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Located in western Maine just east of the village of Stratton about 40 miles north of Farmington, Bigelow Preserve includes over 36,000 acres of public land. The preserve encompasses the entire Bigelow Range, which includes seven summits. The highest of these at 4,150 feet is West Peak, one of only 10 Maine summits over 4,000 feet in elevation. Bounded on the north by 20,000-acre Flagstaff Lake, the preserve offers many opportunities for outdoor recreation.
Open all year, the Preserve is a popular four-season recreation area, with spring time having the least number of visitors. The preserve offers a variety of outdoor activities include fishing, swimming, boating, kayaking, canoeing and camping. Hiking the Appalachian Trail as well as other trails is a favorite past time at the Preserve. Fall foliage as well as wildlife can be viewed from the roads and trails. Hunting and trapping opportunities range from easy vehicle access to foot access only in the backcountry areas. Fishing is plentiful in many small ponds and brooks. Winter visitors enjoy snowmobiling and cross country skiing over 20 miles of designated trails.
The Preserve was created in June 1976 as a grass roots response in opposition to a proposal to develop the Bigelow Range into a ski resort, billed as "the Aspen of the East." An Act to create the preserve was passed authorizing the acquistion of up 40,000 acres of land "to be retained in its natural state for the use and enjoyment of the public." Management objectives are to maintain its largely undeveloped character while providing for outdoor recreational activities and for the careful management and harvest of forest products.
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| Access to the preserve is gained by the gravel Carriage Road off Route 27 in Carrabassett, by the Long Falls Dam Road from North New Portland and from Stratton. The Preserve is open all year. |
| Open All Year |
| 36,000 acres; designated trails; wildlife |
Western Region Office: (207) 778-8231
Bureau of Parks and Lands
PO Box 327
129 Main Street
Farmington, ME 04938 |
Hiking
Hiking has long been a popular activity in the Bigelow Range. Above the treeline, the summits offer distant views of western Maine and northern New Hampshire. Many one-day or multi-day trips may be taken on 30 miles of the Appalachian Trail and four side trails. The Maine Appalachian Trail Club maintains these trails, as well as trail-side campsites.
Fire Warden's Trail - Distance from trailhead to:
Stratton Pond outlet, 0.4 miles
Horns Pond Trail junction, 2.1 miles
Appalachian Trail junction, 4.6 miles
Avery Peak summit, 5.0 miles
West Peak summit, 4.9 miles
Loop via Fire Warden's trail, Appalachian trail, Horns Pond trail, 12.3 miles.
Appalachian Trail (from the south) - Distance from Route 27 to:
Stratton Brook Road, 0.9 miles
Bigelow Range Trail junction, 3.2 miles
Horns Pond Trail junction, 4.9 miles
Horns Pond lean-tos, 5.1 miles
South Horn summit, 5.6 miles
West Peak summit, 7.7 miles
Avery Peak summit, 8.4 miles
Avery lean-to and Fire Warden's junction, 8.0 miles
Bigelow Range Trail - Distance from Route 27 to:
Clearing, 0.4 miles
First ledges, 1.9 miles
Cranberry Peak summit, 3.3 miles
Appalachian Trail junction, 5.0 miles.
Safford Brook and Appalachian Trails - Distance from Round Barn Field to:
East Flagstaff Road, 0.3 miles
Applalachian Trail junction, 2.5 miles
Little Bigelow summit, 5.6 miles
Avery Peak summit, 4.4 miles.
Appalachian Trail (from the east) - Distance from East Flagstaff Road to:
Little Bigelow lean-to, 1.3 miles
Little Bigelow summit, 2.9 miles
Avery peak summit, 8.2 miles.
Camping
Campsites for the backpacker are located along the mountain ridgeline at Horns Pond, the Avery Memorial Lean-to, the Safford Notch campsite, and the Little Bigelow Lean-to. Facilities at these sites typically include a lean-to or tent platform, fire-ring, and privy. Fires are only authorized at the maintained fire-rings. No fire permits are required.
Tenting is available at the Round Barn campsites on the shore of Flagstaff Lake. No registration is required and all sites are available for use free of charge. The sites are accessible by water or by a short trail originating from the vehicle parking area. From the Round Barn parking area, the trail leads easterly along the shore to a half dozen secluded single party campsites. To the west is a large group site that can accommodate up to 30 people. These sites are fire authorized, have fire-rings and access to a privy. A nearby day-use area on the shore of Flagstaff Lake offers opportunities for swimming and picknicing. A hand-carry boat or canoe may be launched from the beach.
