The Rangeley Lake region has a lot of great options from mountain views to lakes, to conservation land, and of course, fall foliage. You can do this trip around Rangeley Lake in an hour, or you can take most of a day to really explore. I will be the first to admit that I could also spend more time exploring there.

Just across from Rangeley Lake is Haley Pond (seen above) which sits behind the Rangeley Inn. I’ve checked with the folks at the inn, and they said they do not mind if you go behind the inn to the pond to take photographs (but please be respectful, since guests have cabins right next to the pond).

When I got the image above (and these during a foggy dawn morning) I was a guest, and I rolled out of bed and walked out to the pond. Lisa and I have stayed at the Rangeley Inn several times and even though they recently remodeled and raised their prices, this is still a great place to stay. Click the link to read about it.

I’ve driven through this area many times over the years, but I’m always finding new things to explore. For instance, I just found an interesting lake on google maps north of the town of Rangeley named Loon Lake. I am putting that on my to-do list since I usually pass by the road it is on, Loon Lake Rd, on the way into or through Rangeley on Route 16.

Multiple routes to arrive at Rangeley Lake

I usually take route 16 from southern New Hampshire (NH) all the way north to Errol NH and then follow it over into Maine. (click this link for one of several articles on my travels on Route 16) This route will take you past the northern side of Lake Mooselookmeguntic (Height of Land) and on into Rangeley.

Today’s route is very simple, either approach from the South on Route 17 or come in on Route 16 from the Northeast, or Route 4 from the Southeast. These three routes, plus a connecting road, will take you around Rangeley. The connecting road is South Shore Drive, and it connects Route 17 to Route 4 on the southern leg of the scenic drive.

If you are coming up from the South, you can travel on Route 17. You’ll pass through Rumford, Maine, and if you need to stretch your legs, pull over in Byron, Maine. Here you will find Coos Canyon. You can easily spend an hour there, checking out the waterfalls and cascades. Click the link to read more about it.

Activities around Rangeley Lake

There are many excellent outdoor activities to be found around Rangeley Lake. There are guide services for people who want to Hike in and locate and photograph moose. Or for a more relaxing view of loons and eagles, try a lake cruise on the Oquossoc Lady II, a 36′ wooden boat that has a Maine guide who tells you about the different areas of Rangeley Lake. They can be found on the western side of the lake.

Hunter Cove Wildlife Sanctuary

If you continue east on Routes 4 & 16 (dual-route) you will find at about 3.5 miles on the south side of Route 16/4 Hunter Cove Wildlife Sanctuary. Hunter Cove offers 1.5 miles of easy, flat trails with several loop options. The trails lead out to a beautiful section of Hunter Cove on Rangeley Lake. The previous link has a trail map to download and this link will give you specifics on where to arrive, park, and explore the sanctuary.

Finding a meal in Rangeley

As you pull into the town of Rangeley, you will find many options for a meal. We’ve caught a sandwich at Lakeside Convenience & Marina for something basic but very good. A bit further on is Park & Maine which we’ve eaten dinner at a couple of times. If you are staying at the Rangeley Inn you may even be able to get a meal there. We had breakfast there and it is wonderful.

Maine Forestry Museum

If you follow Route 16 out of Rangeley a short distance, you will find the Maine Forestry Museum. Here you will find the Museum collection which consists of hundreds of artifacts, tools, equipment, and heavy machinery from regional logging operations. They have 19 original oil paintings by Alden Grant depicting logging camp life in the early 1900s, plus, miles of hiking trails.

Cascade Stream Gorge Trail

Just before we pick up South Shore Drive (SSD) back to the west, we will stop at Cascade Stream Gorge Trail. Basically, at the intersection of Cascade Dr and SSD turn away (for now) from SSD, and turn left on Townhall Road. There is signage for parking, and it’s an easy-rated, short trail out to a waterfall.

It’s just under a mile round trip to get to the waterfall and back to the car. Most reviews say the only equipment needed is decent shoes (flip-flops are not recommended) Click the link for a trail map and other reviews.

Leaving there, you cross Route 4 onto South Shore Drive, and about 4.5 miles later you will see the turnoff into Rangeley Lake State Park.

Rangeley Lake State Park

The state park is for those who want well-marked trails, and it’s very easy to traverse. I found many trees were tagged with genus and common name so you can identify the trees around you in this conservation area which is a nice plus if you’re not familiar with identifying trees.

Finishing the Rangeley Lake Loop

You can drive this loop in an hour or so, and the best parts are the pullouts or areas where you get out of the car. If I’m heading home, I have a 3+ hour drive ahead of me. But if you are staying near Rangeley, it means you will be able to do a lot more exploring and drive less. Lisa and I have only stayed in the Rangeley Inn on two occasions, here is our write up on it.

Best times for the fall colors

I’ve arrived at Rangeley Lake anywhere from 2 October to 17 October. My best result for the Height of Land (you do know this is NOT Rangelely Lake, this is Mooselookmeguntic Lake) was on 3 October as seen in the image below. As always, there are exceptions which I will detail in a minute.

For those of you who think because I live in New England, I can just go out my front door to find peak fall foliage any time I want, but this is not always true! These pictures below show that it’s never that easy, even for me. You must have persistence. On three different days/years I stopped at the Height of Land, and only in one year did I find it to be really colorful. Most years, I feel I miss it by a week or so.

As you can see I like to stop at about the same place each time I visit so I can compare notes. Sooner or later everything will fall into place, and you’ll get the shot you want. You just have to keep at it. The 3rd image above is available with free shipping

The image above on the right is from the 3rd of Oct (2013). OK, I will say that most times the rules are the rules (or guidelines) but every year is different. The picture on the left is Oct 2nd (2009) and is not quite there yet. The one in the middle is Oct 9th (2010) and past peak.

Once in a while, Mother Nature throws an exception out there for us. In 2017, Lisa and I really were having trouble finding any good fall colors. (remember what I said about the bad years for fall colors?) If not, it was a late year…

Here is an Exception to the best color being on Oct 3rd…

Well, here is an exception-It was on October 17th (very late for Rangeley) when we pulled in at the Rangeley Inn, and you can read the full article about the Rangeley Inn here. The next morning, I got up early to see what the dawn would do. Let’s just say it seemed less than ideal, foggy, and /or misty. I almost went back to bed but decided to take a walk behind the inn and see what happened.

As the sun came up behind the clouds, the fog began to clear. What transpired was magical, and in other words, turned into Awesome! Or WOW!, or (my favorite) Holy CRAP! The picture at the beginning of the article, and the one below, are from the same morning.

As I mentioned above, this little spot on Haley Pond is one of those gems that you can find while you are traveling around this loop. You can read about this special find in this article. You can also see more images as well.

I hope you enjoyed this trip around Rangeley Lake Maine. It’s not everything that there is to do around Rangeley, but it should give you some ideas to get you started.

Jeff Foliage Folger

Autumn is a state of mind more than a time of year – Jeff Foliage

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