www.parksandlands.com Special Considerations Contacts Services & Facilities Overview • In addition to nearly 90 campsites at Lily Bay State Park, Bureau of Parks and Lands and Parks of Bureau Moosehead Lake can be dangerous. Cell phones should not be counted on in an emergency. Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands there are more than 90 other primitive campsites (with fire oosehead Lake, New England’s largest freshwater • Moosehead Lake water is cold and winds can arise suddenly • Coverage is spotty to non-existent. Have a back-up plan. Western Region Public Lands Office ring, picnic table and pit or vault toilet) on the shores of body, lies at the gateway to the North Maine Woods Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and Conservation Agriculture, creating dangerous conditions for boats. Children 10 years P.O. Box 327 / 129 Main Street Moosehead. Some are accessible by road and many are acces- and offers camping, fishing, hunting, boating, Maine Department of Department Maine Moose, bear and other large animals are abundant. M of age and under must, by law, wear a Type I, II, or III PFD Farmington, ME 04938 sible only by water: see map for details. hiking, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing opportunities. • Observe from a safe distance; do not flush wildlife. 207-778-8231 The sheer face of Mount Kineo, with 700-foot cliffs, forms while on board all watercraft. All boaters should wear a PFD • Hiking trails at Mt. Kineo State Park, Little Kineo, and at all times in small boats; notify someone of your intended • Drive slowly on area roads, particularly at times of low light. www.maine.gov/mooseheadlake the centerpiece of a spectacular landscape long cherished for its www.parksandlands.com Little Moose Public Land natural beauty and plentiful resources. route and time of return; and monitor conditions carefully • Food must be securely stowed when camping. particularly when crossing open waters,and including the • Trailerable, hard-surface boat launches at Lily Bay State • Tents must be kept free of food and food odors. Park, Greenville Junction, Rockwood, and Norcross Brook Moosehead Lake is the headwaters of the Kennebec River and crossing to Mount Kineo State Park. Lily Bay State Park represents a critical hub in a network of traditional canoe routes. • Trailerable, gravel boat launches at Spencer Bay, Jewett Logging trucks frequent area roads. Watch out for them and: 13 Myrle’s Way Two ancient carries (where natives portaged boats and gear) Know applicable laws Cove, and Cowan Cove. • Pull over and stop for trucks regardless of which direction Greenville, ME 04441 linked Moosehead with the West Branch of the Penobscot and • The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife they’re headed as they have the right of way. 207-695-2700 • Lake navigation hazard and safety zone markers aid boaters the Allagash rivers, and with the Penobscot’s North Branch and (MDIFW) Warden Service does search-and-rescue operations www.maine.gov/lilybay the St. John River. Paddlers today still enjoy water trails such as and enforces state fish and game laws, boating laws (on inland • Avoid roads that are too narrow for two vehicles. Mount Kineo is briefly lit by the sun on a cloudy fall day the Northern Forest Canoe Trail that stretches from northern- waters), and ATV and snowmobile laws. To learn more about • Do not block side roads or stop in a spot with poor visibility. Photo by Rex Turner most Maine west to Quebec and the Adirondacks. applicable laws and to purchase appropriate licenses, visit • Be prepared for rugged gravel roads (dusty, washouts): travel Moosehead Lake Chamber www.maine.gov/ifw. slowly and carry a spare tire. of Commerce The cool, deep waters of the lake are exceptionally clean. P.O. Box 581 Moosehead draws boaters in warm-weather months and fisher- Help stop the spread of invasive species Pet owners should exercise caution Greenville, ME 04441 men at all seasons, with landlocked salmon (stocked), native • Eurasian Milfoil is an aquatic invasive. • Trappers are permitted to use Maine Public Lands so 207-695-2702 brook trout (squaretails), and lake trout (togue). Hunters • Clean all watercraft before they are launched and after consider leashing your dog. www.mooseheadlake.org come in search of black ducks, wood ducks, partridge, white- Maine’s largest lake largest Maine’s retrieval. www.maine.gov/dep/water/invasives/ tailed deer, bear and moose (for which the region is famous). Wear blaze orange during hunting season. • Buy only local firewood, do not transport out of state fire- Birdwatchers visit this area as part of the Maine Birding Trail to and camp, boat, and fish on fish and boat, camp, and wood. www.maine.gov/forestpests Be a responsible visitor and Leave No Trace hear or see up to 20 species of warblers along with less com- mon boreal birds. (www.mainebirdingtrail.com) The cliffs of Visit the legendary Mt. Kineo