Located just 15 minutes from Sunday River Ski Resort, Buck's Ledge is a quick hike to open views of Mount Abram, The Mahoosuc Range, and North and South Ponds, seen from the edge of its granite face. The 634-acre community forest includes Buck's Ledge, Lapham Ledge, and the Moody Mountain summit. This property is a nesting habitat for peregrine falcons, and nesting eagles and loons can also be seen nearby. For those who can't hike and want to drive up, an access road leads to a scenic overlook with benches about halfway up the trail. If the gate at the start of the road is closed, open it to enter and close it behind you.
The large trailhead parking off Route 26 provides access to 4.8 miles of hiking trails. Recreation here includes hiking, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling. Owned by the Town of Woodstock, the Buck's Ledge Community Forest was created in 2022 and is managed by The Woodstock Conservation Commission in partnership with the Mahoosuc Land Trust, The Forest Society of Maine, and the Northern Forest Center. Many hands and hearts make light work!
Several trails on this property lead to ledges with views of surrounding ponds and mountains. I have only hiked the 2.4 miles out-and-back Buck's Ledge Trail, but I plan to explore the Lapham Ledge Trail and the JnJ Backcountry Trail to Moody Mountain at some point soon. According to the sign at the trailhead, "Sunrises can be viewed from Lapham Ledge and overlook points along the JnJ Trail from Buck's Ledge to Moody Mtn."
Here is a breakdown of the different route options. Click on the title to link to the All Trails map:
2.4 miles out-and-back
308 ft elevation gain
3.6-mile loop
879 ft elevation gain
4.7-mile loop
1,236 ft elevation gain
The Buck's Ledge trail begins with an easy incline on the wide, gravel road leading from the parking lot. The climb becomes more moderate at 0.7 miles as the trail leaves the access road, heading left into the woods. From here, you'll continue to climb for another 0.6 miles before reaching the summit. The trail is well-marked, so you should have no trouble finding your way. Hope you enjoy this forest as much as Romy and I did!
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