No. 5 Mountain Preserve
Purchased by The Nature Conservancy, overseen by FSM, and protected as an ecological reserve, the nearly 10,000 acre No. 5 Mountain Preserve offers an escape from crowded trailheads into wild North Woods country. The preserve also provides access to Spencer Rips, a popular access point for the renowned Moose River Bow Trip.
Directions to the No. 5 Mountain Trailhead:
Drive 14.2 miles north from the bridge at The Forks, or 19.3 miles south from the junction of U.S. 201 and ME 6/ME 15, in Jackman. The road leading into No. 5 Mountain is located 0.2 miles north of the Parlin Pond rest area. Turn west onto the dirt logging road (please use caution, yield to logging trucks, and travel with your headlights ON) and travel for 16.4 miles, where you will make a right turn onto a narrow dirt road. Follow this road for a short distance and park beside the gravel pit.
Trail Notes:
Total Distance: 6 miles
Average Hiking Time: 4 hours (round-trip)
Vertical Rise: 1,360 feet
The trail initially runs up an abandoned logging road that is wide, grassy, and lined with raspberry bushes. Somewhat damaged by erosion, there are many spots where water crosses and pools in the path—tread carefully. Less than a mile from the summit, the trail becomes much drier and the spruce-fir understory much denser. Breaking out onto the bald ledges at the summit, hikers will be rewarded with 360-degree views of 50,000 acres of conserved lands, encompassing No. 5 Bog, Attean and Sally Mountains, and the Moose River corridor. Although missing its’ platform, the stairs up the now-defunct fire tower remain sturdy enough to climb for a loftier, if not better, view of northern Maine.
