As Henry David Thoreau did in the 1850s, visit the fascinating Moosehead Lake region of Maine and enjoy the natural beauty and grandeur of this immense lake and its forested shores.
The Katahdin — Star of the Moosehead Marine Museum
The Katahdin steamboat is based at the Moosehead Marine Museum in Greenville, Maine. The boat is a direct link to the rich history of the Moosehead region. It was constructed by the fledging Bath Iron Works (BIW) on Maine's coast in 1914. BIW is currently one of Maine's largest employers. The Katahdin has since then been converted to diesel fuel.
Over 50 steamboats plied the Moosehead waters in the steamboat heyday, the early 1900s. The boats not only carried passengers, but also mail, supplies, livestock, and equipment to small settlements and sport lodges in the area.
By the late 1930s, transportation in Maine and in the nation had changed dramatically. Of all the boats that once worked Moosehead Lake, only the Katahdin survived. During the subsequent decades she was used for heavy tugboat-like hauling on Moosehead Lake, especially hauling huge log booms to the mills. In 1975, she participated in the last log drive undertaken in the US. She has since been designated a National Historic Landmark.
The Katahdin provides regular three- and five-hour tours of Moosehead Lake each summer and fall. Groups may also charter her by previous arrangement. Special, one-of-a-kind cruises also occur:
- 4th of July Firework Cruises
- Rock 'n' Roll Cruises
- Head of Lake Cruises (an eight-hour full lake tour)
Moosehead — Maine's Largest Lake is Four-Season Destination
Moosehead Lake is not only the largest lake in lake-studded Maine, but is the largest in New England as well. It is approximately 40 miles long and 10 miles wide. It's the source of the Kennebec River, one of Maine's premier rivers. Moosehead contains over 80 islands and has over 400 miles of shoreline!
Moosehead Lake is well known for boating and other water-related recreational activities, but the area also has a wealth of hiking and camping opportunities. It's also a winter sports mecca: snowmobiling, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, ice fishing, and snowshoeing.
Be sure to visit the small museum where the Katahdin is based (free admission). The Moosehead Marine Museum has extensive displays of photos and illustrations of the bygone era made notable by the Katahdin and the other hard-working steamboats that made Moosehead Lake their home.
Camp at Lily Bay State Park on the east side of Moosehead. With its direct access to Moosehead Lake and the North Woods, Lily Bay is a gem in Maine's state park system, which celebrates its 75th year in 2010.
Hike Mount Kineo, with its 700-foot cliffs that plunge straight up from the lake's surface. The Kineo peninsula was once the site of the world famous Kineo House. Today, it boasts a nine-hole golf course and is accessible by shuttle from Rockwood, a small village situated on the west shore of Moosehead Lake.
The local Chamber of Commerce is especially helpful in assisting visitors in finding just the right activity and accommodations. Fortunately, the Moosehead Lake region is a part of our nation that has retained its regal natural beauty for all of us to enjoy.
Cheryl Pratt - Cheryl Pratt has been a technical writer/graphic designer for a medical software company for the past 10 years. She has published articles ...
