I went on a day trip to explore the cliff at Cliff Lake in North Maine Woods.

I have driven to the campsite at Cliff Lake several times over the years and have noticed the cliff not far from the campsite.  Even though the elevation at the top of the cliff is not very high, I figured there might be a good view from the top.

So I decided this was the day to go check out the view from the top of the cliff.

The drive to get there was fairly long.  I left home around 7:30 and arrived at Cliff Lake at just after 11:30.  The drive was 106 miles from home, with 50 miles on gravel woods roads.  I did stop at a campsite along the way to check out two old abandoned cars.

My hike started at the campsite at Cliff Lake.  I talked to some people camping there before starting my hike.

Except for a short walk along the campsite road, this hike was a bushwhack. I doubt many people go to the top of the cliff to check out the view.

For the most part the hike up was not difficult.  I wasn't sure how good the views would be because there are a lot of trees right up to the edge of the cliff.  Eventually I came to a good open spot with views down to the lake and the surrounding countryside.  I was able to see Big and Little Spencer Mountains, which are 45 miles south.  A nearby ridge blocked the view of Katahdin and other mountains in Baxter State Park.  I could not see the campsite but could see sunlight reflecting off a vehicle parked down by the lake.  I could also hear people talking down at the campsite. 

I hung around for a while admiring the views before continuing on my way.  I decided to continue following the top of the cliff and loop back towards my start point.  I also wanted to check out the area around the base of the cliff.

Going along the base of the cliff was more difficult than going along the top.  The terrain was rougher and the tree growth was thicker, with tress right at the base of the cliff.

After a while I started to head back in the direction of the road and came out on the road within sight of the spot where I left the road.

When I got back to my vehicle one of the guys camping left me a note to let him know when I get back from the cliff.  He knew I was alone and just wanted to make sure I got back safely.  I thanked him for looking out for me.  After chatting with him for a while I started the drive home.  I took a different route than the way I came, so it was even longer!

Except for a few birds flying around, I did not see many animals on this trip.  No moose or deer.

The weather was excellent.  I have no way to track my hike, so this is the best estimate by using maps and Google Earth:  From my starting point to the good view was just over 0.4 miles.  The total hike was just over 1 mile.  The elevation gain to the good view was around 240 ft.  I'll add another 40 ft for wandering around the base of the cliff.  It took me 40 min. to get to the good view.  My total time was 1 hour 52 min.

My total road mileage for the trip was 197 miles, with 106 miles on gravel woods roads.

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