Description
The 3,598-acre Trout Mountain Preserve protects forestland adjacent to Baxter State Park and includes the summit of Trout Mountain with an elevation of 1,409 ft and majestic views of Mt. Katahdin. The preserve includes Twin Ponds and Logan Ponds, both with native brook trout populations. The rugged terrain supports a remarkable variety of forests throughout the preserve, including montane spruce-fir forest, northern hardwood forest, hemlock forest and a red pine–white pine forest on the ridge northwest of Twin Ponds that shows signs of past fire. A fire burned a significant portion of the property in 1934, and today you can see extensive paper birch and poplar that filled in the open space. The preserve is managed as an ecological reserve where natural process such as ice, drought and wind shape the forest.
For many years, the top of Trout Mountain housed a fire tower that now lays in ruins on the forest floor. In 2020, a refurbished tower was erected on the summit. Standing eighty feet tall, the tower started life in the longleaf pine forests of Alabama and now provides visitors with a stunning view of its new home in the Katahdin region. Please use caution when climbing the tower. Climb at your own risk.
The Nature Conservancy is grateful for the generosity of a private donor who provided funding for ecological preservation and public enjoyment of this special place.