South Brother Mountain Trail Maps - Directions from the parking lot to the summit |
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The map below shows how to get to the summit of South Brother Mountain, as well as Mount Coe, North Brother and Fort Mountain, which are all on the New England Hundred Highest hiking list. Of course you can just hike South Brother if you would like.
(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 OR ARE ACCOMPANYING SOMEONE WHO IS.)
(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.)
If you wish to continue 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.
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 South Brother Mountain.
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