Maine Huts & Trails is a United States non-profit public service organization that maintains 80 miles of trails in Maine.
It aims to create a 180-mile network of non-motorized, multi-use trails stretching between the Mahoosuc Range in western Maine to Moosehead Lake, the state's largest water body. Much of the land for this project—including Poplar Hut site—is leased from the Penobscot Indian Nation, the original inhabitants of the region.
Overview
There are currently 80 miles, and the organization has not realized its goal of maintaining 180 miles, as of February 2024.
According to plans, the southern gateway will be near Bethel, and it will terminate in Rockwood, on the western shore of Moosehead. Along the way, up to 12 wilderness lodges will be constructed, each sleeping up to 45 guests. The distance between huts will average 10 miles. The huts are open year round for day visitors and overnight guests with opportunities for hiking, paddling, and biking in the summer and cross-country skiing, fat tire biking and snowshoeing in the winter.
Larry Warren, Suzie Hockmeyer and John Willard consider route alternatives at a 2002 Maine Huts and Trails planning session. Scott Andrews photo
The proposed route very roughly parallels the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, but generally follows river valleys and utilizes many long-abandoned logging roads that criss-cross the region.
The organization has raised approximately $10 million to date and opened its first hut, at Poplar Stream Falls in Carrabassett Valley, on Feb. 16, 2008. It features several heated bunkhouses, which accommodate between four and 12 people apiece, plus a central lodge with kitchen, rest rooms, dining room and common area. Breakfast and dinner are served to guests. Three additional huts have been opened including Flagstaff Hut in 2009, Grand Falls Hut in 2010 and Stratton Brook Hut in 2012. The network now connects over 80 miles of trails between route 27 in Carrabassett Valley and route 201 in the West Forks.
A key component to the huts is the application of green energy systems reducing impact to the surrounding environment. Each hut utilizes a contained composting toilet system, solar power, and radiant floor heating powered by a wood boiler. In addition to these systems, Poplar Hut has hydro-electric power and Grand Falls Hut has a solar hot water heater. Overnight guests are welcome to join the hut staff on a "green energy tour" which describes these systems in detail and also explains the mission of the MH&T system.
The huts encourage guests to follow Leave No Trace principles while using the trail system.
Maine Huts & Trails' founder is Larry Warren of Carrabassett Valley, who first envisioned the trail network in 1974 and borrowed the huts concept from the Appalachian Mountain Club. In terms of architecture, the hut designs reflect traditional Maine sporting camps. The four huts currently in operation (Poplar Stream Falls, Stratton Brook, Grand Falls, and Flagstaff) were all built by general contractor, Carl W. "Dutch" Demshar and crew.
Promoting year-round tourism in the region is one of Warren's stated goals. He was formerly involved in developing Sugarloaf into the state's second busiest ski resort, and he envisions Maine Huts & Trails fitting into the official ecotourism campaign.
The Maine Huts & Trails Main Office is located at 496 Main Street in Kingfield, ME.
The Appalachian Trail, also called the A.T., is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost 2,200 miles (3,540 km) between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy claims the Appalachian Trail to be the longest hiking-only trail in the world. More than three million people hike segments of the trail each year.
Carrabassett Valley is a town in Franklin County, Maine, United States. The population was 673 at the 2020 census.
Kingfield is a town in Franklin County, Maine, United States. The population was 960 at the 2020 census. Kingfield, the primary village in the town, is a census-designated place.
The White Mountains are a mountain range covering about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. They are a subrange of the northern Appalachian Mountains and the most rugged mountains in New England. Several of the higher peaks contain an Alpine tundra. The range is heavily visited due to its proximity to Boston, New York City, and Montreal.
Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is the oldest outdoor group in the United States. Created in 1876 to explore and preserve the White Mountains in New Hampshire, it has expanded throughout the northeastern U.S., with 12 chapters stretching from Maine to Washington, D.C. The AMC's 275,000 members, advocates, and supporters mix outdoor recreation, particularly hiking and backpacking, with environmental activism. Additional activities include cross-country skiing, whitewater and flatwater canoeing and kayaking, sea kayaking, sailing, rock climbing and bicycle riding. The Club has about 2,700 volunteers, who lead roughly 7,000 trips and activities per year. The organization publishes a number of books, guides, and trail maps.
