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Number Four Mountain
Number Four Mountain: From Fire-Warden Path to Forest Hike
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Number Four Mountain combines a fire-warden trail history with a forested climb above the Moosehead region. The outing begins on working forest roads east of Lily Bay Road, then follows a footpath toward an abandoned lookout-tower site. Its most satisfying views are found in the openings beyond the wooded summit area. Approach it as a steady mountain walk with time to understand both the route beneath your feet and the landscape that appears near the top.
The Bureau of Parks and Lands' trail description identifies the first section as relatively flat before the path climbs from the former warden's camp location. Higher up, portions of the traditional route alternate with rerouted switchbacks. That pattern tells a story about changing uses. A route once associated with staffing a fire lookout has been adapted for recreational walking, with a gentler line across sections of the mountain where earlier travel followed a more direct ascent.
The redesigned trail opened in 2015 after work by Maine Conservation Corps and Appalachian Mountain Club crews. A landowner's account records bog bridges, stone stairs, and new signs among the improvements. Public access was supported through a trail easement in the regional conservation and recreation planning process. Those arrangements make the approach more than a walk through anonymous woods: the path represents a deliberate partnership between land management and public recreation.
At the upper mountain, look for the distinction between a summit and a viewpoint. The tree-covered high ground retains the abandoned tower site, while the trail continues to openings looking toward Moosehead Lake, Lily Bay Mountain, and Baker Mountain. Keep your visit at ground level and use the established vistas. The landscape itself provides the reward, with ridges, intervening forest, and water supplying a wider sense of where this mountain sits among its neighbors.
Tom Ancona's contribution to Maine by Foot describes the same progression from a gradual approach to a more sustained climb, followed by a comparatively level summit area. He appreciated the shade and the overlooks beyond the tower. The page also discusses continuing to Baker Mountain, a much longer undertaking on the connected trail. That extension changes the scale of the day considerably; decide on it during planning, using the managing agency's current map and guidance rather than making an impulsive addition after reaching Number Four.
For a Number Four outing, allow several hours and establish the current round-trip distance from the route information you intend to follow. Published guides use different figures, reflecting differing route descriptions and measurements. The official regional challenge page also warns that road access can add walking distance. Check the Meadow Brook Road approach before departure, carry offline navigation, and give working vehicles room. A forest-road trip needs more flexibility than an ordinary drive to a paved trailhead.
On the path, let the construction details and forest transitions hold your attention before the distant views arrive. Stone steps, switchbacks, and the shift toward upper-elevation woods help explain the ascent's changing character. At an authorized overlook, make a wide composition that includes a piece of the forested ridge with the lake beyond. Number Four Mountain offers a coherent day when its history, maintained footpath, and final openings remain parts of the same journey, followed by an unhurried return down the route you climbed.
Fun facts
- The route follows portions of a former fire-warden approach.
- The redesigned Number Four trail opened in 2015.
- Established vistas lie beyond the abandoned lookout-tower site.
Before you go
- Check the working-road approach and allow for added walking if vehicle access changes.
- Use the current map to set mileage and a turnaround before leaving.
- Enjoy the tower site from ground level and continue only to authorized vistas.
- Treat the Baker Mountain extension as a separately prepared long hike within this same trail outing.
Visitor perspectives
- Tom Ancona’s credited section appreciates the shaded ascent and established overlooks past the wooded summit area. Exact visit date unknown; hosting page updated 2026-07-10. Old tower-climbing advice is not adopted as current access guidance.
Capture
- Use a permitted overlook to connect wooded ridges with the lake and mountains beyond.
- Show a stone stair or switchback from the trail to explain how the recreational route handles the slope.
Social
Number Four Mountain’s footpath carries a fire-warden history.
A 2015 redesign added trail improvements through a public-access partnership.
The climb progresses from a gentler beginning to sustained uphill walking.
Look beyond the wooded summit area for established vistas.
The abandoned tower is a historical landmark to view from ground level.
Baker Mountain’s connected extension greatly lengthens the outing.
Working forest roads require a flexible approach plan.
The trail’s stonework and switchbacks are part of its story.
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