WESTERN MOUNTAINS 2

Grafton Notch Scenic Byway 4

Old Canada Road National Scenic Byway 6

Rangeley Lakes National Scenic Byway 8

State Route 27 10

DOWNEAST & ‘THE COUNTY’ 12

Acadia Byway (All-American Road) 14

Schoodic National Scenic Byway 16

State Route 182 18

Million Dollar View Byway 20

State Route 11 22

Maine Scenic Byway

National Scenic Byway

All-American Road

Kenne-bunk

Portland

LewistonRockland

Augusta

Belfast

Bangor

EllsworthRumford

Bethel

Calais

Jackman

West Forks

Ft .KentVan Buren

Houlton

Millinocket

Sherman

95

95

95

495

Bar Harbor

Portage Lake

Weston

Danforth

Cherryfield

Solon

Stratton

Coburn Gore

Kingfield

Upton182

1863

201

27

27

417

26

1

1

1

11

16

3

9

1

201

2

PresqueIsle

Bath

Framington

We would like to thank the AbbeMuseum, the Rangeley Lakes Region Historical Society and Margaret W.Fisher for securing historic images.

ourneyingalong this

rural two-laneroad, a travelergets a feeling forhow beautiful —and challenging— life must havebeen for theregion’s early settlers. Crumbled foun-dations of old farmhouses and weath-ered stone walls mark the landscape,much of which is now either a desig-nated state park or privately-ownedworking forestland.

Originally a path defined byglaciers and swift-moving rivers

that cut through the mountainsand lead to lush valley farm-

lands, this route beginsjust a few miles

north of theSunday River

Resort and travelsalong Route 26 leading into

Grafton Notch State Park and to theborder with New Hampshire. The Bear

River parallelsthe road formuch of the way.Visitors travelingthrough GraftonNotch State Parkshould be sure tostop and explorethe short hiking

paths leading to the park’s sights,including Screw Auger Falls andMother Walker Falls.

Length: 21 miles

Travel Time: 1hour

Recreation: Foliage viewing;Alpine and cross country skiing; bicycling; golf; hiking;wildlife watching

Events: Mollyockett Day, Harvest Fest,Chowdah Cook-Off

Sidetrips: Spruce Meadow (for picnicking);Appalachian Trail; Grafton Loop Trail, a 42-mile hik-ing trail, that connects the Appalachian Trail tosome of the region’s most impressive peaks;Deertrees Theatre, Sunday River Resort; SundayRiver covered bridge

Information: Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce, 800-442-5826;www.bethelmaine.com

Grafton Notch Scenic BywayRoute 26

A path

defined by

glaciers and

swift-moving

rivers and

leading to

lush valley

farmlands

CambridgeRiver

Upton

Newry

Bethel

SundayRiver

BaldMt.

StoweMt.

Screw AugerFalls

AppalachianTrail

Baldpate Mt.

Old SpeckMt.

Lake Umbagog

Grafton Notch State Park

120

5

5

2

2

26

26

MAI

NE

NEW

HAM

PSH

IRE

Bear River

J

Upper Screw Augur Falls. Nance Trueworthy 5

The landscape isdotted withweathered stonecairns that markthe area’s excel-lent hikingroutes, includingthe famousAppalachianTrail.

bottom boatscalled bateaux, tolay siege to theFrench settle-ment at Quebec.Today, the vitalityof the region isbolstered by thearea’s working

forests, and Route 201 remains animportant trade route linking Canadaand the U.S. with the internationalborder crossing at Sandy Bay.

Length: 78 miles

Travel Time: 3 hours

Recreation: Backcountry camping; bicycling;boating; fishing; hiking; hunting; snowmobiling; swim-ming; whitewater rafting; foliage viewing;wildlife watching

Sidetrips: Whitewater rafting at The Forks wherethe Kennebec and Dead rivers meet; Solon-Bingham Rail Trail; boating on manmade WymanLake;Appalachian Trail; Lakewood Theater inMadison, one of the oldest, continuous operatingsummer music theaters in the U.S.

Information: Old Canada Road Scenic Byway,207-672-3971;canadard@midmaine.com

Old Canada Road National Scenic BywayU.S. Route 201

Classic

clapboard

homes

harken back

to boom days

when lumber

barons

reigned over

the

surrounding

forest

he OldCanada

Road (U.S Route201) leads travel-ers on a tripthrough time. Intowns likeBingham, classicclapboard homesline the streets and harken back to theboom days of the 19th and early 20thcenturies when lumber barons reignedover the surrounding forest. In placeslike The Forks, modern day adventur-ers gather to camp in the backcountryand raft down swift-flowing rivers.

