East Royce Trail is a 2.2 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Bethel, Maine that features beautiful wild flowers. The trail is rated as moderate and primarily used for hiking and birding. Dogs are also able to use this trail.
dog friendly
kid friendly
birding
hiking
forest
views
wild flowers
wildlife
rocky
Don't be fooled by the length, this is a tough trail! Steep but totally worth it! Took me an hour and a half up and an hour down, but I'm slow. Could be tough for a small/older dog, even my lab was struggling a bit.
We hiked up to view the solar eclipse on 8/21/2017. The weather cooperated and we had nice views from the summit. The trail was short but steep (as reported). If you are out of shape you will be reminded of that. Overall the hike was very pleasant with a very high payoff for the effort.
Loved this hike! It certainly is steep but I'd say it's dog friendly. The view from the top was very beautiful, I bet it looks amazing in the fall with all of the foliage colors. We did this at about 10:30 am on a Sunday in August and only past one other couple. Be aware that some trees have sap on them so if you use them for leverage you might be sticky for the rest of the hike! I'd call this easy to moderate. Moderate side only being because you need some endurance for all the steep hills and rocks and if it's very humid out it doesn't make it any easier.
I've hiked this trail numerous times in the past and it's always an enjoyable hike, especially when you don't have a lot of time. Early in the season be prepared for lots of black flies. Insect repellent is a must. It's a short 1.5 miles from the parking lot to the summit but it's steep all the way up. If you have the time I would recommend doing West Royce as well.
What a rush! This gnarly trail did not disappoint. It took us just under 45 mins to summit - probably a record for the trail. The social media-worthy views from the top broke records for "likes" on all my accounts. Highly recommend this trail to all those looking for a quick, thrilling adventure. PSA: don't forget your hiking poles. So blessed to have remembered mine. Happy hiking, friends!
Fairly nice trail, short hike but pretty steep. Went on a beautiful day in September. I love the view from the summit with the surrounding mountains. I only completed East Royce, when I have more time i'll definitely go back and do West Royce which is just under 2 miles from East Royce.
Hiked from the northern most trail head. It was a beautiful autumn day and quite warm. The trail was fairly well marked. I wanted to make a loop but the trail was not marked well from the top down, so we went back down the same way we took up. Maybe next
time.
nice hike straight up to the summit of East Royce and I mean straight up. Its around 1.7 miles to the summit but it will feel like 5. Once you get to the summit though its worth it.