Basecamp: Gorman Chairback Lodge and Cabins, Little Lyford Lodge and Cabins & Medawisla Wilderness Lodge and Cabins
- Getting acquainted with Greenville, Maine: gateway to the 100-Mile Wilderness
- 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: quiet water paddling
- Miles and miles of mountain biking
- Absorb some local history in Piscataquis County towns
- Discover Maine's flora and fauna
Disconnect from modern day distractions at AMC's full-service Maine Wilderness Lodges, Gorman Chairback and Little Lyford, and enjoy hiking, wildlife watching, paddling, and fly fishing on 66,500-acres of AMC-owned conservation land. Medawisla offers a third option for self-service visits on Second Roach Pond.
1. Getting acquainted with Greenville, Maine: gateway to the 100-Mile Wilderness
The vibrant town of Greenville on the shores of Moosehead Lake is the heart of the region and gateway to the 100-Mile Wilderness surrounding AMC's Maine Wilderness Lodges. 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 one of AMC's lodges for an afternoon hike, before relaxing over a hearty, home-cooked meal.
2. Explore Maine's scenic backcountry
The AMC now owns and manages 66,500 acres of permanently protected land in the Maine Woods. Backcountry ponds, including the third largest undeveloped remote pond in Maine, and a wild, native brook trout fishery make for excellent paddling and angling prospects. Local hikes include the Appalachian Trail, Gulf Hagas ("Grand Canyon of Maine"), and nearby mountain peaks for views of Mt. Katahdin. The AMC's three Maine Wilderness Lodges offer traditional Maine sporting camp hospitality, including private cabins and home-cooked meals.
A hiker, biker, or paddler heading out from Medawisla will find a quick escape from civilization. Spectacular lookouts on Shaw and Trout mountains provide views for dozens of miles in every direction, with Katahdin visible to the north and the Appalachian Trail corridor to the south. On the water, a short paddle will take guests into a tranquil wilderness.
Excerpted from "A Vision in Green," AMC Outdoors, November/December 2009.
From Little Lyford, 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.
At Gorman Chairback, AMC's newest lodge opening for its first summer season in 2011, enjoy day hikes to stunning vistas like Chairback Ridge and Gulf Hagas, paddle on Long Pond, and fly fish for wild brook trout. Permanently protected forest and many remote ponds provide opportunities to see moose, loons, eagles, Canada lynx, red fox, and river otters. Birdwatchers will find many boreal birds, like black-backed woodpeckers and spruce grouse.
3. Summer camp for the whole family: AMC Family Adventure Camp
Highlights of AMC's Family Adventure Camps include local naturalist hikes and walks, paddling remote ponds to look for signs of wildlife, studying aquatic insects, newts, and frogs living in nearby ponds, and learning the basics of fly fishing. Families also enjoy the comforts of private cabins, home-cooked meals, evening programs, and campfires under the starlit Maine Woods sky.
4. Volunteer for a trail crew service vacation
Make a meaningful contribution by helping to maintain trails during a volunteer trail vacation. Volunteer for the AMC's
week-long Maine Woods trail crews and gain a deeper appreciation for trail upkeep while helping to build and maintain the growing trail network on the AMC's 66,500-acre conservation land.
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." Its waterfalls, rapids, chutes, cascades, and pools make for a scenic hike. It's an easy trip from Little Lyford or Gorman Chairback to the Gulf Hagas rim trail, where you can hike to various viewpoints of the area's famous falls.
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.
Excerpted from "The Best of Maine," AMC Outdoors, January/February 2007.
More than 20 remote ponds on the AMC’s 66,500-acre conservation land offer prime angling opportunities, and permanently protected waters include the third largest undeveloped remote pond in Maine, so spotting a moose is more likely than another angler.
7. Get your feet weet: go quiet water paddling
Accessible from Medawisla, Second, Third, and Fourth Roach ponds, along with Trout Pond, are linked by the Roach River, and provide one of the area's most spectacular natural resources. An easily accessed campsite already exists on the eastern end of Second Roach, and a campsite on Third Roach can be reached from the water. With 38 miles of shoreline on the property’s nine large ponds, flatwater paddlers will have days—if not weeks—of exploration options as primitive campsites are added.
Excerpted from "A Vision in Green," AMC Outdoors, November/December 2009.
On Long Pond, just steps from Gorman Chairback and nearby Little Lyford, 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.
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 rides on woods roads and trails surrounding AMC's Wilderness Lodges. There's something for everyone, from relatively flat leisure rides to more strenuous routes.
9. Absorb some local history in Piscataquis County towns
In the Katahdin Iron Works Township, between Little Lyford 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 flora and fauna
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.
When exploring the Roach Ponds Tract nearby Medawisla, wildlife is visible at almost every turn. Moose amble down the center of a logging road, unfazed by approaching humans. Fox dash past and vanish into the trees. Pink lady’s slippers blossom in the middle of trails, and native brook trout circle within nearby pools where the Roach River empties into Second Roach Pond. Less eager to cross paths with humans are a wide variety of species, including black bears, bobcats, snowshoe hare, and the federally threatened Canada lynx. Dozens of bird species also frequent these woods. Paddlers may see nesting eagles and be serenaded by loons—descendants, perhaps, of the loons recorded at Medawisla for the soundtrack to the film
On Golden Pond.
Excerpted from "A Vision in Green," AMC Outdoors, November/December 2009.
