Black Dome is the tallest of the three peaks in the Blackhead Range, and the climb feels like it. The Black Dome Range Trail follows red blazes for 7.5 miles, linking Barnum Road with the Escarpment Trail, and the steep, rocky pitches on the way up are what most hikers remember. Good traction matters, especially when the ledges are wet or iced, and the rocky footing slows the pace on the way down too.
The summit sits in the middle of the ridge, with neighboring Thomas Cole Mountain to the west and Blackhead Mountain to the east. Trees crowd the top, though a small opening in the balsams near the summit looks south. The wilderness around it holds northern hardwoods lower down and high-elevation spruce-fir habitat above.
Many hikers link the three summits. A loop over Blackhead, Black Dome and Thomas Cole makes a long, tiring day, while an out-and-back from Big Hollow Road picks off Black Dome and Thomas Cole in 6.5 miles. The peak lies inside the Windham-Blackhead Range Wilderness, where camping is prohibited above 3,500 feet from March 21 to December 21.