Winter Wonderland
Snowmobilers can travel over 20 miles of designated trails. Those travelling on snowshoes or cross-country skiis can find opportunities to enjoy solitude on the hiking trails and unplowed roads. A spacious lodge, located near the Round Barn Campsites, is kept open on winter weekends as a warming stopover for skiers and snowmobilers.
Enjoying Bigelow Preserve Visit
The Bigelow Preserve lies east of the village of Stratton and is some 40 miles north of the Town of Farmington. The Preserve encompasses the entire Bigelow Range, which includes such well-known summits as Cranberry Peak, The Horns, West Peak, Avery Peak, and Little Bigelow. The highest of these, West Peak, at 4,150 feet in elevation, is one of only 10 Maine summits over 4,000 feet. The Preserve has 21 miles of frontage on 20,000-acre Flagstaff Lake. With habitat ranging from heavily forested lowlands, ponds and marshes, to high elevation barren alpine areas, the Preserve supports most wildlife species indigenous to the state.
The Preserve is managed by a full time manager employed by the Bureau of Parks and Lands.
Wildlife Watching
With habitat ranging from heavily forested lowlands to barren mountain tops, the preserve supports most wildlife species native to Maine. Watch for songbirds, raptors, deer, and grouse in the forest and for loons, ospreys, Canada geese, and bald eagles on or near Flagstaff Lake.
9 Tips for Wildlife Watchers
1. Keep a safe distance from all wildlife
2. Avoid nests and dens. Leave young birds and mammals where you find them.
3. Know and respect wildlife alarm signals.
4. Avoid stressing animals by deliberately making noise or chasing them.
5. Go out early in the morning and again late in the day for best wildlife watching.
6. Move slowly and quietly; then stay still.
7. Use binoculars or a spotting scope for closer views.
8. Stay in your vehicle when watching wildlife from the road.
9. For your safety and their well-being, don't feed the animals and do secure your food and trash.
Low Impact Recreating
1. Buy food in bulk and pack it in reusable containers and resealable plastic bags.
2. Choose reusables, especially silverware, dishes, and flashlights.
3. Avoid disposables, especially lighters, fuel cylinders, and solid fuel cans.
4. Use refillable, liquid-fuel stoves/lanterns.
5. If you build fires, where allowed, use only down and dead wood, or bring your own.
6. Burn only paper waste, not foil, plastic, Styrofoam, or food.
7. Avoid trenching or disturbing the ground.
8. Wash with phosphate-free soap/detergent in a basin; dump waste water in the toilet pit or in a small pit 100 feet from water.
9. Seal food waste in a bag and hang it high and away from animals and camp.
10. Carry out all trash; please recycle.
11. Stay on trails in sensitive areas, such as alpine, coastal, and wetland areas.
Safety Tips
For your safety in remote regions, please:
1. Yield right of way to logging trucks on gravel roads in and around the unit.
2. Bring adequate supplies of medicine, food, fuel, insect repellent, and safety equipment, as there may be none nearby.
3. Purify all drinking water by boiling, filtering, or treating with chemicals.
4. Be prepared to wait for safe boating conditions to cross lakes exposed to strong winds, usually from the northwest.
5. Stay on trails and supervise children closely. Cliffs may have loose rocks and long vertical drops to the rocks and water below.
6. In emergencies, call the Maine State Police at 1-800-452-4664 or *77 on cellular phones.
Contact Information
Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands: (207) 287-3821
Acadia National Park 207-288-3338
Baxter State Park 207-723-5140
Maine Forest Service
Fire Permits and Campsite Information:
Ashland 207-435-7963
Greenville 207-695-3721
Old Town 207-827-1800
Augusta 207-624-3700
Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Hunting/Fishing Licenses: 207-287-2571
Boat/Snowmobile Registration: 207-287-2043
Maine Tourism Association: 800-533-9595
Mattawamkeag Wilderness Park: 207-736-4881
Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge: 207-454-3521
North Maine Woods: 207-435-6213
Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge: 207-646-9226
Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve: 207-646-1555
White Mountain National Forest: 207-824-2134
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BIGELOW PRESERVE & FLAGSTAFF LAKE 