Basecamp: Little Lyford Pond Camps & Medawisla Wilderness Camps
- Fall for Greenville, Maine: Moosehead Lake, Katadin steamboat, float plane competition
- Maine's Grand Canyon: Gulf Hagas waterfall hikes
- Make it a service weekend: volunteer for a trail crew
- Under a foliage canopy: exploring Maine's scenic backcountry
- Cast flies for native brookies
- Get your feet weet: go quiet water paddling
- Lodge-to-lodge mountain biking and other foliage tours
- Absorb some local history in Piscataquis County towns
Disconnect from cell phones, the Internet, and television and be instantly transported back in time at remote, historic outposts in Maine’s 100-Mile Wilderness region.
Enjoy hiking, wildlife watching, paddling, fly fishing, and more at Little Lyford Pond Camps, set within the historic, 37,000-acre Katahdin Iron Works property. Little Lyford Pond Camps is just a two-mile hike from spectacular Gulf Hagas and the Appalachian Trail, and miles of trails around camp offer views of the Barren-Chairback range, White Cap, Baker and Indian Mtns.
Located on the shores of Second Roach Pond, Medawisla Wilderness Camps offers many opportunities to fish for land-locked salmon and brook trout, hike to views of Mount Katahdin, spot a moose or go bird watching, and paddle the network of Roach Ponds.
Guidebooks and maps: Maine Mountain Guide, Discover Maine, Quiet Water Canoe Guide: Maine, AMC River Guide: Maine
1. Fall for Greenville, Maine: Moosehead Lake, Katadin steamboat, float plane competition
Little Lyford Pond Camps is located 15 miles east of Greenville, Maine in a remote, backcountry setting on 37,000-acres purchased by the AMC in 2003 as part of its Maine Woods Initiative. The vibrant town of Greenville on the shores of Moosehead Lake is the heart of the region. Shops, restaurants, and outdoor outfitters cater to visitors’ needs, and the emphasis is on outdoor recreation.
Many visitors enjoy a cruise of the lake on the historic Katahdin, built as a steamboat in 1914 at Bath Iron Works and later converted to diesel. Visitors who prefer to propel their own craft may opt to rent a canoe or kayak from a local outfitter and dip a paddle in the lake. The
Moosehead Marine Museum is another Greenville highlight.
Make it a long weekend and catch part of the annual International Sea Plane Fly-In in Greenville. The weekend includes Float Plane competitions, educational exhibits, and the Moosehead Lake Region's largest craft fair, just to name a few things.
Stay a night in Greenville and then make your way to Little Lyford Pond Camps, where you can spend the afternoon taking a walk around camp or out to one of the Little Lyford ponds. Another option is jumping in a canoe, kayak, or rowboat at the dock for a short paddle before heading back to the lodge for a hearty, home-cooked meal.
2. Maine's Grand Canyon: Gulf Hagas waterfall hikes
A beautiful four-mile-long, slate-walled gorge carved by the West Branch of the Pleasant River, Gulf Hagas is often called the "Grand Canyon of Maine" and is also a National Natural Landmark.
A series of waterfalls, rapids, chutes, cascades, and pools make Gulf Hagas a sight to behold at any time of year. Start hiking from Little Lyford Pond Camps and head approximately one mile down the west side of the Pleasant River. After crossing a bridge, it's another mile down the east side of the river to the Gulf Hagas rim trail, which features side trails to viewpoints of the area's famous falls. It's an easy hike from here to Stair Falls, a system of little stairs cascading over jagged steps. This scenic canyon stretches 3 miles, with 5 major waterfalls.
3. Make it a service weekend: volunteer for a trail crew
Each year, the AMC depends on more than 2,500 trail volunteers who contribute their time, energy, and enthusiasm through participation in trail programs. Make a meaningful contribution by helping to maintain trails on a volunteer trail crew held over a 3-day weekend this fall at Little Lyford Pond Camps. No experience is needed, and all abilities and efforts are welcome and appreciated. Work hard on the trail and enjoy the area’s recreational opportunities as well.
