Joe Latuscha’s bike parked along the Old Canada Road. Submitted photo
Ah, the freedom of the open road. For many of us, there’s nothing quite like the sound of rubber on pavement, the sprawling world around us and the unlimited possibilities that come with a long drive.
Let’s be honest. We’ve got it good up here in Maine when it comes to scenic drives on roads that aren’t perpetually clogged by bumper-to-bumper traffic. In fact, four of Maine’s roads are touted on the National Scenic Byways Program’s list of roadways that deserve to be recognized, preserved and enhanced.
They’re so awesome, in other words, that they require federal protection. The roads are recognized based on one or more archaeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational and scenic qualities.
In Maine, anyone who has been around a while will be familiar with at least some of these byways, though they may not have cruised them. Others will know all of them. In either case, with the landscape about to explode into the bright colors of fall, there’s no better time to take a drive down each of them, one by one.
A literary drive, anyway.
Fasten your seat belts, my friends, and keep a sharp eye out. There are moose afoot.
RANGELEY LAKES SCENIC BYWAY
Gas up: This route starts at the intersection of Maine Route 17 and Main Road southwest of West Central Franklin. The byway ends at the Madrid rest area. Route is 36 miles long.
A view from Height of Land on Route 17 to Rangeley along the Rangeley Lakes Scenic Byway. David Orino
Who isn’t familiar with this one? A drive around Rangeley is the trip you make if you’re searching for moose or just showing off before a goggle-eyed visitor from away.
This drive follows Routes 17 and 4, wrapping around Rangeley Lake and weaving along the ridges of the Appalachian Mountains before dropping into rolling hills and valleys. Height of Land on Route 17 is the centerpiece of this scenic drive, offering stunning views of Mooselookmeguntic and Upper Richardson lakes.
David Orino, of Rumford, knows the area well. The views are breathtaking, he agrees, but that’s not all the area has to offer.
“The Swift River rises just below the Height of Land and is an absolute gem with lots of terrific swimming holes such as Tubs, Bubbles and Three Pools, all south of Coos Canyon,” Orino says. “The store at Coos is run by some wonderful folks who would be happy to give you a crash course and rent you the gear for gold panning. The road that crosses the river at the canyon will take you to the hiking trails at the aptly named Tumbledown Mountain.
“A short drive from Coos Canyon is the road to the trail to Angel Falls, which can be spectacular after a good rain,” Orino continues. “Beyond is Height of Land, The Rangeley Heritage Museum, the dam at Rangeley’s outlet, the whoopie pies at The OG (Oquossoc Grocery), the Wilhelm Reich Museum, Orgonon, historic Rangeley Village, the Logging Museum, oh, and I almost forgot to mention The Rangeley Overlook.”
One glimpse from the Overlook alone is enough to drive a man to spewing adjectives in an attempt to describe the wonders.
“Step back in time,” goes the description on the Federal Highway Administration Scenic Byways page, “and treat yourself to spectacular scenery, outstanding recreational opportunities, abundant wildlife, local museums and quaint New England villages. Slow down, relax and enjoy nature’s abundance at every turn.”
The Rangeley Lake area is considered one of the state’s top spots for viewing foliage, if you’re into that kind of thing. It’s also popular with hunters, fishermen, hikers and the like, and it’s been that way for a long time.
“Beginning in the mid-1800s, sportsmen journeyed to this ruggedly pristine region in search of fabled 10- to 12-pound brook trout and landlocked salmon,” according to exploremaine.com.
For a map of this byway and other information, visit fhwa.dot.gov/byways
OLD CANADA ROAD
Gas up: This starts at the intersection of Route 201 and Maine Route 42 northwest of Skowhegan, and ends at the U.S. border crossing at Sandy Bay. The route is 78 miles long.
An aerial view of Route 201 along Old Canada Road overlooks Wyman Lake and captures colorful fall splendor. Maine Department of Transportation.
As the American Revolutionary War was being fought in the late 1700s, a military officer named Benedict Arnold led a tough band of soldiers up the Kennebec and Dead rivers in flat-bottom boats called bateaux to lay siege to the French settlement at Quebec.
Today, a traveler can follow much of Arnold’s trail by heading north on Route 201 along a long stretch known as Old Canada Road. These scenery is inspiring, no doubt, with the vast forests, mountains and the meandering Kennebec River right outside the window. But so is the history of the route.
“The Old Canada Road leads travelers on a trip through time,” according to exploremaine.com. “In towns like Bingham, classic clapboard homes line the streets and harken back to the boom days of the 19th and early 20th centuries when lumber barons reigned over the surrounding forest. In places like The Forks, modern-day adventurers gather to camp in the backcountry and raft down swift-flowing rivers.”
Wildlife is abundant along the long road to Canada. Here and there a traveler will find old-time villagers that seem stuck in time.
Most Mainers know this road if only from long drives into Canada. Others travel that way on fishing or white-water rafting expeditions.
A view from Old Canada Road. Lauryn Mae Griffey
“It’s always beautiful up there,” says Joe Latuscha, a New Gloucester man who’s father owns a camp in the area.
If Old Canada Road has a downside, it’s the number of tractor-trailers and other big rigs making the journey along with you. Get stuck behind a truck for long stretches, and your drive will slow considerably as the big rigs struggle on the many hills.
