Maiden Cliff Trail

Maiden Cliff is a dramatic 800-foot precipice on the western face of Megunticook Mountain overlooking the freshwater expanse of Megunticook Lake, Camden's reservoir and one of the largest natural lakes in Maine. A large white wooden cross marks the cliff edge, commemorating 11-year-old Eleanor French who fell to her death here in 1864 while chasing her wind-blown hat — a somber landmark that has become one of the most photographed features of the Camden Hills. The trail departs from a small pull-off on Route 52 north of the main park entrance and climbs steeply through northern hardwood forest before scrambling up open ledges to the cliff's exposed edge. The views west across Megunticook Lake and into the hill towns of Lincolnville and Hope are strikingly different from the coastal panoramas of Mount Battie — pastoral farmland and forested ridges rather than ocean and islands. The cliff edge requires caution as the drop is sheer and significant; stay well back from the crumbling granite lip. The route can be extended to the 1,380-foot summit of Megunticook Mountain, the highest point in the park, via the connecting Ridge Trail for a more demanding full-day outing.