Mount Redington rises to 4,010 feet in the High Peaks of Franklin County, Maine, flanked by South Crocker Mountain to the northeast and Black Nubble to the west. One of only two New England 4,000-footers without a maintained trail to its summit, Redington draws its character from that distinction: the Appalachian Trail bypasses it entirely, curving instead over Sugarloaf Mountain to the northeast. The summit sits in a dense sub-alpine fir zone that shelters two rare species, the southern bog lemming and Bicknell's thrush, and offers no open views.
Reaching the summit requires off-trail navigation. The standard approach follows Caribou Valley Road to the AT trailhead, hikes the AT roughly 2.1 miles to the summit of South Crocker Mountain, then departs via a herd path heading southwest toward Redington. That herd path, worn by years of peak-baggers, is clear in places and difficult to follow in others; a boundary-line trail junction roughly halfway across demands attention, as continuing on the boundary line leads away from the summit. The full round trip, often combined with both Crocker peaks, covers around 8.6 miles with approximately 2,800 feet of elevation gain. A white summit register canister is strapped to a tree at the top and can be hard to locate in the dense fir.
Navigation skills and a GPS device are essential here. Snow can linger well into spring, and the krummholz near the summit makes route-finding particularly demanding in poor visibility or icy conditions.
