Mahoosuc
🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 AT’s Toughest Mile — 27,253-acre wilderness containing the most notoriously difficult mile on the entire 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail
Mahoosuc Public Reserved Land covers 27,253 acres of the Mahoosuc Range — home to the infamous Mahoosuc Notch, universally regarded as the toughest mile on the entire 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail. The Notch is a boulder-choked ravine where hikers scramble under, over, and between massive boulders — some with ice caves underneath that stay frozen into August. The full traverse takes most hikers 2–4 hours to cover just one mile. Beyond the Notch, Mahoosuc Arm is the steepest sustained climb on the AT.
Visitor Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Grafton/Riley Townships, Oxford, ME |
| Size | 27,253 acres! |
| Entry Fee | Free |
| Trail | AT’S TOUGHEST MILE — Mahoosuc Notch! |
| Time | 2–4 hours for ONE mile! |
Frequently Asked Questions
How hard is Mahoosuc Notch really?
Imagine scrambling through a mile of house-sized boulders in a deep ravine, with your pack catching on every rock. Some passages require removing your pack and pushing it through gaps. Ice persists in caves below the boulders well into summer. It’s the most talked-about mile on the entire AT.
About Mahoosuc
Mahoosuc public reserved land encompasses rugged mountain terrain in the western Maine mountains — part of the famous Mahoosuc Range that the Appalachian Trail traverses. Mahoosuc Notch — a mile-long boulder cave passage on the AT — is often called “the hardest mile on the Appalachian Trail.” The mountains rise to over 3,700 feet and support subalpine spruce-fir forest.
Things to Do
Hiking the Appalachian Trail through Mahoosuc Notch (legendary scramble through a boulder-filled ravine), summit hiking, backcountry camping, fishing for brook trout in mountain streams, and fall foliage viewing. Serious hiking territory.
Wildlife & Nature
Mahoosuc — 27,253 acres — encompasses part of the Mahoosuc Range. The Appalachian Trail traverses the area, including Mahoosuc Notch — widely considered the most difficult mile on the entire 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail (a boulder-choked ravine with ice caves that retain snow into July). Moose, black bears, and spruce grouse inhabit the forest.
Nearby Attractions
Grafton Notch SP — adjacent. Bethel — 15 miles south. Sunday River — 10 miles south.
