Moosehead Lake and Katahdin: Maine’s North Woods
Moose country around Maine’s largest lake, a slate canyon and the wild park at the end of the Appalachian Trail.
- Distance
- 288 km (179 mi)
- Driving
- 3 h 11 min
- Suggested days
- 4
- Stops
- 7
- States
- ME
- Updated
- April 28, 2026
At a glance: 4-day road trip of about 288 km (179 mi) with 7 stops, from Bangor to Baxter State Park, Togue Pond. About 3 h 11 min of driving in total.
Route description
Drive northwest from Bangor on State Road 15 through farm country and small mill towns to Greenville, a small town at the foot of Moosehead Lake with floatplanes and a restored steamboat, the Katahdin, which offers lake cruises in summer.
Continue up the west shore on State Road 6/15 to Rockwood, where a shuttle boat crosses to Mount Kineo and its sheer cliff. Back in Greenville, the road north along the east shore passes Lily Bay State Park; drive at dawn or dusk for the best chance of seeing moose, and watch for them on the road at night.
Gulf Hagas, a slate canyon with a chain of waterfalls, is reached by the gravel KI Jo-Mary logging roads, with a checkpoint and fee. Logging trucks have the right of way and the roads are rough, so leave RVs and low cars behind; if you travel in a big vehicle, return to Bangor and take I-95 to Millinocket instead.
Millinocket is the gateway to Baxter State Park, a wilderness around Katahdin, Maine’s highest mountain. There are no paved roads, no services and a vehicle limit; day-use parking for summit hikes must be reserved. Late June to early October is the season; blackflies are fierce in late May and June.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Bangor
ME - 2117 km
Greenville
ME - 334 km
Mount Kineo
NatureRockwood, MEA sheer rhyolite cliff rising from Moosehead Lake. A shuttle boat from Rockwood crosses in minutes to trails to the summit fire tower.
- 425 km
Lily Bay State Park
NatureGreenville, MECampsites along the shore of Moosehead Lake, a good base for dawn and dusk moose watching along the roads north of Greenville.
- 526 km
Gulf Hagas
NatureGreenville, MEA slate canyon with a chain of waterfalls, often called the Grand Canyon of Maine, reached by gravel logging roads through a gate with a fee.
- 660 km
Millinocket
ME - 726 km
Baxter State Park, Togue Pond
NatureMillinocket, METhe southern gate of the wilderness park around Katahdin, the end of the Appalachian Trail. Day-use parking for the summit hikes must be reserved.
