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Moosehead is Maine Mecca for Outdoor Recreation Year-Round

October 12, 2007 - The Moosehead Lake region is majestic. The lake is expansive. The woods are abundant. People are scarce. It is a place where you can go to escape the everyday and see fewer people.

Many people like snowmobile riding for these reasons. The machines get you out there, literally. The trails around Moosehead Lake are almost as numerous as the trees. Move north to Greenville and about 30 miles out you will begin to see the signs for snow sled clubs and fixit shops. In fact, you may see more signs for snowmobile repair than for car repair. This is serious backwoods country. You can even rent a sled in some places.

However, people with their own sleds need to purchase a license. On-line registration through the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) is perhaps the simplest way to accomplish this task, however you can also register your sled at Indian Hill or the Greenville Town Office. Non-resident fees run fiom $68 for an entire season to $43 dollars for a three-day registration.

The IFW's Web site, maine.gov/ifw, is a fantastic resource for anyone interested in planing a snowmobile adventure. Including important safety information, snowmobile hand signals, a downloadable format of the law book for operating a snowmobile in the state and a form to report a planned trip itinerary. That way, if you don't report back, wardens will have an idea of where to start looking for you and members of your party: Remember, safety first. However, after all the business is taken care of, its time to do the fun planning! Where to stay, where to sled and of course, where to eat. Renting a cabin in the woods is a fabulous way to really get away from the everyday. Set up camp for a few days or a weeklong vacation but be sure to haul in plenty of water and first aid supplies with your other provisions.

The town of Greenville has stores to buy everything you will need (and more). It also boasts some excellent family-style restaurants, serving up hearty hot meals - necessary after a long day of riding. The Moosehead Snowmobile Trail, a 166-mile loop circumnavigating the lake and traveling through Greenville, Kokadjo, North East Carry, Seboomook, Pittston Farm and Rockwood, is the best known trail. Serious riders say it can be traveled in one day at a fast pace. However, perhaps the most enjoyable method is to split the journey into two or three days, staying over night and stopping at unique sights along the way. These include long vistas, country stores, a wreck of a B-52 bomber near Blair Hill, a possible climb up Squaw Mountain and many moose and deer hot spots. Trail maintenance is a regional effort; each village taking responsible for grooming nearby sections to assure a smooth ride. For this reason, the loop can be enjoyed by serious and novice sledders alike.

This trail and others on the Maine Interconnecting Trail System (ITS) are depicted on maps available at some area businesses, town offices and through the mail from IFW, call.2878000 for a copy. Greenville also has an indoor ice-skating rink for those who just can't get enough winter sports activity. Skates are available on loan in most adult and youth sizes. For more information call the Greenville Recreation Department at 695-2421. And, if you plan your visit after a good long cold stretch, Moosehead will be frozen over and a small town of shanties will have surfaced on the ice. Inside, fishers huddle and laugh while strong lines dropped deep await a bite. The area plays host to numerous fishing derbies and shacks and equipment are available for rent. So, this winter, don't just sit on the couch and watch it go by, plan a trip to the Moosehead region. Get out, get up there and have a blast in the woods. Well crafted tents and other gear make camping comfortable year-round.

SOURCE: MOUNT DESERT ISLANDER

DATE: 10-04-2007


Lakes: Moosehead Lake
Regions: Moosehead


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