PROUD HOST REGION OF Aroostook County Visitor Guide © visitaroostook.com 1 The Trail Less Traveled E NJOY A VISIT TO A ROOSTOOK C OUNTY , M AINE Amid a natural wonderland, visitors to the largest county east of the Mississippi River revel in a place populated by friendly folk and free roaming wildlife, in a land watered by thousands of miles of clear-running streams and hundreds of lakes. When coupled with the Great North Woods covering a vast region larger than many states, Aroostook County is your destination for uncrowded recreational pursuits, wildlife viewing, hunting and fishing – or just a solitary walk along the trail less traveled. Aroostook County’s pristine beauty and cultural heritage make VISION: it the ideal destination for an uncomplicated experience. To develop and implement a tourism MISSION: marketing program for Aroostook County. This publication produced by Aroostook County Tourism 888-216-2463 and Paid for in part by a grant from the Northern Maine Development Commission (800) 427-8736. Maine Office of Tourism. For more information, visit these websites: For additional information on Maine, visitaroostook.com & nmdc.org call 1-888-MAINE45 or go to visitmaine.com. 2 Aroostook County Visitor Guide © visitaroostook.com AROOSTOOK COUNTY NORTH MAINE WOODS AROOSTOOK STATE PARK How to use this map & guide North Maine Woods ....................Green St. John Valley ............................Yellow NORTH Central Aroostook ..........................Blue GATE TO Southern Aroostook........................Red BAXTER SHIN D ISTAN C ES POND W IT H IN A ROOSTOOK T O A ROOSTOOK Fort Kent to Caribou .......... 45 miles New York, NY ............601 miles Madawaska to Houlton ..... 100 miles Boston, MA ................393 miles PATTEN Houlton to Presque Isle ...... 45 miles Portland, ME .............287 miles Presque Isle to Ashland ...... 22 miles Bangor, ME ................160 miles Sherman to Fort Kent ....... 160 miles Montreal, QC ............355 miles STACYVILLE TWO NATIONS GUIDES NORTHERN MAINE REGIONAL BENEDICTA AND RECEPTIVE TRAVEL AIRPORT SERVICES Presque Isle Oakfield [email protected] LetsTravelAgain.com FlyPresqueIsle.com 207-757-8797 207-764-2550 A ROOSTOOK HOULTON VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER C OUNTY A REA Just north of the I-95 C ODE IS 207. terminus in Houlton. MaineTourism.com 207-532-6346 Special thanks to Paul Cyr for his wonderful photography capturing the essence of the County. Visit www.paulcyrphotography.com. Additional photo credit to Paul Pierce, Ray Burby, Gene Cyr, Tracy Whitten and Leslie Jackson. Aroostook County Visitor Guide © visitaroostook.com 3 Table of Contents 3 A ROOSTOOK R EGION M A P Lodging, camping, dining, shopping & attractions directory. 6 H ERITAGE Learn about the rich culture and County heritage. 8 T RAIL S YSTE M S Bikes, Snowmobiles, ATVs, Hiking. 1 4 W ATER W AYS OF A ROOSTOOK The beautiful waterways out here will take your breath away. 1 6 W ILDLIFE , W OODS & B IRDING The wildlife of The County and where to spot them. 1 8 H UNTING & F IS H ING Find out where the wild things really are. 2 0 M OTOR C Y C LING Take a trip through The County by motorcycle. 2 2 A GRI C ULTURE Explore the rich agricultural history of Aroostook County. 2 3 A ROOSTOOK S TATE P ARK Maine’s First State Park. 2 4 S C ENI C B Y W AYS The gorgeous scenic byways in The County. 2 5 G OLFING Enjoy a round amid a gorgeous landscape. 2 6 R ENTALS & O UTFITTERS Pick your rendezvous and we’ll help you get prepared. 2 8 G UIDES Find a Registered Maine Guide to help you see The County. 3 4 S OUT H ERN A ROOSTOOK Lodging, camping, dining, shopping & attractions directory. 4 0 C ENTRAL A ROOSTOOK Lodging, camping, dining, shopping & attractions directory. Aroostook County Chambers of Commerce 5 4 S T . J O H N V ALLEY Caribou ...................... 1-207-498-6156........cariboumaine.net Lodging, camping, dining, shopping & attractions directory. Central Aroostook ....... 1-207-764-6561........centralaroostookchamber.com 6 2 N ORT H M AINE W OODS East Grand Region ..... 1-207-448-7381........eastgrandlake.net Lodging, camping, dining, shopping & attractions directory. Fort Fairfield ............... 1-207-472-3802........fortcc.org 6 3 E VENTS Greater Fort Kent ....... 1-800-SEE-FKME ...fortkentchamber.com Festivals, Craft Fairs, Yard Sales, Parades and other events. Greater Houlton ......... 1-207-532-4216........greaterhoulton.com Greater Madawaska .... 1-207-728-7000........greatermadawaskachamber.com Greater Van Buren ...... 1-207-868-5059........vanburenmaine.com Limestone ................... 