Gorham Slab & Point Lookout Mtn Climbing

Your initial goal is to get to a gravel road that turns off of Hogan road about 3.5 miles from North Road ( if using the Hogan approach).  If using the old Railroad Bridge approach, this road is about 1.1 mile from the dam you'll pass coming from the RR Bridge. 

1) Hogan Road Approach - From North Conway take Rt 16 North about 30 miles to the intersection with Rt 2 in Gorham. Turn right (East) and drive 3.3 mi to North Road and take a left. There’s a pretty good view of the slab about 1.6 miles from Gorham.

Go 0.5 mile on North Road, turn left onto Hogan Road. Set your odometer to 0.0.  Big puddles in the first 1/4 mile are usually best “ run” on the right going in. Both have “ good bottom” . ( Rock or gravel, not mud)  High clearance vehicle virtually required to get to Gorham Slab, but even your average sedan can probably make it to Stevens Point if driven cautiously!  At about 1.1 miles there’s a great view of Mts Madison and Adam’s. At about 1 1/4 miles you cross a bridge. Between 1.5 and 1.7 the road goes through an area that is obviously “ underwater” quite often. At 1.8 mi there’s a good widening and parking for Stevens Point Slab is on the left side. (Slab itself is on the right and there's a reasonable view of it about 0.2 mi further on, where there's also parking for 2-3 cars.)

Beyond 2.0 miles the road deteriorates! The rise is sometimes washed out, but if you make it to the top and the flat area ( at 2.3 mi. where a logging road branches right) you may want to explore on foot the next 1/4 mile going down hill before committing to driving, as this next stretch is usually the worst. Even if you park at 2.3 mi and walk the 1.2 mi to the gravel rpad you probably will walk less distance than the RR approach.

Assuming you’re still on the road at 2.5 mi. it gets better. Pass a side road to the lower dam at 2.9 mi, then go under the electric lines at 3.3 mi. Just beyond these there’s a 1 car pull out on the left and soon thereafter a steep “ dipsy-doodle” over a culvert. (Park at the pull out if you don't like the dipsy-doodle.)  A final 0.1 mile further and you arrive at the RIGHT turn off Hogan Rd onto a well-maintained gravel road and in 50-100 ft park on the right In a gravel pit.

Hike the gravel road, quickly passing a gate ( watch out for the cables extending into the woods). About 3 minutes from the car take a RIGHT onto an older logging road. Take this a couple hundred feet and cross under the electric lines and then bushwhack straight up to the crag, about 15-20 min from the car.

2) Railroad Bridge approach - Park at the base of the old RR bridge on Rt16 North, about 0.3 mi north of where Rt2 West turns off left.  Walk across the lower level of the bridge ( watch your head !) and on the other side scramble up a steep embankment to the old RR bed. [see NOTE]   Do NOT get suckered into following the road right, when you get to the upper dam you can’t cross over.  Follow the RR bed until it crosses the retaining pool and shortly beyond ( about 1/2 mile from the car) look for a trail branching right. Take it the short distance to Hogan road, turn right and follow that past the upper dam and on to the above-mentioned gravel road, which will be on your left. The correct road has a small triangle of bushes, and 50 ft up the road there’s a pull-out / parking for 4-5 cars and a gravel bank. Total distance about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 miles. Follow directions above starting with “Hike the Gravel Road”.

NOTE- Instead of taking the steep path up, you can follow the dirt road LEFT, UNDER the bridge. After a few minutes you’ll come to a “ Y”, take the right up back to the abandoned RR bed and turn left to the bridge over the retaining pool. 

It is perfectly reasonable to bike the RR Bridge approach. However, if biking take a left on Rt2 west and go about 1/2 mile to a large, wide, paved parking pull out on the right. You‘ll share the RR bed with ATVs but you’ll be on the upper level when you get to the RR bridge. Depending on your Mtn bike skill level you may want to walk the short path from the RR bed to Hogan Rd, but virtually all of Hogan Rd is pretty easy Mtn biking.