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The Bigelow Preserve was the product of grassroots opposition to a proposed ski resort billed as the "Aspen of the East."
A 1976 legislative act initiated by public referendum resulted in the conservation of 37,000 acres that cover the entire Bigelow Range.
The land is managed for a variety of uses including wildlife, visual quality, recreational use, and timber production. There is also a 10,000-acre ecological reserve.
The preserve includes forested lowlands, ponds, marshes and barren alpine areas and close to the shores of Flagstaff Lake. Because the terrain is so varied, it supports most wildlife species native to Maine.
Bigelow is a popular three-season area (spring is the down time). Hunting and leaf-peeping attract visitors in autumn. Extensive trails exist for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling, and a lodge near the Round Barn on Flagstaff serves to warm up winter recreationists on weekends.
Summer, of course, is when most campers and hikers visit the region. The Appalachian Trail is something of a skywalk in Maine, and its course through Bigelow is virtually all along the ridgeline, including Bigelow Mountain's West Peak that rises above 4,000 feet.
A secondary trail starts near Stratton, crosses Cranberry Peak and joins the Appalachian Trail. Other trails connect the Appalachian Trail to Stratton Brook Pond and Flagstaff Lake. There are more than 30 miles of trails in the preserve.
Tent sites and lean-tos are provided along the trail, but backpackers should come prepared with their own tents and stoves. To protect the area, camp fires are no longer allowed at several sites.
Individual and group campsites also exist along Flagstaff at Round Barn and primitive sites near Stratton Brook Pond.
A day-use area near Round Barn is good for swimming, picnicking and launching canoes or rowboats. The barn's stone foundaton is one of the few remnants left from the settlement flooded by the damming of the Dead River, which created Flagstaff Lake.
Outdoor Activities |
