Posted in Maine February 13, 2017 by

Visiting This One Wildlife Refuge In Maine Is Like Experiencing A Dream

As Mainers, we’re pretty used to coming across some amazing natural resources. In the summer, we’ve got rivers and lakes to kayak on and in the winter, there are lots of trails for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. But sometimes, the sheer number of options can be overwhelming. That’s why we love when we come across something that’s new to us. Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge is located in northern Maine and it’s one of those places we can’t believe we’re only just learning about. It might be a bit off-the-beaten path for the western or southern Mainers, but it’s worth the journey to check it out.

Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge is located near the Maine and Canada border, near Calais.
Leonora (Ellie) Enking / Flickr
It is one of the most northern national wildlife refuges in the Atlantic Flyway, a migration route located along the eastern coast of the continent.
usfwsnortheast / Flickr
usfwsnortheast / Flickr
Moosehorn is made up of two divisions, each containing a National Wilderness Area comprised of thousands of acres that are managed to preserve their character for future generations.
usfwsnortheast / Flickr
The Baring Division is more than 20,000 acres and is located off US 1, near Calais.
NieSam / TripAdvisor
The other division is more than 8,000 acres and is called the Edmunds Division. It's located between Dennysville and Whiting on US 1 and borders the tidal waters of Cobscook Bay.
usfwsnortheast / Flickr
The refuge's landscape includes hills, large ledge outcrops, streams, lakes, bogs, and marshes, while the forested areas include aspen, maple, birch, spruce, white pine and fir.
usfwsnortheast / Flickr
The Edmunds Division features a few miles of rocky shoreline where the tide rises and falls around 24 feet, two times a day!
usfwsnortheast / Flickr
Best of all, this is a wonderful area for all things that the Maine outdoors has to offer - from hiking to hunting to fishing.
usfwsnortheast / Flickr
For an intermediate-level hike, check out the trail to Cranberry Lake.

To get to the trailhead, follow the signs along Charlotte road to Headquarters Road in the Baring Division section of the park. Next, you'll head to the Headquarters, followed by a small parking lot. This is where you'll start!

You'll walk along the ATV trail towards Mullen Meadow before coming to a heavily forested area that is considered backcountry. Enjoy views of the lake area on your right and allow yourself to explore this part of the part before getting to Cranberry Lake itself.
NieSam / TripAdvisor
Keep a look for the sign pointing your towards Headquarters Trail Road. Next, you'll be on a fairly easy to see footpath. Continue for about 4 miles before reaching Cranberry Lake.

While you can continue into the forest on the same trail, if you head back at this point, you'll have completed a solid (nearly) 7-mile hike!

Loving the outdoors as much as we do might make us black sheep! Click here to check out some other reasons why Maine is America’s black sheep and why we love it!