4. Under a foliage canopy: exploring Maine's scenic backcountry
Routes range from easy rambles around wetlands to mellow climbs with big views of Katahdin and the Barren-Chairback Ridge.
AMC’s 45 miles of trail are the central line to four-season recreation on its KIW property. Hikers have front-door access to many of these from Little Lyford Pond Camps. Nearby Gulf Hagas Trail, an 8.6-mile spur of the Appalachian Trail, is the area’s marquee footpath.
Make a quick ascent of 2,341-foot Indian Mountain for long-range vistas that extend into Canada. Or try 2,180-foot Chairback Mountain, whose aspen-cloaked flanks give rise to the AT en route to Monument Ledge and views of more than half of AMC’s property. But for the truly adventurous, the best may be yet to come. Beyond the Barren-Chairback Ridge, the property’s southern tier holds a wealth of untapped ecological gems: among them Houston Pond, a 130-foot-deep pool ringed by glacial erratics, and the wetlands of Caribou Bog, once home to Maine’s last wild caribou herd.
Nearby Medawisla, take hikes on Emmit Brook Trail and Deer Run Trail, among others, to identify Maine Woods trees.
Partly excerpted from "The Best of Maine," AMC Outdoors, January/February 2007
5. Cast flies for native brookies
Along with the iconic native brook trout—a species on the decline nationwide—the area offers excellent angling prospects for landlocked salmon, lake trout, and bass. Lake trout dwell in the deeper glacial lakes and are known for their larger size. Landlocked salmon—Atlantic salmon trapped in inland bodies of water—are prized for their fight. Both swim abundantly in Long Pond, which anglers can access via AMC’s self-service Moose Point Cabin on its southern shores.
Little Lyford Pond Camps and Medawisla Wilderness Camps are also popular staging sites for fly fishing adventures with so many pools within striking distance.
A Registered Maine Guide is available for introductory to full-day sessions.
Excerpted from "The Best of Maine," AMC Outdoors, January/February 2007
6. Get your feet weet: go quiet water paddling
Hundreds of pristine bodies of water shimmer the landscape, including 17 ponds on AMC’s 37,000-acre Katahdin Iron Works property, nine around Little Lyford Pond Camps alone--with a canoe on every one.
On nearby Long Pond, paddlers can soak up mountain views of the Barren-Chairback Range and bed down at a primitive campsite in the narrows of the 3.5-mile-long pond. North of the property, the Roach River Drainage presents more quiet water opportunities. Named after a French missionary who spent time in the Maine woods, the six eponymous ponds number one through seven and accommodate paddlers of all levels. The jewel is Second Roach, a 3.5-mile-long pond that serves as a backdrop to AMC’s Medawisla Wilderness Camps. Using Medawisla as their base, paddlers can access low deadwater areas teeming with wildlife (and birders working on life lists) or portage to the surrounding cluster of Roach ponds on multi-day excursions.
Excerpted from "The Best of Maine," AMC Outdoors, January/February 2007
7. Lodge-to-lodge mountain biking and other foliage tours
Don't forget to bring your mountain bike along for the trip--Little Lyford Pond Camps offers 40 to 50 miles of dirt biking on old logging roads. There's something for everyone, with rides that range from relatively flat leisure tours to more strenous, challenging terrain. Self-guided options include covering up to 18 miles in one day mountain biking lodge-to-lodge between AMC’s Little Lyford Pond Camps and Medawisla Wilderness Camps on a dirt logging road network.
8. Absorb some local history in Piscataquis County towns
Heading out from Little Lyford Pond Camps, explorers can immerse themselves in local history. In the Katahdin Iron Works Township, between Little Lyford Pond Camps and Brownville, ruins of the historic Katahdin Iron Works can be seen. Tour the remains of the old smelter and charcoal kiln and learn about the village that once prospered in this location. The Brownville Historical Society operates a museum for the public, as does the Milo Historical Society. Thoreau’s Park in Greenville commemorates Henry David Thoreau’s 19th century explorations of the area. Dover-Foxcroft is home to the Blacksmith Shop Museum, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
