Great Loop Hike in Western White Mountains - Hiking Caribou Mountain - Small Mountain with BIG view!

Tucked away in the northwestern corner of the White Mountain National Forest, just over the state line in Maine — Caribou Mountain may not seem like much based on elevation, but this 7.3 mile loop hike gives you some amazing views of the White Mountains to the east, and the mountains of western Maine to the west. 

The trailhead is located on Route 113, about a mile or so south of the Hastings Campground and a few miles north of Evans Notch. Route 113 is gated and closed in the winter months, so this trailhead is only accessible when there isn’t snow on the roadways and the roadway’s gate is open.

Two trails depart at the same trailhead — the Caribou Trail, and the Mud Brook Trail. For our hike, we started on the Caribou Trail, which travels 3 miles, following Morrison Brook much of the way, to the notch between Gammon Mountain and Caribou Mountain. From there, the Caribou Trail continues to the north down to Bog Road, but we turned right (south) onto the Mud Brook Trail and began ascending Caribou Mountain.

After a short, steep ascent to the mountain’s rocky ridge, the trail leveled off and the remainder of the hike was rolling rock hills as we made our way along the ridge. The summit sits towards the northern end of the ridge, and is quickly reached. From the summit, you descend slightly, continuing to follow the rocky ridge all the way to the southern edge of the summit ridge, where you begin to quickly descend. The descent off of the peak and down into the Mud Brook valley is steep, though the trail is in good condition.

Once you reach Mud Brook, the trail levels off and begins descending more gently, following the brook until you return to the trailhead on Route 113.

We hiked with our friend Pat and while we were somewhat familiar with the area, none of us had been on Caribou Mountain. All three of us were really surprised at just how good a view there was (which thankfully we enjoyed as the thunderstorms that soaked us on the way blew out as we reached the top) and how enjoyable the entire loop hike was. This loop hike and this mountain are definitely worth the trip away from the main areas of the Whites. 

We’d recommend doing the loop in the same direction we did. The ascent up the Caribou Trail and then the Mud Brook Trail to the summit is less steep than the ascent up the Mud Brook Trail from the trailhead.

Overall this hike was about 7.5 miles in length and had 1,972 feet of vertical ascent.

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You can find more information about this hike on:

• Described in the White Mountain Guide
• Shown on the AMC White Mountain Map
• Shown on the White Mountains Trail Map

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