 min drive
4.31-mile out-and-back hike in Maine with 1,477 ft elevation gain.
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Whitman Valley
~2 min drive
Whitman Valley is a 1.32-mile out-and-back trail in Maine with 488 feet of elevation gain.
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Whitman Ridge
~4 min drive
2.02-mile out-and-back trail in Maine with 808 ft gain.
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Tronçon Dégelis
~1h 19m drive
A 5.1-mile point-to-point route in Quebec, Canada.
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Upper Pond Trail
~4 min drive
1.0-mile out-and-back trail in Maine with 224 ft elevation gain
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Deboullie Loop Trail
~5 min drive
4.31-mile out-and-back out-and-back in Maine with 1,467 ft elevation gain
Route details
- Distance
- 1.0 mi round trip
- Climbing
- About 2,198 ft
- Summit
- 1,820 ft
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time
- About 0.5 hours
Other routes up Gardner Mountain
Questions about this route
How long is the Waterfall Loop Trail on Gardner Mountain?
About 1.0 mi round trip.
How much elevation gain is on the Waterfall Loop Trail?
About 2,198 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the Waterfall Loop Trail?
It is rated moderate.
How long does the Waterfall Loop Trail take?
About 0.5 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
