Tumbledown (Weld) - Access

Hi,

It's been a few years since I hiked Tumbledown, but I am planning to go back up again soon. I remember there was some kind of issue about access/ownership a while back, I was wondering if this had been resolved?

Also can anyone provide accurate directions From Rt. 142 to the trailhead?
I had the AMC map and guide last time (and still have it), but I still managed to get a bit turned around while looking for the trailhead (which wasn't marked). I'm planning to go in via and the Loop Trail again.

Thanks!
^MtnMike^

^MtnMike^ said:

Hi,

It's been a few years since I hiked Tumbledown, but I am planning to go back up again soon. I remember there was some kind of issue about access/ownership a while back, I was wondering if this had been resolved?

Also can anyone provide accurate directions From Rt. 142 to the trailhead?
I had the AMC map and guide last time (and still have it), but I still managed to get a bit turned around while looking for the trailhead (which wasn't marked). I'm planning to go in via and the Loop Trail again.

Thanks!
^MtnMike^

Click to expand...

The access issue was about camping up on the trail near the highway. Seems like car campers or "gypsies" or "townies" or who knows who were really making a dump of the place. The owner cut off vehicular access by basically buldozing pits across all the various roads into the area. I don't believe it affected hiker access at all.

I think there are 3 trails you can take, or combine to make loops. All are off Byron Road (on the north side) which goes west from Weld Corner from Rte 142, which is about 3 miles north of Weld where 142 and 156 intersect.

I don't know about signage, but the first trailhead is a dirt road about 3 miles west of Weld Corner which leads up to the Parkers Ridge Trail (it's where the illicit camping was). Next about 2 miles further west is the Brook Trail and lastly about another 2 miles is the Loop Trail.

I like the Loop trail since it goes up the steep face , by the "Fat Man's Misery", etc and as the name implies makes a nice loop. It gets you to the west peak of the ridge. The other two trails meet at the Lake.

Remember, the hight point is the north peak, on the oppposite side of the lake (trails on both side of the lake take you there - it used to be a BW).

Its all in the Maine Mountain Guide. Good book - get one.

just up there last weekend-trailheads are marked but the signs are set back from the road a little and could be easy to miss if nobody is parked nearby

We were there in August, and the road to Parker's Ridge and Little Jackson now has a street sign - Morgan Rd, I think. Coming from Weld, it's beyond the cemetery. Drive in as far as you can and park on the edge. There is a maze of roads all leading to a clearing, which is the site of the former shelter. Parkers Ridge Trail heads off to the left from there (listen for the sound of the brook). The Little Jackson Trail can be found by walking straight through the clearing. You end up on an eroded road - light blue blazes - that eventually becomes a footpath. A nice loop can be made using the Pond Link to get to the pond from there.

Bushwhacking to the N Peak is fun - just go around the pond from the "beach" area. The ledges get progressively easier as you head towards the low point of the ridge. We usually just get ourselves to the west end of the pond and then head straight for the ridge and scout out passable ways up through the cliffs.

Nice place. Haven't been there for a few years. Does seem that the "locals" hang out around there. We camped up at the pond one year, had a great time. Saw a momma moose and baby.....

audrey said:

We were there in August, and the road to Parker's Ridge and Little Jackson now has a street sign - Morgan Rd, I think. Coming from Weld, it's beyond the cemetery. Drive in as far as you can and park on the edge. There is a maze of roads all leading to a clearing, which is the site of the former shelter. Parkers Ridge Trail heads off to the left from there (listen for the sound of the brook). The Little Jackson Trail can be found by walking straight through the clearing. You end up on an eroded road - light blue blazes - that eventually becomes a footpath. A nice loop can be made using the Pond Link to get to the pond from there.

Click to expand...

I've been there twice in the last 2 months... I'll just echo this post except that you should be able to drive the entire way down Morgan Road... it ends at a small clearing that is clearly marked Little Jacskon Trail. Hike about 0.3 miles up the trail and there is a newly signed split in the trail with Little Jackson heading right and the Parker Ridge to Tumbledown going left.

We went up Little Jackson... a very open and beautiful summit. From the summit we could see small cairns heading down towards the pond. We followed them (a bit tough in places) all the way to the pond. Hiked out on the Parker Ridge Trail. An excellent and scenic loop!