Basecamp: Little Lyford Pond Camps & Medawisla Wilderness Camps
- Getting acquainted with Greenville, Maine
- Explore Maine's scenic backcountry
- Summer camp for the whole family: AMC Family Adventure Camp
- Volunteer for a trail crew service vacation
- Gulf Hagas' famous waterfall hikes
- Cast flies for native brookies
- Get your feet weet: go whitewater or quiet water paddling
- Miles and miles of mountain biking
- Absorb some local history in Piscataquis County towns
- Discover Maine's wildlife
Disconnect from modern day distractions while enjoying a unique, peaceful wilderness experience in the Maine Woods at AMC's two full-service Maine sporting camps, Little Lyford Pond Camps and Medawisla Wilderness Camps.
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 abundant opportunities to fish for land-locked salmon and brook trout, hike to views of Mount Katahdin, and paddle Second Roach Pond.
This summer, Little Lyford Pond Camps and Medawisla are both offering Family Adventure Camps, created especially for families with kids ages five to 12.
1. Getting acquainted with Greenville, Maine
Little Lyford Pond Camps is located 15 miles east of Greenville, Maine in a remote, backcountry setting situated on a 37,000-acre parcel of land 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.
Stay the 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 go swimming on 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. Explore 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.
Excerpted from "The Best of Maine," AMC Outdoors, January/February 2007
3. Summer camp for the whole family: AMC Family Adventure Camp
Led by AMC staff during select weeks in July, Family Adventure Camp at Little Lyford Pond Camps and Medawisla Wilderness Camps will feature a full schedule of daily, family-friendly programming, including:
Little Lyford Pond Camps:
- Hike from camp to Gulf Hagas, "the Grand Canyon of the East" and a National Natural Landmark. This scenic canyon stretches three miles and features five major waterfalls and numerous swimming holes.
- Paddle around the Little Lyford Ponds by canoe and kayak while looking for signs of wildlife.
- Earn an AMC Junior Naturalist badge building bird or bat houses.
- Explore Katahdin Iron Works and tour the remains of the old smelter and charcoal kiln while learning about the village that once prospered in this location.
- Take a close look at the interesting aquatic insects, newts, and frogs living in the ponds at Little Lyford.
- Learn the basics of fly fishing and cast flies for native brook trout in the Pleasant River.
- Evening programs include naturalist outings and night hikes to listen for nocturnal wildlife and to spot moose.
Medawisla Wilderness Camps:
- Paddle around Second Roach Pond looking for signs of moose and other wildlife, such as otter and beaver.
- Take a birding hikes to spot some of the area's more than 100 species of birds, including an eagle's nest, as well as loons, warblers, thrushes, vireos, bitterns, eagles, osprey and many other species.
- Learn the basics of fly fishing and cast flies for native brook trout landlocked salmon, and lake trout in Second Roach Pond.
- Join local naturalist hikes on Emmit Brook Trail and Deer Run Trail to identify Maine Woods flowers and trees.
- Evening programs include naturalist programs like "bugs and slugs" and natural and local history.
4. Volunteer for a trail crew service vacation
Make a meaningful contribution by helping to maintain trails during a volunteer trail vacation. Volunteer for AMC's three- to four-day trail crews in the Maine Woods and gain a deeper appreciation for trail upkeep while learning new skills.
5. Gulf Hagas' famous waterfall hikes
A beautiful slate-walled gorge carved by the West Branch of the Pleasant River, Gulf Hagas is often called the "Grand Canyon of Maine."
A series of waterfalls, rapids, chutes, cascades, and pools make Gulf Hagas a sight to behold at any time of year. Of the area's famous falls, Screw Auger Falls is the most visited and can be reached by hiking in from the parking lot at The Hermitage, a stand of old-growth pines owned by The Nature Conservancy and designated a National Natural Landmark. You'll need to forge the West Branch of the Pleasant River from this approach, making this hike better suited for more experienced hikers comfortable with water crossings and increasingly difficult terrain along the rim of the canyon.
To avoid a river crossing, 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. Beginners should opt for this route and hike to Stair Falls, a system of little stairs cascading over jagged steps.
6. 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 is also a popular staging site 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
7. 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
8. Miles and miles of mountain biking
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, from relatively flat leisure rides to more strenous, challenging rides.
9. Absorb some local history in Piscataquis County towns
In the Katahdin Iron Works Township, between Little Lyford Pond Camps and Brownville, ruins of the historic Katahdin Iron Works can be seen. 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.
10. Discover Maine's wildlife
Moose are said to outnumber people three to one in the Maine Woods, giving rise to a growing Maine past-time – wildlife watching. You stand to spot moose, beavers, foxes, and eagles while you're out hiking the trails, or spend some time paddling around on one of the many nearby ponds for a chance close-up encounter with a bull moose wading chest deep through the water.
