The eyebrow trail is a fun hike around the steep cliffs on the lower section of Old Speck Mountain in Maine’s Grafton Notch State Park.
While I prefer the open viewpoint at Table Rock on the opposite side of the notch, the Eyebrow Trail is a lot of fun with its cable hand rail, iron rungs and ladder at its steepest section.
The Eyebrow Trail can either be hiked as a 2.7 mile loop (as described in this post) or as part of a much longer 7.4 mile round-trip hike to Old Speck Mountain, the fourth highest mountain in Maine.
Parking for the trail head is located on Route 26 in Grafton Notch State Park. The same parking lot is for the Table Rock trail head across the street as well as access to the Appalachian Trail. Dogs are OK.
The orange blazed eyebrow trail is for the ascent only; as it is very steep and would be dangerous to attempt descending.
Do the loop in a counter-clockwise direction by taking the white blazed Appalachian Trail on the descent back to the trail head.
It took me just over 2 hours to do the loop, but the 1100 feet elevation gain in one mile had me sweating!
Trail Map and Hike Details
The really steep section of the trail starts in just a half mile from the trail head, as it swings left and climbs around and over the cliffside.
First you’ll ascend with the optional aid of a cable hand rail. This was the first time I got an upper body workout during a hike!
Next there’s a section with lots of iron rungs to keep you from sliding down the cliff, and then a short ladder. Pretty spicy!
The climb continues through the woods after this until reaching the highest point of this hike at a viewpoint on top of the steep cliff. Directly below you is the parking lot and you can appreciate that you just climbed about 1100 feet in only a mile!
The trail starts to descend after this and you’ll stay left to return to the parking lot on the Appalachian Trail (or turn right for the much longer and strenuous hike to Old Speck Mountain)
One more attraction awaits near the end of the hike … A small waterfall! I’ve read on AllTrails that sometimes its dried up but it had rained a couple days prior and it was really pretty. There’s a small pool that you could take a dip in, or you can drive down the road and enjoy the waterslides at Step Falls!
Below is a 3D map of the trail. Zoom in and change the angle and you’ll really appreciate how steep this trail is!
I think that the Eyebrow Trail is just as spicy as the iron rung trails in Acadia and definitely worth doing if you’re OK with a rough, steep trail with lots of roots, iron rungs, a ladder and some exposure. Adventurous kids will probably love it but just make sure that everybody stays on the trail and resists the urge to get too close to the edge of the cliffside.
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Can you get to the lookout on the eyebrow trail by going up the AT instead. And do an out and back that way to avoid the rungs and what not?