Mt. legendary the Visit • Learn more at www.lnt.org Trailerable and hand-carry boat launches are highly variable. Mt. Kineo are home to peregrine falcons, and support a critical • Online sortable listing: www.maine.gov/dacf/boatlaunches Peregrine Falcons breeding site for this endangered species that has been active since 1987. ount Kineo is peregrine falcon territory. Peregrine falcons seek out sheltered ledges for Mtheir nests, and lay eggs in March or April. Moosehead Lake Shoreline The young start flying by midsummer and are indepen- dent by fall. Falcons dive down on prey that is out in Western Shore open areas, eating birds from tiny warblers to mid-sized ducks. They can attain speeds up to 200 mph when Along the western shore of Moosehead lies the village of Rockwood, diving, and make agile twists and turns. Peregrine where a shuttle runs out to Mt. Kineo (elevation 1,789 feet). Farm falcons are crow-sized with dark gray back, wings and Island (a 980-acre State wildlife sanctuary with three campsites) is guide & map & guide head, a lighter chest flecked with gray bands, and golden also accessible from Rockwood. The Kennebec River East Outlet talons. By the 1960s, these remarkable raptors were along this shoreline provides whitewater paddling while the West Outlet offers quieter waters. Little Moose Public Land (see map Looking out over Moosehead Lake almost exterminated by pesticide use. A captive breeding Public Land Public from the summit of Big Moose Mountain and reintroduction program helped their recovery, and and Regional Destinations) is readily accessible from this side of Photo by Katie Nemmer in 1987, the first wild pair returned to nest in Maine— the lake. There are two large paved boat launches at Greenville and Shoreline Rockwood. on the cliffs of Mt. Kineo. Property History Moosehead Lake Lake Moosehead Eastern Shore Glaciers and First Inhabitants Hiking on Little Kineo Lily Bay State Park (see map and Regional Destinations), along the lake’s southeastern shore, offers waterfront camping with he landscape around Moosehead Lake was shaped by easy access to many natural attractions along the lake’s eastern a mile-thick ice sheet that covered the area between Partners and Supporters side—including boat access to Sugar Island (4,208 acres) and T18,000 and 12,000 years ago. The ice sheet carried Spencer Bay; hiking opportunities in Days Academy Grant; and off most of the soil, leaving exposed bedrock and a deep bowl Work and funds to acquire land in and around Moosehead class II & III whitewater paddling and fishing along the Roach The Maine Highlands Region where the Lake now lies. Mount Kineo and Little Kineo have Lake came from many sources. Much of Lily Bay State Park was River. There are five public boat launches on the east shore: gentle slopes to the northwest and steep southeast faces due acquired with a grant from the National Park Service’s Land Lily Bay State Park, Jewett Cove, Cowan Cove, Norcross Brook, to the scouring and plucking action of the glaciers that moved and Water Conservation Fund. Land for Maine’s Future funds and Spencer Bay. Directions across the region from northwest to southeast. Not long after the were used to acquire Mount Kineo State Park. glaciers receded, the first Paleoindians came to this area, leaving Public lands on Mt. some evidence of early encampments near Moosehead Lake. Kennebec Water Power Company provides the campsites and Kineo, Farm Island boat launch along the Kennebec River East Outlet. Brookfield Mt. Kineo held great significance—both mythic and practi- and Sugar Island are White Pine Hydro LLC supports Bureau management of water- cal—for Wabanaki Indians such as the Penobscots who have accessible by water only, based recreation facilities on Moosehead Lake. lived around Moosehead over the past 1,000 years. (The name with nearest public boat Kineo derives from a Wabanaki warrior of legendary power, Construction of several trails in the area as well as this brochure launch sites at Rock- Kinneho.) Indians relied on flint-like felsite and rhyolite from were made possible in part by funding assistance through the wood and at Lily Bay Mt. Kineo to make stone tools (such as arrowheads and chisels) Federal Highway Administration’s Recreational Trails Program, State Park. A com- that were used and traded throughout New England. administered by the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands. mercial boat shuttle to Mount Kineo State Park leaves routinely Lat 45.614610 / Lon -69.663009 Four Seasons of Outdoor from Rockwood in summer months. NOTE: Carry a recent gazetteer. Road systems associated with timber management change frequently. The map in this guide does not show the Adventure entire road network. The S.S. Katahdin on Moosehead Lake The Moosehead Lake region provides diverse recreational For attractions on the western shore of Moosehead, take Routes www.katahdincruises.com experiences throughout the year.