Grafton Loop Trailhead,

Newry, ME 04261, United States

"It’s an awesome but long and sometime challenging hike! The view are speechless and some parts of the clim are nice! Some other part of the trails is more rocky/muddy. Really enjoyed it!"

"Awesome hike and you are rewarded with gorgeous views at the top! The first part of the hike is quite wooded, which provides some nice shade on a sunny day. Do bring or wear sunscreen for the upper section of the hike. Definitely worth it to do the extra 1.7 mile Woodsum Spur Trail to make this a little lollipop route. The hike to Puzzle Mountain is very steep in sections, but doesn't require any technical climbing. Decent parking lot size, but no outhouse at trailhead."

"This is a very difficult climb! I went to Puzzle Mountain and at some points your climbing pretty steep hills on rocks and roots. However, it's a lovely trail with little discoveries to be made along the way. I only made it 3 miles up to the Southwest Summit, but the view was spectacular! Plan on bringing a lot of water, and take it easy, go slow, take your time and enjoy the nature around you! God is magnificent and you can see it all throughout the trail! Psalm 33"

"Good amount of parking here to access the loop. We hiked Puzzle Mountain, which is a nice 6 mile round trip. The first 2 miles are pretty easy and lead to spectacular views to the west at the ledges. Lots of meandering through different forest types and repeated crossings of small brooks. After the ledges, the trail gets more challenging, with lots of rock scrambles. It's still not too difficult if it's dry. If it's wet, though, the granite becomes slippery and more challenging, especially on the return trip. Take your time, and at the top you'll be rewarded with spectacular views of Grafton Notch and Mount Washington. Be sure to stop at Puzzle Mountain Bakery about an mile south of the trailhead. It is a self service stand full of pies, cookies, and whoopee pies that are spectacular and very reasonably priced."

"On the west side, some Mountains had no views and the trails are poorly maintained. Was backpacking through and it was quite a hassle having so many trees blocking the entire trail without any easy way around. Trail maps don't show appropriate distance an area will be. The trail blazers were poorly marked if at all, got our group quite confused and cost us a significant amount of time. Some beautiful views from Old Speck and Sunday River but trail maintenance needs to improve. Recommend a day hike only."