Mount Coe (3,795 ft) rises within Baxter State Park about 5.5 miles northwest of Katahdin, with South Brother as its northeastern neighbor and Mount O-J-I to the southwest. Its defining feature is the Coe Slide, a broad swath of open granite slabs that commands the upper approach and provides the mountain's most dramatic terrain.
The standard route via the Marston Trail and Mount Coe Trail begins at the Slide Dam trailhead on Nesowdnehunk Stream, climbs gradually for the first couple of miles, then turns steeply onto the slide. The last half-mile to the summit gains around 800 feet over open rock; black algae and lichen on the slabs make wet conditions genuinely treacherous, and several serious accidents have occurred here. Most hikers run the loop counter-clockwise to ascend the slide rather than descend it. The round trip to Coe alone is about 6 miles. The wooded summit opens to views across the Klondike Basin and out to Katahdin's Hamlin Peak, the Brothers, Doubletop, and Owl Mountain.
Many hikers extend the outing to include South and North Brother, adding roughly 4.5 miles and two more summits from the New England Hundred Highest list. Baxter State Park requires advance reservations for vehicle entry during peak season. Snow lingers on the slide into late spring, and the exposed slabs offer no shelter during afternoon thunderstorms; an early start is advisable from June through August.