Sugarloaf is a ski area and resort located on Sugarloaf Mountain in Carrabassett Valley, western Maine. It is the second largest ski resort east of the Mississippi in terms of skiable area and snowmaking percentage (95%); its continuous vertical drop of 2,820 feet (860 m) is the second longest in New England. Sugarloaf recorded a total of 352,000 skier visits in the 2005–2006 season, ranking it second among Maine resorts and 11th in New England.
The Western Lakes and Mountains region spans most of Maine's western border with New Hampshire. A small part of the scenic White Mountain National Forest is located in this area. The region consists of Oxford County, Androscoggin County, Franklin County, as well as northern York and interior Cumberland counties. The largest cities in the region are Lewiston and Auburn. Notable towns include Bethel, Bridgton, Oxford, Rangeley, and Rumford. Many of the state's highest peaks are located in the region, although the highest, Mount Katahdin, is not.
Taconic State Park is located in Columbia and Dutchess County, New York abutting Massachusetts and Connecticut within the Taconic Mountains. The state park is located off New York State Route 344 south of Interstate 90 and 110 miles (180 km) north of New York City. It features camping, hiking, bicycling, hunting, cross county skiing and other recreational opportunities.
Ostrander Lake is located in Yosemite National Park, approximately 10 miles (16 km) south of Yosemite Valley and 10 miles (16 km) east of the Badger Pass Ski Area, at an elevation of 8,500 feet (2,600 m). The lake is a popular destination for cross-country skiers during the winter. It is the primary source of Bridalveil Creek, which feeds Bridalveil Falls.
Badger Pass Ski Area is a small ski area located within Yosemite National Park. Badger Pass is one of only three lift serviced ski areas operating in a US National Park. It is situated five miles (8 km) south-southeast of the Chinquapin intersection of Wawona Road with Glacier Point Road in the southern area of Yosemite National Park. Glacier Point Road provides the access to this ski area. During high snow level and/or ski season, Glacier Point road terminates at Badger Pass Ski Resort. Under these conditions, the remainder of Glacier Point Road is used for cross-country skiing access to Glacier Point and other destinations in the high country.
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail spans 14 U.S. states over its roughly 2,200 miles (3,500 km): Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. The southern end is at Springer Mountain, Georgia, and it follows the ridgeline of the Appalachian Mountains, crossing many of its highest peaks and running almost continuously through wilderness before reaching the northern end at Mount Katahdin, Maine.
Wildcat Mountain is a mountain located in Coos County, northern New Hampshire, United States. The mountain is part of the Carter-Moriah Range of the White Mountains, on the east side of Pinkham Notch. Wildcat Mountain faces Carter Dome across Carter Notch to the northeast, and Mount Washington across Pinkham Notch to the west.
The Carrabassett River, a tributary of the Kennebec River, is located in Franklin County and Somerset County, Maine, in the United States. It rises near Sugarloaf Mountain, east of Rangeley Lake, and runs for 33.8 miles (54.4 km), flowing southeast past Kingfield and joining the Kennebec River in the town of Anson.
Crocker Mountain is a 4,228 ft (1,289 m) peak located in Carrabassett Valley, Franklin County, Maine, in the United States. Crocker Mountain is the fourth highest mountain in the state after the Katahdins and Sugarloaf Mountain, and is part of the Appalachian Mountains. Crocker Mountain is traversed by the Appalachian Trail (AT), a 2,170 mi (3,490 km) National Scenic Trail from Georgia to Maine.
Sugarloaf Mountain is a ski mountain located in Carrabassett Valley, Franklin County, Maine. It is the third highest peak in the state, after Mount Katahdin's Baxter and Hamlin peaks. Sugarloaf is flanked to the south by Spaulding Mountain.
Mount Redington is a mountain located in Franklin County, Maine. Redington is flanked to the northeast by South Crocker Mountain and to the west by Black Nubble. Redington stands just northeast of the U.S. Navy Survival Escape and Evasion Training Facility (USSEAETF).
South Crocker Mountain is a mountain located in Franklin County, Maine. South Crocker Mountain is flanked to the north by Crocker Mountain, and to the southwest by Mount Redington.
The Little Lyford Pond camps is a historic logging camp located in the Maine Woods.
The George Wyth Memorial State Park is a state park in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. The park was dedicated in 1940 as "Josh Higgins Parkway", named for a popular radio character of the day. In 1956, it was renamed George Wyth Memorial State Park after a well-known Cedar Falls businessman and conservationist.
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