Route 201 follows old rivertrading routes of the Abenaki tribe.Benedict Arnold made part of

this interconnectednetwork of waterways

famous during theRevolutionary War

when he led a tough band of soldiers up the

Kennebec and Dead rivers in flat

Moxie Mt.

The Forks

Parlin PondAttean Pond

Jackman

Moose River

Wyman Lake

MAI

NE

QUEB

EC C

ANAD

A

6/15

Kennebec River

201

201

Solon

Bingham

16

16Caratunk

Appalachian Trail

West ForksDead RiverT

During the19th and early20th centuriesriver driversguided logsdown theKennebec Riverduring timberharvests.

7Wyman Lake. Douglas Merriam

ed mountainsides.Travelers searchfor moose thatfrequent theregion’s roadsidesfeeding on tendergrasses, leaves andbranches. This isalso a excellentroute for viewing

foliage in the autumn when the sur-rounding mountainsides are paintedvivid orange, yellow and red.

Length: National designation 35.6 miles;Maine designation 51.75 miles

Travel Time: 2.5 hours

Recreation: Bicycling, boating, camping, fishing, golfhiking, hunting, moose watching, skiing, snowmobil-ing, tennis

Sidetrips: Angel Falls;Appalachian Trail; ByronSchool House; Coos Canyon; Oquossoc village;Rangeley Lakes Historical Society; Rangeley LakesState Park, Rangeley Logging Museum; SaddlebackMountain Ski Area;Wilhelm Reich Museum

Events: Rangeley Snowmobile Snodeo; SaddlebackMountain Bronco Buster Challenge; Strawberry,Blueberry and Apple festivals; Logging Festival;Outdoor Sporting Heritage Day

Information: Rangeley Lakes Chamber ofCommerce, 1-800-685-2537;www.rangeleymaine.com

Rangeley Lakes National Scenic BywayState Routes 4 & 17

Stunning

views of

Rangeley,

Mooselookme-

guntic and

Upper

Richardson

lakes and the

richly forested

mountainsides

outes 4and 17

wrap aroundRangeley Lake,the centerpiece ofthis scenic route,like a loose scarf.Beginning in themid-1800s,sportsmen jour-neyed to this ruggedly pristine regionin search of fabled 10 to 12 poundbrook trout and landlocked salmon.

Today, this four-season destina-tion attracts visitors who love the out-

doors for fishing, camping, hik-ing, bicycling, boating,hunting, moosewatching,

snowmobiling and skiing. The route scales the Appalachian Mountain

ridgeline before dropping torolling valleys and hills.

The Height of Land on Route17 is the route’s showstopper, withstunning views of Mooselookmegunticand Upper Richardson lakes,Toothaker Island and the richly forest-

RRoxbury

SwiftRiver

ByronCoos

Canyon

Oquossoc

Saddleback Mt.

Rangeley

Madrid

MooselookmegunticLake

Rangeley Lake

UpperRichardson

Lake

Rumford

2

16

16

2

17

4

4/16

Toothaker Island

Heightof Land

Mexico

Maine Scenic BywayNational Scenic Byway

Moose canoften be seenat dawn anddusk, feedingon tenderplants near theroadside.

9

Sunset overRangeley Lake.Michele Stapleton

Dead River whereBenedict Arnold ledtroops north on anill-fated expeditionto conquer the cityof Quebec. Northof Eustis, the land-scape grows wilderas the route passes

Shadagee Falls, Sarampus Falls and theChain of Ponds. Continuing on, theroute climbs through the BoundaryMountains to Coburn Gore and theinternational border.

Length: 47 miles

Travel Time: 1.5 hours

Recreation: Alpine and cross country skiing; bicy-cling; boating; camping; fishing; golf; hiking; hunting;mountain biking; wildlife watching; foliage viewing;whitewater rafting

Events: Kingfield Days, Old Home Days

Sidetrips: Stanley Museum; Sugarloaf USA;Carrabasset Valley Touring Center; Carrabassett ValleyAnti Gravity Center;“Moose Alley” (Route 16between Stratton and Rangeley); Narrow GaugeRailroad Trail;Appalachian Trail

Information: Sugarloaf Area Chamber ofCommerce, 207-235-2645;www.sugarloafareachamber.org

State Route 27Kingfield to Coburn Gore

The

picturesque

town of

Kingfield, the

swift-flowing

Carrabassett

River and

views of the

Bigelow

Range

kiers andsnowmo-

bilers know thisroute well, as itconnects the his-toric 19th centurymill town ofKingfield withSugarloaf USA,Stratton and Eustis. Travelers who ven-ture beyond these popular winter destina-tions in any season will be rewarded withspectacular views all the way to the inter-national border crossing at Coburn Gore.