1-207-325-4704........limestonemaine.org 4 Aroostook County Visitor Guide © visitaroostook.com CENTRAL AROOSTOOK COUNTY The Way Life Should Be! 93 Main Street Limestone, ME 04750 From our many We invite you to experience (207) 325-4704 festivals and the unique quality of life celebrations through- and the many opportunities • Week - Long out the summer to our available in our very special miles of snowmobile corner of America. 4th of July Celebration trails in the winter, you’ll Longest Continuous find lots to enjoy in Running July 4th Parade Central Aroostook. • October Harvest Festival • Annual Dinner Meeting • Annual Holiday Light Parade • Citizen of the Year Please visit us at the new Chamber Visitors Recognition Banquet Information Offi ce and Souvenir shop. 356 Main Street Across from the American Legion. 3 Houlton Road l Presque Isle, Maine 04769 Serving Ashland, Blaine, Castle Hill, Chapman, Easton, Mapleton, Mars phone: 207-764-6561 l fax: 207-764-1583 Hill, Masardis, OxBow, Portage, www.limestonemaine.org 207-728-7000 facebook.com/LimestoneChamber centralaroostookchamber.com Presque Isle, Washburn & Westfield [email protected] HOSPITALS East Chamber of Commerce southern Houlton Regional Hospital 20 Hartford St., Houlton 532-2900 central The Aroostook Medical Center 140 Academy St., Presque Isle 768-4000 only the greatest Cary Medical Center magical experiences happen 163 Van Buren Rd., Caribou here in the greater east 498-3111 grand lake area of maine st. john valley PO Box 159 04424 Northern Maine Medical Center Danforth, Maine 194 East Main St., Fort Kent 834-3155 www.EASTGRANDLAKE.net [email protected] Aroostook County Visitor Guide © visitaroostook.com 5 Aroostook Heritage T H E C ULTURE OF T H E C OUNTY Native American Tribes Aroostook County is home to two federally recognized Native American tribes, the Aroostook Band of Micmacs and Houlton Band of Maliseets. The Micmac tribal government is located in Presque Isle while the Maliseets are located in Houlton respectively. Both tribes display their heritage through their crafts, museums, local farms and regional markets. Visit maliseets.com or micmac-nsn.gov French Acadians The first settlers to come to this region, the French Acadians settled on the banks of the St. John River near today’s Madawaska. Maine Acadians possess a strong sense of who they are. They express what it means to be a Maine Acadian in diverse ways, depending on the situation and whether they are acting as individuals, families, communities, organizations, or in other groups. Contemporary Maine Acadians use at least three terms to name their ethnicity. “French” is widely used for self- identification and to differentiate themselves from other cultural groups. Irish & Scotch Irish Beginning in the early 1700s, the Irish and Scotch Irish began immigrating to North America establishing some of their first permanent settlements in the State of Maine. In fact, it was these people who first introduced the practice of farming potatoes to the state, a major economic driver for Aroostook County for well over a century. Amish As settlers made their way to Aroostook County, many of them Communities embracing this old were Irish and Scotch Irish. Coming from the settlements in Southern Maine and the Maritime Provinces in Canada, these world lifestyle are becoming more hearty individuals brought their culture and flair to the region. A common in the Crown of Maine great example of this is the town of Allagash, with its unique Irish/ in recent years. Two of the largest Scotch culture imbedded in the French dominated St. John Valley. are located the towns of Smyrna Swedish Colony and Easton which fall in Southern About 1869, Maine’s state immigration commissioner traveled to and Central Aroostook respectively. Sweden and recruited 51 adventurous immigrants to start a new life in This is an opportunity to get a the virgin forests of northern Maine. The area soon became known as glimpse of their unique way of New Sweden. Thanks in large measure to shear persistence, ingenuity and strength of these early pioneers, the colony prospered and grew into life, while stopping at community the neighboring townships of Westmanland, Stockholm and Woodland. shops to browse the healthy, This Swedish heritage remains firmly imbedded in this unique area organic food or the handmade of Aroostook and many remnants of this early colony remain visible furniture and buildings for sale. today. The Swedish traditions are still upheld throughout the year with such festivals like Saint Lucia in December and Midsommer in June. Traditional Smorgasbords are very popular with people gathering and sharing wonderful foods. Visit maineswedishcolony.info 6 Aroostook County Visitor Guide © visitaroostook.com Seasons Of Aroostook Spring W H AT TO E X P E C T Summer TREE BLOSSOMS HUMMING BIRDS May May - September FIDDLEHEAD PICKING OPEN WATER FISHING POTATO BLOSSOMS May April - October July MUD SEASON CYCLING