When submitting eBird observations at Blue Hill Mountain, it is most helpful to start a new checklist for each hotspot in the preserve. Use the general hotspot when you have a checklist that includes multiple locations or if no other hotspot or personal location is appropriate for your sightings.

Blue Hill Mountain, a 934-foot monadnock (solitary mountain), overlooks the town of Blue Hill and all of Blue Hill Bay. Named Awanadjo, “small, misty mountain,” by the Penobscot, it has been a landmark for as long as people have lived in this region, some 5-7,000 years. The Blue Hill peninsula was home to both the ancestors of the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy peoples, who lived here seasonally.

The transition to conservation land began in 1975 when the property on the southern slopes of Blue Hill Mountain was generously left to the Town of Blue Hill by Ruth Hayes “for conservation purposes.” In 1989 adjoining land was given to Blue Hill Heritage Trust by Louise Frederick, a descendent of one of Blue Hill’s earliest settlers. Both properties provide well-used public access routes to the mountain’s summit. Conservation land on Blue Hill Mountain now totals nearly 500 acres. The mountain receives thousands of hikers each year who enjoy a walk through the fields and woods to the open bedrock summit for spectacular views of Mount Desert Island and Blue Hill Bay.

Under the management of Blue Hill Heritage Trust and the Town of Blue Hill, many improvements have been made to the trails and infrastructure on the mountain. Several sets of stone stairs were constructed on the Osgood Trail between 1999 and 2002. In 2003 a 400’ set of stone stairs was built with the help of the Maine Conservation Corps and local volunteers to cure an erosion problem on the Hayes Trail.

The Osgood Trail is approximately 1 mile to the summit, taking about 35-45 minutes each way. This trail is easy to moderate and mostly wooded with loose rock, exposed roots, some ledges, and several sets of stone stairs.

The Hayes Trail is about 0.75 miles in length. It begins in an open field, climbs a stone stairway, and ascends through a stand of oaks into mature spruce and fir near the summit. This trail is moderate to challenging in difficulty. While offering open views to the south, the re-routed section of this trail crosses an exposed ledge and climbs a steep rock talus slope as it nears the communication tower. Use caution.

The South Face Trail links the Osgood Trail with the Hayes Trail, creating the opportunity for a loop hike without having to walk along the Mountain Road.

The Post Office Trail connects the Village to the Mountain via a 1-mile trail that starts at the Blue Hill Post Office and leads to the beginning of the Osgood Trailhead on Mountain Road.

The Becton Trail is an easy to moderate 2-mile hike, through softwood forest dominated by large spruce and pine, ascending the northwest slope of the mountain and intersecting with the Osgood Trail near the summit.  Watch for views to the north of Toddy Pond and Great Pond Mountain as the trail nears the summit.

The Tower Service Trail was built by and at the expense of Blue Hill Mountain Leasing, the local company that owns the tower. Hikers are welcome. This trail provides the most gradual ascent.

Larry's Loop is a 1,000 ft extension loop, completed in 2016, that offers another wonderful view from the southern side of the summit.

The Maine TrailFinder website has a description and map of a hike at Blue Hill Mountain.