The Overlook on an overcast day. The hills across the lake are in New Brunswick.
The East Grand Highlands trail network is a 6.0 miles squished lollipop with two sticks. The hike involves 852 feet of climbing. It’s a wonderfully diverse moderate hike with plenty of solitude. The preserve is part of Woodie Wheaton Land Trust’s extensive holding along East Grand Lakes.
The trailhead is about 3 miles south of Danforth on east side of US1. There is a state trailhead ahead sign along the road. The trailhead is between Two Mile Curve and Greenland Cove Road.
The hike:
0.0 Follow Overlook Trail from the marked trailhead. This trail is an old woods road.
0.5 Climb gently and pass Sucker Lake Trail.
0.6 A marked side trail on the left leads 75 feet to a large eratic boulder.
The eratic
1.6 Arrive at a T-intersection. Turn left, staying on Overlook Trail.
1.7 Arrive at the overlook. There is a deck with a great view of East Grand Lake and the wooded hills of New Brunswick beyond. In the foreground you can see Sucker Lake. There’s a sign on the deck that explains the view. Just behind the deck is a picnic table. To continue the hike, retrace your steps to the T-intersection.
The view from the overlook
1.8 Arrive back at the T-intersection. Go straight onto the Boulder Ridge Trail.
2.8 Boulder Ridge Trail descends steeply for a tenth of a mile then rollercoasters along the sidehill. It’s a fun, rocky hike with lots of chances to find mushrooms and wildflowers in season. You reach Sucker Lake Trail. Turn left.
3.1 Sucker Lake Trail descends off the ridge through a boulder field. Many of the rocks are as large as the eratic you visited earlier. Look for orchids and other wildflowers among the boulders and blueberries along the trail.
In the boulder field
3.8 The trail levels out and crosses a very mossy bog on cedar logs. You then follow an old road bed through the woods to Sucker Lake. As you approach the lake, the trail seems to end at a wide carry trail the descends to the shore of Sucker Lake. After checking out the lake, follow the continuation of the trail along the shore.
A section of the bog boards through the bog
The view from the southeast end of the lake where the carry trail ends
3.9 Reach the picnic site along the shore of Sucker Lake where the trail ends.
View of the lake from the picnic area
The view of Sucker Lake made me wish I had my kayak with me. The southwest side of the lake is dotted with small, rocky islands and swampy inlets. The northeast end of the lake is out of sight around the curve of the shoreline. It’s a beautiful, wild lake.
To complete your hike, follow Sucker Lake Trail its entire length (1.6 miles), passing Boulder Ridge Trail along the way.
Along Sucker Lake Trail
5.5 Arrive back at Overlook Trail. Turn left.
6.0 Arrive back at the trailhead.
Another view of the trail through the boulder field