Maine Highlands
Listen! Can you hear it? It’s the call of the wilderness from Maine’s Highland Region. Towering peaks, lush woodlands and endless waterways create a setting where you can connect with the beauty of nature at its most compelling.
It’s an area where you can appreciate the vastness of the outdoors and are surrounded by exceptional locations for camping, hiking, climbing, fishing, boating, bird watching, photography and relaxing.
In the northeast section of this region you’ll find Baxter State Park. Spreading out over 200,000 acres are unspoiled forests with 45 peaks and ridges and 75 miles of hiking and climbing trails. The park was a gift of former Governor Percival P. Baxter with the commitment that it would be “forever left in its natural wild state.”
Magnificent Mount Katahdin, Maine’s tallest peak at 5,267 feet, is the jewel of the park. It provides a variety of trails that first time climbers and veteran mountaineer find challenging and exhilarating. The mountain, with its precarious “Knife Edge” trail, marks one end of the Appalachian Trail which links with Georgia 2,000 mile away.
At the southern entrance to the park is the town of Millinocket. Built up as a major paper mill town, today it provides accommodations and recreational activities for visitors and outdoor enthusiasts.
If you prefer to enter Baxter State Park from the north, head for the small residential town of Patten. It’s the home of the Lumberman’s Museum, a nine building complex with exhibits that presents the history and importance of Maine’s logging industry.
In the western section of the region is Moosehead Lake, the largest fresh water lake in the state. It spreads 40 miles long and 20 miles wide and provides a year-round destination for water sports and nature lovers. Some claim there are more moose in this region than anywhere in the northeast. In the mid-1800s Henry David Thoreau explored here with Indian guides and was soon followed by “rusticators” in need of a holiday away from the big city life.
A great way to experience the views of the region is to take a scenic lake cruise on the restored historic steamboat Katahdin.
Mount Kineo, which rises to 1,806 feet out of Moosehead Lake, offers excellent climbing trails and has vast deposits of flint. Indian tribes would travel here for this essential metal to make tools and weapons. Along with the fishing, camping and boating that lures visitors to the region you can shoot the rapids of the many surging rivers on an unforgettable white water rafting excursion.
Across a small stretch of water to the southwest of Mount Kineo is the town of Rockwood. It offers spectacular views of the lake and surrounding mountains.
You’ll find Greenville, a popular resort town, at the southern end of the lake. Lili Bay State Park is located on the lake’s shore and provides 925 acres for picnics, swimming and camping. Another way to travel and sightsee the area is to fly on one of the seaplanes that dock here. In September pilots from all parts of the country arrive for the International Seaplane Fly-In, which hosts a fair with competitions and exhibits.
At the southern section of the highland region is Dover-Foxcroft. Until 1922 it was two towns separated by the Piscataquis River. Today it is a great place to begin your trip into the Moosehead Region. Peaks-Kenny State Park is located on the shores of Sebec Lake with excellent beaches and outdoor facilities. A visit to the Blacksmith Shop Museum shows exhibits of tools and examples of this vital trade from the Civil War era.
For an ideal way to connect with the natural wonders of unspoiled woodlands, pristine waterways and picturesque mountain vistas listen to the call of the Maine Highlands.
In the northeast section of the MAINE HIGHLANDS region you’ll find Baxter State Park. Spreading out over 200,000 acres are unspoiled forests. Magnificent MountKatahdin , Maine’s tallest peak at 5,267 feet is the jewel of the park. It provides a variety of trails that first time climbers and veteran mountaineer find challenging and exhilarating. The mountain marks one end of the Appalachian Trail which links with Georgia 2,000 miles away.
At the southern entrance to the park is the town of Millinocket. Built up as a major paper mill town, today it provides accommodations and recreational activities for visitors and outdoor enthusiasts.
It’s an area where you can appreciate the vastness of the outdoors and are surrounded by exceptional locations for camping, hiking, climbing, fishing, boating, bird watching, photography, and relaxing.
Posted in Baxter State Park Area, Maine Highlands | 1 Comment »
In the western section of the MAINE HIGHLANDS region is Moosehead Lake, the largest fresh water lake int eh state. It spreads 40 miles long and 20 miles wide and provides a year-round destination for water sports and nature lovers.
Mount Kineo, which rises to 1,806 feet out of Moosehead Lake, offers excellent climbing trails. Along with the fishing, camping and boating that lures visitors to the region you can shoot the rapids of the many surging rivers on an unforgettable white water rafting excursion.
Southwest of Mount Kineo is the town of Rockwood. It offers spectacular views of the lake and surrounding mountains.
You’ll find Greenville at the southern end of the lake. Lili Bay State Park is located on the lake’s shore and provides 925 acres for picnics, swimming and camping.
Posted in Maine Highlands, Moosehead Lake Area | 1 Comment »
The mighty Penobscot River cascades down from northern Maine’s timberland past Orono and between the sister cities of Bangor and Brewer on its way to the Gulf of Maine. In the mid-1800s the vast supply of harvested trees that flowed down the Penobscot helped establish Bangor as the leading lumber port in the world. At the time it was considered the world’s richest city per capita and called the “Queen City of the East.”
Disaster struck in 1911 when a fire destroyed 55 acres of the city’s commercial and residential neighborhoods. Today you can see many examples of classic architecture that the fire spared.
The robust history of area has contributed to the many attractions that you’ll find so inviting. Today as Maine’s 2nd largest city, Bangor remains the major focal point for cultural and commercial activities for eastern and central Maine.
If you enjoy outdoor activities visit any of the 30 recreational areas, woodlands and waterways, including the 650-acre City Forest. You’ll find miles of trails for jogging, biking, cross country hiking, sailing, fishing and winter sports.
You’ll also discover scenic paths along the Penobscot River and Kenduskeag Stream, famous for its annual canoe race. Bring a picnic to Grotto Cascade Park where you’ll see a lighted water fountain and 20-foot water fall.
Kids will have fun in the Maine Discovery Museum and music lovers will enjoy the Bangor Symphony. Establihed in 1896, it’s the oldest symphony in the U.S. You can also hear free concerts in city parks performed by the Bangor Band.You’ll find many art studios and galleries downtown. Don’t miss the summer sidewalk art festival.
You have the Bangor Mall for shopping, one of the country’s oldest state fairs provides agricultural exhibits and entertainment, Coleland Transportation Museum, art galleries, music festivals, the Bangor Raceway, and the Hollywood Slots, Maine’s first slot machine center.
North along the river is Orono, first settled in 1774 and home of the University of Maine. Starting with 2 teachers and 12 students in 1868, today the enrollment is more than 11,000. When you tour the campus you’ll see the Maine Center for the Arts, Hudson Museum, the Maynard F. Jordan Planetarium and Observatory, a theater, art museum, modern sporting facilities and the state’s largest library.
Posted in Bangor - Brewer - Orono, Maine Highlands | 1 Comment »
