Oxford Hills

By Carey Kish

Copyright © 2004 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

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Trail name: Oxford Hills Nearest town: South Paris Region: Western Lakes & Mountains Length: various Difficulty: Beginner Other: Follow Route 117 north through Market Square in South Paris. Turn left toward Buckfield and drive approximately three miles until you see Streaked Mountain Road on the right. The trailhead is about a half mile down the road on the left. Maps: Get driving directions from MapQuest. View a topo map from Maptech MapServer.

The beautiful Oxford Hills stretch roughly from the Maine-New Hampshire border at Evans Notch east to the Androscoggin River. There are at least two dozen short hikes in the region on small to mid-sized mountains ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 feet in elevation.

The Oxford Hills are often overlooked in favor of the higher mountains to the north. But bigger isn't necessarily better, and hikers willing to explore a little off the beaten path will find plenty to their liking here without a big effort. The Oxford Hills will surprise you with pleasant, uncrowded trails and numerous cliffs, ledges and outlooks that offer rewarding views of distant mountains, hillside farms and pretty countryside.

Streaked Mountain and Singepole Ridge are two fine hikes that I recommend for a day's outing. The mountains are close to each other so you can hike them together in one easy day, as some friends and I did recently.

Carey Kish of Portland is the former president of the Maine Outdoor Adventure Club. He can be reached at:

happycamper@careykish.com