In the south, this byway beginsin the picturesque town of Kingfield andwinds along the swift-flowingCarrabassett River with views of MountAbraham and the Bigelow Range. North

of Stratton, the routepasses by the man-made FlagstaffLake and through

Cathedral Pines,the largest stand of old

growth forest in the state. The majesticred pines cover 220 acres and date back200 years. Route 27 then traces the

Chainof Ponds

Sugarloaf USA

Coburn Gore

Stratton

Eustis

Kingfield

CarrabassettRiver

Appalachian Trail

Flagstaff Lake

North Branch Dead River

Dead River

Shadagee FallsSarampus Falls

27

2716

142

MAI

NEQU

EBEC

CAN

ADA

Cathedral PinesS

During theRevolutionaryWar, BenedictArnold led aband ofAmerican sol-diers up theDead River inflat-bottom boatscalled bateaux tolay siege to thecity of Quebec.

11

CarrabassettRiver. MicheleStapleton

Downeast and ‘The County’

he rocky shores of Maine’s downeast coast were formed

20,000 years ago when the great glaciers of the Ice Age

settled on the coastal plains. The weight of the ice created what is

known as the “drowned coast,” with deepwater harbors, hundreds

of islands and the eastern United States’ only fjord. The land and

the sea has supported a succession of cultures, beginning

with Native people and later the French

and the English, who fought bitterly over

the territory until the Peace of Paris in

1763, more than 12 years before the

Declaration of Independence. Today, pic-

turesque fishing villages sit alongside grand

hotels and “cottages” built during the early

20th century for wealthy visitors escaping the summer heat in

Boston, New York and Philadelphia.

Following U.S. Route 1 north, travelers turn inland and

trace the St. Croix River and the international border with

Canada. Maine has two scenic byways in this uniquely beautiful

land known as “The County.”

T

13Bar Harbor and Frenchman Bay. Dean Abramson

locations in Maine.Visitors looking toavoid the heavy sea-sonal traffic cantravel the AcadiaByway aboard thefree Island Explorerbus network thatconnects the parkwith inns, camp-

grounds and the island’s village centers.

Length: 40 miles

Travel Time: 3 hours

Recreation: Bicycling; canoeing; cross country skiing;hiking; horseback riding; kayaking; sailing; swimming;whale watching; foliage viewing,

Sidetrips: Cadillac Mountain; Echo Lake, Hull’s CoveSchool House and Church of Our Father (NationalRegister), Isle au Haut, Jesup Memorial Library,Jordan Pond House, Sand Beach, Sieur de MontsSpring,Thunder Hole,The Turrets and other NationalRegister buildings at College of the Atlantic,WildGardens of Acadia, Abbe Museum

Events: Arcady Music Festival, Bar Harbor MusicFestival, Blessing of the Fleet, National Park Day,Native American Festival, Open Garden Day,Warblersand Wildflowers Festival

Information: Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce,(207) 288-5103, www.barharborinfo.com;AcadiaNational Park, www.nps.gov/acad

Acadia Byway – All-American RoadRoute 3 and Acadia National Park Loop Road

Twenty-six

mountains,

22 lakes

and ponds,

beaches

and other

natural

wonders on

this island

ong beforethe French

explorer SamuelChamplain “dis-covered” L’Isles desMonts Deserts(Mount DesertIsland) and theBritish andFrench foughtnearly 100 years for sovereignty overthe region, Native cultures made thisbeautiful island their home.

In the first half of the 20thcentury, a number of wealthy familiesbuilt sprawling shingle-style cottageswith John D. Rockefeller, Jr., contribut-ing a vast network of carriage roads.

Modern day visitors still bike andhike under a canopy of trees

along these “broken stone”roads to visit the 26 moun-

tains, 22 lakes and ponds,beaches and other naturalwonders on this island.Connected to the main-

land by a causeway, MountDesert and Acadia National

Park are the most frequently visited

SalisburyCove Hulls Cove

BarHarbor

AcadiaNational

Park

ParkLoopRoad

SandBeach

ThunderHole

OtterCove

OtterCreek

JordanPond

CadillacMt.

SealHarbor

AcadiaNational

Park

Eagle Lake

102198

198102

102

3

3

3

3

L

Intricate hand-woven basketsmade by Wabanifamilies werepopular amongwealthy Victorianvisitors to MountDesert.

