Hiking Pleasant Mountain via Southwest Ridge Trail
Trail Name: Southwest Ridge Trail
Location: Bridgton, Maine
Distance: 5.4 miles
Elevation Gain: 1550ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Pets: Allowed
Pleasant Mountain is a heavily trafficked network of trails that reach up to 2006ft in elevation. Pleasant Mountain the tallest mountain in Southern Maine. It is accessible year-round and dog-friendly, offering hiking, walking, snowshoeing, bird watching, and trail running. It’s a great option for day hiking that provides great views of Western Maine and the whites.
This hike has been on my to-do list for at LEAST two years. I’ve made several attempts to complete it, all of which have been unsuccessful due to weather, overcrowded parking lots, etc. But this time was different. I was determined. I set an early morning alarm, laid out my clothes, and even pre-packed my bag. On a drizzly, cool Sunday morning, we drove to the Southwest Ridge trailhead parking lot off of Denmark Road. This is one of four trailheads for Pleasant Mountain, all of which have their own parking lot.
Pleasant Mountain is conserved and maintained by the Loon Echo Land Trust, which protects 8,500 acres of land in the lakes region of Maine, including Bald Pate Mountain which you can read about here. The trust was established in 1987 and is well-known for its collaboration between several community stakeholders. Read more about the trust by visiting their website.
Driving into the parking lot, the weather was foggy, cloudy, and a bit damp. But our spirits were bright. We had two doggos with us that needed to get some energy out. So we loaded up our packs and headed up the trail.
The trail starts out around 450ft in elevation. The first two miles is a steady incline that covers about 1350ft of elevation gain, which brought us up to 1800ft. There are several scenic views of surrounding lakes and mountains all along the trail, which makes it a lot more rewarding. After reaching the first summit, the trail winds up and down a few times before coming to an intersection.
After arriving at the intersection of the Southwest Ridge Trail and the Ledges Trail, we turned left and hiked the 0.2 mile trail to the summit. The summit is gorgeous! It provides views of Fryeburg, Conway, Brownfield, the White Mountains, etc. There are plenty of rocks to sit on and enjoy lunch or a snack while taking in the views.
Because every trail has it’s own parking lot and they’re pretty far apart, we descended down the same trail we ascended. It would be nice to bring two cars and park them at separate trailheads so you can experience two of the trails. Or it’s just a good excuse to visit more than once!
As always, be sure to: prepare for your hike ahead of time, stay on the trail, carry in/carry out all of your trash, and keep your animals on leash or under voice control. Hunting is allowed on Pleasant Mountain, so be sure to wear orange October-December. Happy hiking, friends!
