Mount Waldo
Frankfort
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Guidelines
What You Need to Know
- No camping permitted
- No fires permitted
- Carry out all trash (see details)
- Keep pets under control
- Respect private property
- Motorized vehicle access by permission only
Why we Care
A Lasting Landscape
Soaring raptors overhead, songbirds in the trees, and scenic picnic spots make the 1.1-mile hike up Mount Waldo worth the effort. Just west of the 1,060-foot summit, the trail ends with wide-open granite ledges where you can take in incredible views of the surrounding landscape. So, lace up your hiking boots and bring your binoculars to experience this vital preserve we’re dedicated to protecting.
Features
How to Get There
From the junction of Routes 1A and 174 in Prospect, follow Route 1A north. Drive one mile before turning left onto Spout Hill Road. In 0.7 miles, turn sharply left onto Murray Lane. In 1.1 miles the parking area will be on the right. Murray Lane is an uneven dirt road and might not be suitable for low vehicles.
Explore the Map
Click on trails and landmarks to learn more about what Mount Waldo has to offer.
Preserve Details
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Field Notes
Getting to Know Mount Waldo
The Path to Conservation
MCHT acquired the Mount Waldo preserve through three separate acquisitions in 2019, 2020, and 2022.
On the Mountain
The Mount Waldo Preserve includes 160 acres of land on the southern slopes of Mount Waldo, a small coastal mountain in the town of Frankfort. Unofficial footpaths continue from the preserve’s boundary to the mostly open highpoint. Just prior to MCHT’s purchase in 2019, the lower portions of the preserve were logged. Mount Waldo has a mix of hardwoods and softwoods, with a more open canopy in the preserve’s southern half and older trees to the north.
The preserve’s highest elevations feature rocky ledges with large sections of exposed granite interspersed with small clumps of trees, low-growing shrubs, and thick mats of lichen. On clear days, the views from the summit area are excellent.
Please stay on the blazed trail in the bald ledge areas as you approach higher elevations. The plants and soils here have witnessed severe erosion from past ATV use and off trail hiking. We ask you to do your part to allow these beautiful lichens, mosses, blueberries, and stunted trees to regenerate.
Stories from the Midcoast
Landmark Legislation Provides Ongoing Conservation Funding
A broad partnership of land trusts, sportsmen and conservation supporters celebrates that the Maine Legislature has passed a law establishing dedicated, ongoing Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) funding for the first time in the program’s 39‑year history. As the State of Maine’s primary funding vehicle for conserving land for its natural, economic, and recreational value, LMF helps keep Maine’s special places special – from mountain summits and shorelines of rivers, lakes, and ponds, to coastal islands, beaches, working forests, farmlands and wetlands.
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More Information on Mount Waldo
Help Us Take Care of the Preserve
This preserve belongs to all of us; that’s why it’s important to leave as little trace as possible when you visit.
To do that, please:
- Carry out all trash
- Carry out all pet waste
- Carry out all human waste (including toilet paper)