West Peak is the high point of the Bigelow Range, a long ridge running through western Maine's Bigelow Preserve. The mountain carries the name of Major Timothy Bigelow, one of Benedict Arnold's officers who climbed the summit in October 1775 to scout the route during the Invasion of Canada. The preserve, over 10,500 acres, was created in 1976 after a grassroots campaign blocked a large proposed ski resort; it has held National Natural Landmark status since 1975. At 4,145 feet, West Peak tops the range's other four-thousand-footer, Avery Peak, by about 57 feet, and offers a fully open, rocky summit with a 360-degree panorama. Views reach north over Flagstaff Lake, the reservoir formed by damming the Dead River, with ridge after ridge extending to the horizon.
The most direct approach follows the Fire Warden's Trail from Stratton Brook Pond Road, climbing 4.6 miles to Bigelow Col at 3,815 feet, then 0.3 miles south on the Appalachian Trail to the summit, about 9.8 miles round trip. Most hikers extend the day to include Avery Peak for roughly 11.6 miles total; a longer loop adds South Horn and returns via the Horns Pond Trail, passing the backcountry tarn at Horns Pond, where the Maine Appalachian Trail Club maintains lean-to shelters and a seasonal caretaker.
Rare alpine vegetation covers the exposed upper ridge, and camping above treeline is prohibited. Snow can linger into May and return by October, and afternoon thunderstorms are a summer hazard.
