Elevation: 3,861 feet (1,179 meters) Prominence: 199 feet (61 meters) Location: Baxter State Park, Piscataquis County, Maine Range: Baxter State Park Coordinates: 45°57'44" North     68°58'29" West Rating: Very Difficult (this is a bushwhack meaning there is no maintained trail to the summit) Features: Peak bag , plane crash site, bushwhack Distance of highlighted hike below: Roughly 13.2 miles with Mount Coe, South Brother and North Brother.

Fort Mountain is a 3,861 foot mountain in the Baxter State Park in Piscataquis County, Maine. It is flanked to the Southeast by North Brother and to the North by Mullen Mountain.

The only way to access Fort's summit is via the Marston Trail and/or the Mount Coe Trail then a bushwhack through thick trees on a herd path. There is NO maintained trail to the summit of Fort Mountain.

On June 20, 1944, a C-54-A cargo plane (TWA flight 277) crashed into Fort Mountain. All 7 passengers on board died which included 6 civilian crew members and 1 United States Air Force passenger. The aircraft experienced severe weather including heavy rain, high wind and lightning. These weather conditions forced the aircraft to blow 70 feet off course. The pilot, Roger "Rolley" Inman did not know he was flying below 4,000 feet and hit Fort Mountain at about 3,700 feet. Some of the remains of the plane are still on Fort Mountain and allow the curios and ambitious hikers to go visit the site.

Lists Fort Mountain are on:	= A patch is available for this list
New England Hundred highest New England Hundred highest in Winter season

The map below shows how to get to the summit of Fort Mountain, as well as Mount Coe, South Brother and North Brother Mountain, which are all on the New England Hundred Highest hiking list.

(NOTE: IF YOU INCLUDE FORT MOUNTAIN IN YOUR HIKE, LIKE THE MAP BELOW SHOWS, THIS IS A BUSHWHACK HIKE. THERE IS NO MAINTAINED TRAIL TO THE SUMMIT OF FORT MOUNTAIN, SO ONLY ATTEMPT THIS IF YOU ARE SMART WITH A NAVIGATION SYSTEM AND/OR KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING.)

(NOTE: IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT IF YOU CHOOSE TO HIKE THIS LOOP, TO DO IT COUNTER CLOCKWISE BECAUSE THE MOUNT COE TRAIL IS ALL ROCK SLIDES AND IS VERY DIFFICULT TO HIKE DOWN. [ESPECIALLY WHEN WET] USE CAUTION.)

From the Marston Trailhead parking lot (near Slide Dam day use site parking area), head up the Marston Trail and hike for 1.3 miles until you come to a junction with the Mount Coe Trail (right) and the Marston Trail (left). You can go either way, depending on which mountains you want to hit first, but these directions will go right to hit Mount Coe first.

Go right on the Mount Coe Trail and hike roughly 1.7 miles until you reach the summit of Mount Coe. (At 1.4 miles you will have passed a junction with the OJI Link Trail.) From the summit of Coe, continue on the Mount Coe Trail for roughly 1.5 miles until you reach a trail on your right to head up to the summit of South Brother Mountain. After your stay on South Brother, head back down the 0.3 mile trail to get back onto the Mount Coe Trail. Go right and hike for 1.5 miles until you reach the summit of North Brother. (At 0.6 miles you will have passed a junction with the Marston Trail, which you will take on the way down.)

To bushwhack over to Fort Mountain, look for a few cairns (rock piles) indicating where the herd path is to your left. Follow for roughly 1 mile to the summit of Fort Mountain. You might come across a few junctions shortly after heading into treeline. The first one goes left and straight. The easier way (if there really is one) is to go left. At the second junction, which goes straight and right, you will want to go right. Again, do not attempt this bushwhack unless you are comfortable with hiking off trail. The best way to stay on the herd path is to always look at your feet to not veer off the path.

To head back to the parking area, hike back over to North Brother via the same bushwhack you just took. From the summit of North Brother, hike down the Marston Trail for 0.9 miles until you come to the same junction you were at before with the Mount Coe Trail. Go right to stay on the Marston Trail and continue for 3.7 miles until you reach the parking area. (At 2.4 miles you will have passed a junction with the Mount Coe Trail again.)

Click to download PDF Trail Map of Fort Mountain.

Heading over to Fort Mountain via a bushwhack on a cloudy/rainy day on August 31, 2014.

Hiker heading back up North Brother Mountain from Fort Mountain on a cloudy/rainy day on 8- 31-14.

From I-95 North, take exit 144-244 for Maine 157 towards Medway / Millinocket. Go left off the off ramp to go West on Route 157 / West Medway Road. Drive 11.3 miles. Turn right onto Katahdin Road. Drive 0.2 miles. Take the 2nd left onto Bates Street. Drive 0.9 miles. Continue onto Millinocket Road. Drive 6.2 miles. Continue onto Millinocket Lake Road. Drive 1.1 miles. Continue onto Baxter Park Road. Drive 6.8 miles. Turn right to stay on Baxter Park Road. Drive 1.9 miles. Slight left onto Park Tote Road. Drive roughly 13.1 miles until you reach the Marston Trailhead parking area (near the Slide Dam Day Use Site parking area.)

NOTE: The trailhead is 13.1 miles from the gate at the Baxter State Park South entrance.

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