North Bald Cap Climbing

The GPS co-ordinates for this AREA are currently set for approximately the base of the climb October Sundae. 

  Directions:   Take Rt 16 north through Gorham and towards Berlin. When approaching Berlin, bear right onto "Truck Route 16". Go past a nice park on the left, through a traffic light and past the landfill (on your right.) Just beyond the landfill, take a right onto Success Pond Road. Go 4.7-4.8 miles and take the right. 

   Revised Oct1, 2023- If you don’t have a high clearance vehicle, then park here, and walk the rough dirt road in front of you for 0.7 miles following the driving directions below to the New Trailhead, then continue on the approach path. With the new, shorter, better approach path walking from here to the base seems to take about the same time as the Old path took from the end of the dirt road 0.9 miles in! 

   With a high clearance vehicle continue driving the washed-out dirt road directly ahead of you. The first 100 yards or so are the worst! After the 100 yards of really rocky road the road levels out and becomes better. At about 0.6 miles from Success Pond Rd take the very grassy right branch at a “Y” [ Orange flag in 2023]. In about another 0.1 mile ( 0.7 Mi. from Success Pd Rd) at the next “ Y” you have, essentially, reached the New Trailhead.  The best parking is at the old trailhead.  Continue up the “ main” road ( the left branch) for about 0.2 mile where there’s an easier turnaround and larger parking, then walk back down to the New Trailhead.

 There is room for one car at the New Trailhead ( I  turned  and backed into the right-hand branch of the Y.)  Do not block the “ main “ road.  

   New Trail approach. Great path, shorter and quicker. Many thanks to whomever put it in! We will not miss the days of soaking wet pants and shoes caused by crashing through dew-laden brush and tall grass, nor the thorny blackberries; not to mention the ever-enlarging beaver dams! 

 If you’ve parked at the old, larger parking then walk back down to the “Y”.  Turn left and walk in  50-60 yards until the road ends and you have to hop across the stream on some well-placed rocks. Continue up the opposite bank on a well-trodden and flagged ( 2023) path. ( For now you are on the pre-Covid approach path to the Lost Boys area) In about 5 min you’ll come to a rock cairn, turn right and 40-50 feet later turn left ( well marked with orange flagging). You have now left the Lost Boys path and are on the New Trail. Follow flagging and orange blazes. The path ends at the base of October Sundae after passing a branch path to Road North. TIME:  20 minutes from the “Y”, 40-50 minutes from Success Pond Rd.