Greenville, Maine: Things to Do, Stay & Eat

Greenville sits at the southern end of Moosehead Lake, the largest lake in Maine and the biggest body of fresh water contained entirely within one state east of the Mississippi. The town is the last real supply stop before the North Woods, and it functions like one. Outfitters, a grocery, floatplanes on the water.

Beyond here the roads turn to gravel and become private logging routes. That boundary is what gives Greenville its character.

What Greenville is known for

Moosehead Lake, floatplanes and moose. The lake runs forty miles north and is studded with islands; Mount Kineo rises straight out of it as a 700-foot cliff, reachable only by boat. Floatplanes have operated from the harbor for a century and still fly sightseeing trips and drop-offs into remote ponds.

The moose population in this region is among the densest in the state, and moose-watching trips at dawn and dusk are a genuine industry rather than a gimmick. Lily Bay State Park (4.8 across 460 Google reviews) on the eastern shore has the main public campground and beach.

Things to do

Get on the lake. The Moosehead Marine Museum (4.6 from 253 reviews) operates the Katahdin, a 1914 steamboat converted to diesel that once towed log booms and now runs passenger cruises. Take a floatplane flight if the budget allows. It is the only way to grasp the scale of the forest.

Hike Mount Kineo after taking the shuttle boat across, or Borestone Mountain to the south. The Appalachian Mountain Club 100 Mile Wilderness Conservation Area (4.7 from 92 reviews) manages a large tract with backcountry lodges to the east. The B-52 Memorial (4.8 from 129 reviews) marks a 1963 crash site on Elephant Mountain, reached by a rough road and a short walk.

Getting here and when to go

Greenville is about ninety minutes north-west of Bangor. Fill the tank before you leave the highway.

Summer and early autumn are the main season; moose-watching is best in May and June. Winter brings snowmobiling, which is a major part of the local economy. Blackflies peak in late May and June and are not a minor consideration.

Common questions

Where can you see moose near Greenville?

The logging roads and boggy pond edges north and east of town are the most reliable places, and dawn and dusk are the hours that matter.

Lily Bay State Park and the roads toward the Appalachian Mountain Club's 100 Mile Wilderness lands are common starting points.

Registered guides run moose trips if you would rather not drive gravel roads yourself.

Is Moosehead Lake the largest lake in Maine?

Yes, and it is the largest lake lying entirely within one state east of the Mississippi.

The shoreline is long and deeply broken by coves, bays and islands, which is why it feels bigger on the water than it looks on a map.

Greenville sits at the southern tip, so the town serves as the gateway to nearly everything on the lake.

Can you take a boat ride on Moosehead Lake?

Yes.

Smaller charter boats and floatplanes also work out of Greenville, and a floatplane is the quickest way to see the far northern end of the lake.

What is the B-52 Memorial in Greenville?

It marks the 1963 crash of a US Air Force B-52 on Elephant Mountain, where wreckage still lies scattered across the site.

Two of the nine crew survived.

Reached by a rough gravel road east of town and it is a sobering stop rather than a scenic one, and it is worth the drive.

Can you visit Mount Kineo from Greenville?

You can include it in a Moosehead-area stay, but it requires travel to the appropriate boat departure and a return plan. Do not describe it as a trail beginning in Greenville.

Will you see moose around Greenville?

Sightings are possible, not assured. Choose a reputable guided outing if wildlife is a priority, and never treat a seasonal prediction as a guarantee of an encounter.