Maine Drive: Moosehead Lake Region

The Moosehead Lake Region of Maine features fall colors, moose, and mountains. Here are some tips to help you enjoy your fall foliage trip to inland Maine — Greenville and Moosehead Lake Region.

1. Don’t rely totally on a GPS for the best route, or quickest. GPS’s are great for the city, but in the Maine Woods, your best guides are the DeLorme Maine Atlas and Gazetteer and the advice of someone who lives there. 2. Make early morning travel plans this way you have the whole day ahead of you to enjoy the ride here and the ride home. You can’t see the colors at night. 3. Take as many different routes as you can to encompass portions of Maine’s National Scenic Highway Route into your travel plans on the way to Greenville and home. Fall foliage colors can vary greatly within a 30-mile radius. 4. Make sure you stop along the way and enjoy the scenery; don’t just drive by. There are picnic areas, or just pull off the side of the road and take a walk to explore. 5. Take a combination of paved and unpaved, but maintained, roads. My favorite roads are the ones where the trees are right next to you and above you — it’s like driving through a tunnel of color. You may see wildlife, too — woodcock, partridge and wild turkeys are often along the unpaved roadsides in the fall. 6. Plan an extended stay to watch the colors change. 7. Book a fall foliage moose tour by float plane, canoe, or Jeep. The color reflections in the water are a sight to see. The North Woods of Maine offers some excellent drives, with dirt roads and paved roads passing by mountains, sprawling fields, farmhouses, rivers, lakes, bridges, and even bogs, where moose and wildlife hang out. The best way to take in all the beauty is to incorporate some of these drives on the way here and other routes on the way home. Scenic Routes Heading North Take 95 North to 201 North toward Skowhegan then continue on to Bingham. This route travels along the beautiful Kennebec River. From here take Route 16 East to Abbott Village. The Maine House in Abbot on the corner is a favorite stops. Now take Route 15 North for a just a few miles and look for Whetstone Pond Road on the left just before the bridge. Continue on Pond Road as it turns into an unpaved road, which is fairly easy traveling, then turns back into a paved road, Abbott Road, leading into downtown Blanchard. Continue North on the Shirley Road which turns into an unpaved road with roadside color surrounding you. Stay on the Blanchard/Shirley Road for about 8 miles. This runs directly into Route 15. Take Route 15 North into Greenville and beyond. Do not get this confused with the Upper Shirley to Shirley Mills Road, as portions of this road is typically not passable. Returning to the Coast Take 15 South to Monson to the North Guilford Road, then turn right on Route 150 South and continue until it ends at Route 15. The North Guilford Road is a country road with mature hardwoods right next to the roadside, and rolling fields. Now take Route 15 South just a few miles to Route 23. Take Route 23 just a few miles to the 4-way intersection. Turn left onto Douty Hill Road. Follow this beautiful rolling farm road with scenic views. I never pass up the chance to stop at Stutzman’s Farm Stand on the right side of the road, featuring seasonal farm produce and homemade baked goods. Continue until the road dead ends into Route 7. From here you can go right into Dexter to Newport to 95, or go left and dead end into Route 15 taking a right here and head south, which takes you back towards Bangor. If you want more scenery and colors, once you get to Greenville, you can choose one of five scenic routes and loops, varying from 20 miles to 125 miles, that are provided to cabin guests at The Cozy Moose Lakeside Cabins. Contact: Heather Davis The Cozy Moose Lakeside Cabins Greenville, Maine cozymoose@mooseheadcabins.commooseheadcabins.com Tel: 207-695-0242