Tumbledown Mountain

Tumbledown Mountain is a mountain in Franklin County, Maine.The mountain is a popular hiking spot in western Maine, with trailheads located on Byron Road in unincorporated Township 6, north of Weld. It is distinguished by an alpine pond (known locally as Crater Lake or Tumbledown Pond) just below the summit. Tumbledown Mountain is also located near Coos Canyon, a mountain stream that is an excellent place for a swim during the summer months. Tumbledown offers trails of varying difficulty for different hikers. The least strenuous route to the summit is to hike to Tumbledown pond via either the Brookor Parker Ridge trails. From the pond, hikers can access the summit via the Tumbledown Ridge Trail, a fairly well marked path that leads across the mountaintop all the way from the East Peak to the West Peak. It also connects to the Loop Trail, which descends steeply back to Byron Road. Weaker hikers should avoid the Loop Trail, as it can be a very challenging hike. Brook Trail: The Brook trail begins approximately 4.5 miles down Byron Road. It is one of the most popular routes up Tumbledown. There is a large parking area located across the road from the trailhead, along with an outhouse for public use. The trail itself initially follows an old logging road before steeply ascending the mountain to Tumbledown pond. It is roughly 2.5 miles in length and takes approximately 2 hours to hike at a brisk pace. Parker Ridge Trail: This trail is the oldest route to the pond. It gradually rises through the woods before leading up a steep, rocky ridgeline, then down to Tumbledown Pond. In the past, to access this route, hikers had to travel into the woods on a private road called the Morgan Road, and park near a place locally known as "Tumbledown Field." Tumbledown Field and the land surrounding it is all privately owned, and hikers are no longer encouraged to use the Morgan Road. Instead, hikers can now access Parker Ridge Trail directly from the Brook Trail parking lot. It is approximately a one mile walk to the Parker Ridge trailhead from the Brook Trail parking lot. Hikers can also access the trail leading up Little Jackson Mountain from here as well. Total distance to the pond (including the access trail) is about 3.2 miles.