Maine Highlands, Moosehead Lake Region - Fall Color 25-35%
It is Colorful in Greenville - The Moosehead Lake Region of Maine features scenic drives offering fall colors, moose and mountains. The idea here is to offer you some tips to help you enjoy your fall foliage trip to Greenville, not to send you off driving endlessly or pass by a scenic route that you may not have thought about. The best way to take in all the beauty is to incorporate some of these drives on the way here and take another route on the way home. Then once here in Greenville, explore as many loops as possible to and from local shopping and dining attractions. The North Woods of Maine offers some excellent driving tours composing of dirt roads and paved roads passing by mountains, sprawling fields, farmhouses, rivers, lakes, bridges, and even bogs where moose and wildlife hang out. The idea here is to make each trip a scenic adventure and truly enjoy being surrounded by Maine’s natural wonders.
1- From past experience, 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 guide is the DeLorme Maine Atlas and Gazetteer and to take 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 the Maine’s National Scenic Highway Route into your travel plans on the way to Greenville and home. Fall drives are the best way to take in all the beauty of the Maine as fall foliage colors can vary greatly within a 30 miles radius.
4- Make sure you stop along the way and enjoy the scenery, just don’t drive by. There are picnic areas to stop at or just pull of the side of the road and take a walk to explore.
5- Take a combination of paved and unpaved maintained roads. My favorite roads are where the trees are right next to you and above you. It is like driving through a tunnel of color plus you may even see wildlife too. Woodcock, Partridge and Turkeys are often along the unpaved roadsides in the fall.
6- Plan an extended stay, this way you can 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.
Scenic Routes to and from the Moosehead Lake Region and Beyond
Travelling Inland – 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 one of my favorite stops. Now take Route 15 North for a just a few miles and look for Pond Road on the left just before the bridge. Continue on Pond Road this turns into an unpaved road which is fairly easy travelling then turns back into a paved road leading into downtown Blanchard. Here 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 where you turn right and continue on to Route 15. The North Guilford Road is a country road that has some mature hardwoods right next to the roadside with some 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; it is 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 haven’t had enough scenery and colors, once here in Greenville, you can explore the area by choosing one of the five scenic trip routes and loops varying from 20 miles to 125 miles that we provide our cabin guests with.
Contact: Heather Davis
The Cozy Moose Lakeside Cabins
Email:
cozymoose@mooseheadcabins.comURL:
http://www.mooseheadcabins.com/Tel: 207-695-0242
