Part of the reason I hike is to experience the solitude of nature. I’m sure I’m not the only hiker to feel that way. But, sometimes it’s hard to find a quiet spot along the trail without being trampled by hordes of other hikers. Last weekend, though, I found such a place.

Last Sunday, on a beautiful, sunny, cool summer day my landlord, Jere Connolly, his wife Carol and I pulled into an empty parking spot in the Donnell Pond District of Maine’s Bureau of Public Lands. It’s located off Route 1 in Sullivan, at the end of the road, State Route 183. We had time for just a short hike up to Black Mountain.

We expected the trail to be crowded, it being mid-summer. Instead, we had the trail and the views to ourselves, to our surprise. The route winds its way to the top of the 900-foot summit. We stopped at a set of granite ledges that overlook Tunk Lake and the Down East coast. We spent an hour or so eating snacks and pointing out the landmarks. Then, we hiked back to the truck and drove home. In the couple of hours we spent on the trail, we saw no one, not another soul.

That got me wondering if there are other places in Maine where the foot traffic is light and the crowds minimal. Hiking is an immensely popular activity. You’ll soon discover that, if you’ve ever tried to find a parking spot at a trailhead in Acadia or any number of other popular hiking destinations across the state. To find a place that’s crowd-free so you too can hike in solitude, it helps to know where to look. So, what follows are some tips on finding trails that are less traveled.

BE FLEXIBLE: If you planned your trip in advance, at home, and the parking lot is full at the trailhead, change to a less crowded locale. A great example is in Acadia National Park. When I go to Acadia, it’s easy to drive from one trailhead to another, until I find the one with the fewest cars. Instead of Cadillac Mountain I head to Sargent Mountain. Lots fewer people. The views are still the same, outstanding.

START EARLY: Hike when most people don’t. In summer, it seems that no one decides to hike until midday. You can be driving out of the parking space when the influx of hikers drives in if you get on the trail by 7 or 8 a.m. You’ll have spent time on the summit while most hikers are having breakfast.

ASK AROUND: Ask a park ranger, if you’re in a state park, national park or refuge, where to go to avoid people. Rangers can tell you more about their locale than anyone. They hike, too. They have an interest in dispersing foot traffic and impact from overused trails. They may have a favorite spot with an amazing view.

PICK A ROUGH HIKE: If you have the experience with difficult terrain, take a known challenging hike. The chances of finding someone else on the trail decrease with every difficult feature. Take Katahdin, for instance. The greatest number of people are concentrated on Baxter Peak. It’s the highest point in the state, so you can’t blame them for wanting to sit and take it all in. Most of them didn’t take Knife Edge to get there, up the Helon Taylor Trail from Roaring Brook Campground. You could see a handful of hikers on Knife Edge in the morning, when there are dozens of people on Baxter Peak who arrived from different directions.

PICK A SECONDARY FEATURE: Instead of going to a main attraction like Baxter Peak or Cadillac Mountain, head for the next best thing. The crowds drop off quickly. Usually you get to see the landscape from a totally different view. Hamlin Peak, which is part of Katahdin, is the second highest peak in the state, yet it sees almost no foot traffic, even on the weekend.

GO WHEN IT’S OVERCAST: I know you don’t get to see much, but what do you want, smaller crowds or great views? If you have to wear your rain gear, you’re sure to have the trail to yourself. You’ll see the hike a whole new way, sometimes dramatically.

SELECT A REMOTE SPOT: Small public land units are ideal places to hike with a minimum of crowds. They are usually out of the way of the main traffic. The trails are well maintained and marked and some of the units are rarely visited.

Maine is loaded with miles of great hiking trails. If you’re into solitude, once you start exploring, you’ll be surprised at just how easy it is to find. All you need to do to have that special hike to yourself is be a little creative in choosing the trail to get there.