I don't hike outside of NH much, not out of ay sense of loyalty, just not interested for some reason.
But I've looked at Mt Agamenitcus from a lot of other peaks and I have heard some positives about it.
Gallery / slide show
So with a spare afternoon of good weather, I decided to head for Maine.
Quick summary : meh. Maybe a little better than that. Not bad, just not up to expectations.
Trails, from base of summit rd: Ring, Blueberry Bluff to summit of First Hill, Big A, Sweet Fern, Chestnut & Oak, Porcupine to Second Hill, then back to Ring Trail, up Vulture View to First Hill. Finally, Big A to Summit Stairway, Hairpin Trail, Ring Trail down and back to car.
There is a map available on the Mt Agamenticus site. The area has a ton of trails - definitely get the map.
All junctions that I encountered were very well marked and trails were all very well groomed. But there are so many trails .... the map is very handy!
Getting there was easy enough. The Mt Agamenticus site has directions for using either US 1 or "back roads".
My experience with Maine roads being what it is, I opted to avoid the "back road" route. I wound up returning on the "back road" route, though.
It was not nearly the dirt-and-broken-tar back road I expected, it was a fine road and I suggest taking it to avoid the traffic and lights etc on US 1.
The lot was full on arrival at the base of the summit road, but there was space to park along the side of the road. Done.
Off onto the Ring trail, which quickly crossed the road. Very soon came to the Blueberry Bluff trail and went up that with no problems.
The Mt A site has some trail descriptions. The descriptions of the trails I walked were accurate, though mentions of steepness and slickness seemed a bit overstated.
Probably appropriate, given the large number of unseasoned hikers attracted to the area. Many of the trails are open to mountain bikes, so it's good to pay attention. I only encountered 2 bikes although more wouldnt have surprised me - it seems like a very attractive area for bikes.
The summit is a mostly flat area with brush, rocks and buildings. There is no one spot from which you can get a full 360, but walking around you can see very far in every direction.
Although the haze was limiting today, the Pawtuckaways were recognizable at about 26 miles away.
Not able to find any Presidentials today, though. Nor the Isles of Shoals. But no big deal, it was a lovely day.
The walk to Second Hill was all wooded, as was the summit. But the trails were good and had a few unexpected features like the old ski slope equipment
and the ant hills
and the randomly appearing artwork :)
Back on the First Hill I chatted a bit with a few people and caught some hawks taking advantage of the air currents, then headed back down to the car.
A brief walk-thru of the folding up Market Square Day in Portsmouth, a bit sorry I got there too late to find any appealing snacks but it was nice walking around town a bit before finally heading home :)