15Sunrise at Otter Cliffs. Michele Stapleton

examples of sim-ple New Englandarchitecture fromthe 18th and19th centuries.This route passesthrough the onlymainland sectionof Acadia Na-

tional Park and the breathtakingSchoodic Point.

Length: 29 miles

Travel Time: 1.5 hours

Recreation: Bicycling; hiking; kayaking; picnicking;wildlife watching; foliage viewing

Sidetrips: Channing Chapel Public Library;Gouldsboro Village Library (National Register);Prospect Harbor Light (National Register);Passenger ferry to Mt. Desert Island; QuarryWharf; Old Sullivan Stone Store (NationalRegister); Sullivan Library and Historical Society;Tunk Mountain and Donnell Pond

Events: Lobster Festival, Sullivan Daze; FarmsteadBarn;Annual Trade Day; Schoodic Arts Festival

Information: www.schoodicbyway.org; SchoodicArea Chamber of Commerce: 207-963-7658,www.acadia-schoodic.org

Schoodic National Scenic BywayRoutes 1 and 186

Harbors and

coves filled

with wooden

piers that

come alive

with the

daily catchhe coldNorth

Atlantic waters ofthe downeastcoast served his-torically as fishinggrounds forNative culturesand the earliestEuropeans.

To this day, the harbors and covesare filled with lobster boats and wood-en piers that come alive with the dailycatch. The shoreline is marked bylighthouses, wildflowers, osprey, eaglesand views of Cadillac Mountain and Mount Desert Island. Blueberry

barrens turn the sur-rounding hills violet

and green in latesummer and bril-liant scarlet in theautumn. Seaside

villages and working harbors from Sullivan to

Prospect Harbor reveal well-preserved

Sullivan

W. Gouldsboro

Schoodic Head

Gouldsboro

Schoodic Point

Petit MananLighthouse

Egg RockLight

186

1

195

1

186

1

ProspectHarbor

Birch HarborPark Loop

Road

FrenchmanBay

Winter Harbor

Mark IslandLighthouse

AcadiaNational Park

T

Lobstermenwork the coldNorth Atlanticwaters usingtraps to catchthe populardelicacy.

17Lobster boats near Gouldsboro. Michele Stapleton

Grand Lake.Weston also hasmany interestinghistoric buildingssuch as theWestonCommunityChurch, whichwas moved acrossthe ice of East

Grand Lake from Canada, as well asmodern accommodations of the FirstSettler’s Lodge.

The byway reaches its high pointnear the top of Peekaboo Mountain,and travelers may continue north toexplore Aroostook County or enter NewBrunswick, Canada, through Orient’sborder crossing.

Length: 8 miles

Travel Time: 1 hour

Recreation: Crosscountry skiing; fishing; four-wheeling; hiking; canoeing; kayaking; sailing; boating;snowmobiling, wildlife watching; leaf-peeping

Events: Ice Fishing Derby; sailing/boating regattasand canoe/kayak races, Danforth “Summerfest”

Contacts: Town of Weston Administrator,207-448-2316 and e-mail, townofweston@nci2.net;Greater East Grand Lake Area Chamber ofCommerce 207-448-7381 and e-mail,ericg@nci2.net

Million Dollar View Scenic BywayU.S. Route 1

Front-row

seating

for the

vast and

impressive

views

both east

and west

ere awarm wel-

come awaits thetraveler in the ruralcommunities alongthe byway route.Aptly called the"Million DollarView", this stretchof U. S. Route 1offers travelers unsurpassed views of theChiputneticook chain of lakes includingEast Grand, Brackett and Deering (allteeming with fish). Travelers can alsoview rolling hayfields, Mount Katahdin,Peekaboo Mountain and the landscapeof New Brunswick, Canada. Travelers

may spot local wildlifeincluding bears, deer,eagles, loons and moose.

Scenic turnouts providefront-row seating for

the vast and impressiveviews to the east and west. Danforth, a former lum-

ber town in the Baskahegan RiverValley, marks the southerly limit of thebyway and provides many small-townamenities. Weston is the location of anhistoric portage used by Native culturesand early settlers connecting BaskaheganStream to Butterfield Landing on East

DeeringLake

Peekaboo Mt.

Orient

Weston

Brackett Lake

BashakeganStream

Danforth

East Grand Lake

MAI

NE

NEW

BRU

NSW

ICK,

CAN

ADA

1

1

H

Native culturesand early set-tlers traversedthe region’slakes and rivers,carrying theircanoes overlandat portages likethe one inWeston.

21

Early morningmist inDanforth.DouglasMerriam