Those trucks aren’t going anywhere soon: Route 201 remains an important trade route linking the U.S. and Canada – as it has been since Benedict Arnold was just a pup.
For a map of this area and other information, visit fhwa.dot.gov/byways
SCHOODIC SCENIC BYWAY
Gas up: This starts at the Hancock-Sullivan Bridge on Maine Route 1 east of Hancock, takes Route 186 south all the way down and around Schoodic Peninsula, and ends 29 miles later at Prospect Harbor.
Mount Desert Island, seen in the background, provides a smooth backdrop against the waves crashing on rocks at Schoodic Point along the Schoodic Scenic Byway. Federal Highway Administration
Not everybody has heard of this roadway, even if they’ve traveled it before. Considered to be on “the quiet side” of Acadia National Park, the Schoodic Scenic Byway passes through the only section of Acadia National Park on the mainland, and beautiful Schoodic Point.
Seriously, friends. It doesn’t get more Maine than this.
“The landscape remains unspoiled, revealing a part of Maine where lobstering and clamming are still a tradition,” according to the FHA page. “Discover the local artisans’ crafts and let the mountains, coastal islands, historic buildings and lighthouses enchant you.”
It might take a traveler just an hour to make the whole Schoodic Byway drive. Yet most people tend to spend half-a-day to make the journey, experiencing all the area has to offer.
“The shoreline is marked by lighthouses, wildflowers, osprey, eagles and views of Cadillac Mountain and Mount Desert Island,” according to exploremaine.com. “Blueberry barrens turn the surrounding hills violet and green in late summer and brilliant scarlet in the autumn. Seaside villages and working harbors from Sullivan to Prospect Harbor reveal well-preserved examples of simple New England architecture from the 18th and 19th centuries.”
And then there’s the food, according to some. “Chase’s in Winter Harbor,” says Wayne Heyward, of Sabattus, “has the best onion rings on the coast.”
All of that before one reaches the end. And the end, some say, might be the best part.
“Schoodic Point is amazing,” says Missi Wilson Boyd, of Auburn. “There is a bed and breakfast called Acadia’s Oceanside Meadows Inn that is gorgeous. Right on the water. Beautiful ride out there.”
As with our other routes, there is also history here. In fact, in some fishing villages, the scenery today probably looks quite a lot like it did hundreds of years ago.
“The cold North Atlantic waters of the Down East coast served historically as fishing grounds for native cultures and the earliest Europeans. To this day, the harbors and coves are filled with lobster boats and wooden piers that come alive with the daily catch.”
For a map of this area and other information, visit fhwa.dot.gov/byways
ACADIA ALL-AMERICAN ROAD
Gas up: It begins on Route 3 at the Ellsworth-Trenton town line and ends 40 miles later on Mount Desert Island after completing the circuit on Acadia National Park’s Park Loop Road.
The Acadia region offers unparalleled coastal sights along the Acadia All-American Road. Maine Department of Transportation.
It’s the last on our list, but certainly not the least. The Acadia All-American Road has so much going on, it’s not easy to describe in a concise way.
“From craggy shorelines and granite-capped mountains to crystal lakes and spruce-fir forests, Acadia All American Road is perfect for exploring,” according to the FHA. “Extensive carriage roads and hiking trails give access to Acadia National Park. See fishing and sailboats in Frenchman’s Bay or go back in time to see the ‘cottages’ of old Bar Harbor.”
Connected to the mainland by a bridge, Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park are the most frequently visited locations in Maine. The area offers the kind of scenery that the postcard industry was based on. And it’s not for looking only. There’s plenty to do within that 40-mile jaunt.
“Travelers can bike to their hearts content on miles of interconnected carriage roads – and hike one of 26 mountains,” according to exploremaine.com. “Plus, 22 lakes and ponds, beaches and natural wonders provide plenty of relaxation.”
The area is hugely popular for foliage viewing, but it’s also famed for the abundant wildlife, hiking trails and – some would say – food from the many eateries in Bar Harbor.
The beauty of this route cannot be overstated, whether you’re wheeling it on a bicycle or riding in a car with the windows cranked open. There’s a reason the area has been coveted so fiercely that nations have gone to war over it.
That’s right. Time for more history lessons.
A view from the Jordan Pond House in Acadia National Park, which is just off the Acadia All-American Road. Federal Highway Administration
“Long before the French explorer Samuel Champlain ‘discovered’ L’ile des Monts Deserts (Mount Desert Island) and the British and French fought nearly 100 years for sovereignty over the region, native cultures made this beautiful island their home,” according to exploremaine.com. “In the first half of the 20th century, a number of wealthy families built sprawling shingle-style ‘cottages,’ with John D. Rockefeller Jr., (building and) contributing a vast network of carriage roads.”
For a map of this area and other information, visit fhwa.dot.gov/byways
Since its inception in 1991, the National Scenic Byways Program has officially recognized 150 roads around the country, but the last round of designations occurred 10 years ago. Legislation signed into law this month will restart the program’s dormant designation process.
But that’s just political mumbo jumbo. The bottom line is that these four Maine routes are out there and hasn’t it been too long since you went on a road trip? It’s foliage season, bub, and the weather is still good. Why wait? You have the maps and you know the way. All you need is a tank of gas, some worthy traveling companions and some good traveling music on the radio.
Don’t forget to use the bathroom before we go.
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