Sandy Bay Township

Sandy Stream Mountain in Sandy Bay Township East Side of Route 201 (2004)

Sandy Bay is about seven miles north of Jackman Village on U.S. Route 201 and Maine Route 6 through Dennistown Plantation. From its township line beyond Dennistown, the two Routes continue northwest for about ten miles to the Canadian Border and customs facilities. The South Branch of the Penobscot River begins here, trending east through…

Waterfalls

Nesowadnehunk Falls on the West Branch of the Penobscot River in T2 R10 WELS (2018)

As Socrates is said to have urged, on seeking knowledge: “first let us define our terms.” For early Maine mill owners “falls” were the drop in a stream or river that could be harnessed for power.  Rapids also involve drops in a waterway, often with rocks as obstacles to navigation with canoes, kayaks and rafts. The…

Lower Cupsuptic Township

The Cupsuptic River crosses under Route 16 to feed Cupsuptic Lake in the southern most portion of this township. A boat launch area is on the east bank of the Cupsuptic River near the bridge. Big-Falls is a waterfall in the northwest corner of the township on the Cupsuptic River. It is accessible from Route…

T9 R8 WELS

Moose in the Gravel Pit off the Pit Road in T9 R8 WELS (2015)

                                     Moose in the Gravel Pit off the Pit Road in T9 R8 WELS (2015) Roads Pinkham Road is the main artery in this township from northeast to southwest.  Craigville Road joins Pinkham from the east, just south…

T8 R9 WELS

Mount Katahdin with Snow Cap from T8 R9 WELS on the Pinkham Road (2015)

              Mount Katahdin with Snow Cap from T8 R9 on the Pinkham Road (May, 2015) @   This township is bisected, northeast to southwest, by Pinkham Road beginning in T9 R9 WELS and exiting to T8 R10 WELS in the southwest. This well maintained dirt road is one of…

T3 R7 WELS

East of Baxter Park, it is home to Katahdin Woods & Water Recreation Area, Sandbank Campsite, Wassataquoik Public Reserved Land, and Whetstone Falls. West of Stacyville, access is by Swift Brook Road and a network of dirt roads.

Cathance River Preserve

The Cathance River Preserve is one of several preserves in Sagadahoc County.  Managed by the nonprofit Cathance River Education Alliance, it features summer camps, educational programs, and research.  Its Ecology Center is a learning facility that is itself a model of ecological sensitivity. Located in Topsham, the preserve offers several trails available from dawn to…

Bald Mountain Township T4 R3 NBKP

Mud Pond with view of Boundary Bald Mountain near the Bald Mountain Road in Bald Mountain Township (2014)

The township is north of Moose River in northwestern Somerset County. It should not be confused with Bald Mountain Township T2 R3 BKP EKR, which contains a section of the Appalachian Trail, in northeastern Somerset County east of Caratunk. The township apparently was once a Plantation. The U.S. Census reports four years of population counts:…

Johnson Mountain Township

Hill near the Cold Stream Mountain Road in Johnson Mountain Township (2014)

For travelers driving north from The Forks to Jackman, and maybe Quebec, Johnson Mount Township is probably just another strip of U.S.Route 201 through the woods. However, for the adventurous seeking a mountain to climb, waterfall or a primitive campsite by a stream, the rewards are nearby.  Johnson Mountain is accessible off the (unimproved) Enchanted…

T3 R4 BKP WKR

Location Map for T3 R4 BKP WKR

T3 R4 BKP WKR This township hosts the Long Falls Dam on the Dead River. That dam maintains the level of Flagstaff Lake, but required the removal of the village of Flagstaff, which was flooded as a result of its construction.. There was a small natural lake at Flagstaff. In 1950, Central Maine Power Company…

Grindstone Township

East Branch of the Penobscot River in Grindstone Township (2005)

Grindstone is north of East Millinocket on Route 11 in Penobscot County. Route 11, which follows the East Branch of the Penobscot River north to south, is the principal improved road. A short portion of the Madden Road in the south along a section of Dolby Pond is the only other improved surface. A tiny…

Bradstreet Township

Bradstreet Township (right) from Hardscrabble Road in Parlin Pond Township (2016)

Attean Falls on the Moose River and the nearby Attean Falls Campground are probably the biggest features that draw visitors to the township. For those taking the Moose River Bow Canoe Trip, this is the last campsite before entering Attean Pond. The Falls are basically a challenging group of rapids, usually successfully navigated by canoeists. …

Willimantic

Location Map for Willimantic

Located on the western end of Sebec Lake, the town offers many camping and fishing opportunities. Packard Landing was the location of Packard’s Camps in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Maine Route 150 runs north from Guilford and terminates at the village of Sebec Lake, not to be confused with the town of Sebec at the far eastern end of the Lake.

West Paris

The community, north and west of Paris, though small, has experienced consistent population growth over the past thirty years. Its stone construction library is on the National Register of Historic Places. See photos. Snow Falls, a 40 foot waterfall, drops into a gorge created by the Little Androscoggin River about two mile south of the main village.

Standish

Daniel Marrett House (one of several historic buildings) in Standish, on East Ossippee Trail (2018)

Named in honor of Captain Miles Standish, the military leader of the Plymouth Colony, the town has a very long shoreline on Sebago Lake in its southwest corner, including its Lower Bay. See photos. In the 19th century, the Oxford-Cumberland Canal allowed passage of boats from Harrison to Portland. Steep Falls was a thriving village historically, with its excellent water power on the Saco River and the railroad station in its midst. Both a recreational area and suburb of Portland, the town is served by six Maine highway routes.

Sanford

Sanford, with Springvale Village, is the seventh largest town or city in Maine by population according to the 2010 Census, up from a ranking of ninth in 1990. Traditionally an industrial town, primarily with textile mills and shoe making, Sanford has diversified and continues to be a growing community.

Pleasant Ridge

Wyman Lake and Dam from the Ridge Road in Pleasant Ridge (2014)

Pleasant Ridge hosts four small ponds, clustered in its northern half: Bean, Brandy, Clear, and Jewett. Lost Pond is isolated in the northeast of the township. Jewett stream runs south through Jewett, Brandy and Clear ponds before emptying into the Kennebec River. The “ridge” overlooks the community’s eastern boundary, which is Wyman Lake formed by the Wyman Dam and the Kennebec River.

Phillips

Mountain View from Route 4 in Phillips

The Sandy River-Rangeley Lakes Railroad, which transported people and forest products to and from the north woods, was once headquartered in the town. See photos. As the Sandy River passes through the village, the river bed appears as frozen sand, almost bone-like in its strange shapes. A canoe trip from here to Farmington begins well below the bridge. Outdoors woman, columnist, and promoter of outdoor sports in Maine, Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby was born here.