Outdoor Adventures at AMC Lodges Include Fly Fishing, Hiking, Paddling, and Bird Watching
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 21, 2007
This summer, the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is adding to the variety of outdoor adventures available to guests at its Maine Woods lodges in the Moosehead Lake region. AMC now owns and operates two full-service lodges, Medawisla Wilderness Camps and Little Lyford Pond Camps, and each lodge is located steps away from a wealth of fly-fishing, hiking, and paddling adventures. Both lodges are key components of AMC’s Maine Woods Initiative, a broad plan for land conservation in the Maine Woods, and part of the Maine sporting camp tradition.
Everyone from families to outdoor enthusiasts seeking remote wilderness experiences will find a unique opportunity to plan lodge-based or multi-day, “off-the-beaten-path” backcountry itineraries in Maine’s 100-Mile Wilderness region.
- Fly fishing: Early summer and fall are the prime times for fly fishing, and Maine boasts some of the best native brook trout habitat in the U.S. The area surrounding AMC’s remote Maine Woods lodges offers excellent angling prospects for landlocked salmon, lake trout, and native, wild brook trout—a genetically pure population that hasn’t been crossed with hatchery-raised fish.
- Hiking and Paddling: At the height of summer, during July and August, the choice of remote Maine wilderness experiences has broad appeal. Paddling itineraries are many, from half- to full-day trips based at AMC’s lodges to multi-day backcountry adventures on the cluster of Roach ponds nearby Medawisla. The extensive hiking network includes over 30 miles of trails and old logging roads, including easy-to-moderate hikes to Gulf Hagas, the “Grand Canyon of Maine,” and Indian Mountain for views of Mount Katahdin.
- Birding: AMC is also introducing a special guided birding camp to spot some of the area's more than 100 species of birds.
View the Maine Woods Initiative 2007 Recreation Guide at: www.outdoors.org/conservation/wherewework/maine/me-recreation-guide.cfm
Native Brook Trout Fly Fishing
Peak season for fly fishing in the Maine Woods is during the cooler days of May, June, and September. While on the decline nationwide, native brookies are plentiful in the ponds and rivers nearby AMC’s Maine Woods lodges. AMC’s full-service Little Lyford Pond Camps and Medawisla Wilderness Camps are popular staging sites for fly-fishing adventures, as is AMC’s self-service Moose Point Cabin on the southern shore of Long Pond. There is easy access to stream fishing on the West Branch of the Pleasant River, or anglers can take to the water in canoes available to guests on more than ten ponds. With advance notice, AMC can arrange for individual and group introductory to full-day fly-fishing lessons, as well as hourly to full-day guide services through partnerships with local Registered Maine Guides.
Paddling Maine’s Remote Ponds
Medawisla Wilderness Camps has earned its reputation for the abundance of water activities at its doorstep, although nearby hiking trails are also extensive. Kayaks and canoes are available for guests to take a moose-watching paddling trip or a longer, multi-day tour of the beautiful Roach ponds network located nearby. The start of this self-guided quiet water tour is truly remote, with no human habitation or road access, and paddlers will likely encounter eagles, beaver, moose, muskrat, and a number of birds that live and breed in the area. Spend a couple of nights under the brilliant sky at shore-side campsites and sandwich the tour with two or more nights at Medawisla for freshly prepared meals and hot showers. Short distance portaging and paddling endurance is required for this tour, making it best suited for experienced paddlers, including families with older kids. Canoes are available for guests to use at the starting point.
Hike to the “Grand Canyon of Maine”
Little Lyford Pond Camps is just a two-mile hike from spectacular Gulf Hagas, known as the “Grand Canyon of Maine,” and a four-mile hike to the Appalachian Trail. Short loop hikes around the Little Lyford Ponds or up to Laurie’s Ledge to the summit of Indian Mountain are also popular. More challenging terrain is accessible as day hikes to Chairback and Whitecap Mountains. Spotting a moose is often more likely than crossing paths with another human in the Maine Woods, and wildlife watching hikes in the surrounding area also offer the possibility of seeing a wide variety of birds, including loons and eagles.
Birding Camps
More than 100 species of birds are known to inhabit the area surrounding Medawisla Wilderness Camps and Little Lyford Pond Camps. Join a Registered Maine Guide this summer and travel to these special habitats, which are home to four birds found only in the northern most regions of the continental U.S. – the Black-backed Woodpecker, Spruce Grouse, Boreal Chickadee, and the Bicknell Thrush. AMC’s birding camp at Medawisla on June 26-27 will focus on Wood Warblers, and the camp at Little Lyford on August 14-15 will focus on Boreal Birds. Rates are $300, plus taxes, for members ($325 for non-members). Child rates for ages 12 and under are $187, plus taxes, for members ($219 for non-members). The package includes two-nights’ lodging, all meals, and guiding services. The camp is appropriate for ages eight and older.
About Medawisla Wilderness Camps
Medawisla Wilderness Camps, in operation since 1953, offers both self-service and full-service lodging. Accommodations include seven cabins with sleeping quarters, kitchens, and baths. Each cabin is equipped with a cook stove, cookware, dinnerware, and utensils. Cabins have woodstoves as well as gas heaters, electric lights and gas lights, and flush toilets and showers.
The starting at rate for full-service accommodations during the summer season is $100 per person/night, plus taxes, for members ($120 for non-members) and includes a private cabin as well as dinner and breakfast in the main lodge and a trail lunch. Housekeeping rates start at $100 for two people per cabin/night, plus taxes, for members ($110 for non-members). A discounted rate is available for children 12 and under, and special extended stay full-service rates for three or more nights start at $90 per person/night, plus taxes, for members ($110 for non-members).
About Little Lyford Pond Camps
Little Lyford Pond Camps, set within 37,000-acres of AMC conservation land, was built around 1874 and first operated as a logging camp before transitioning to a sporting camp popular with anglers in the 1920s. Many of the cabins date back to the late 1800s.
The starting at rate for Little Lyford Pond Camps during the summer season in cabin accommodations is $77 per person/night, plus taxes, for members ($92 for non-members) and includes a freshly prepared dinner, lodging in rustic cabins, breakfast, and trail lunch. A discounted rate is available for children 12 and under, and special extended stay full-service rates for three or more nights start at $72 per person/night, plus taxes, for members ($86 for non-members).
Rates and Reservations:
For rates and reservations, call (603) 466-2727 or visit www.outdoors.org/lodging. All AMC destinations are open to the general public, with additional discounts available to AMC members. Membership is $75 for families and $50 for individuals.
Founded in 1876, the Appalachian Mountain Club is the oldest conservation and recreation organization in the nation. With 90,000 members in the Northeast and beyond, the nonprofit AMC promotes the protection, enjoyment, and wise use of the mountains, rivers and trails of the Appalachian region. The AMC supports natural resource conservation while encouraging responsible recreation, based on the philosophy that successful, long-term conservation depends upon first-hand enjoyment of the natural environment.
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