Ghost Trains in Maine? Andrew Jordan

Ghost Trains in Maine?

Why is the East Coast in the dark? How to explore the North Maine Woods.

Seems like every part of the US has amazing landmarks or destinations with some epic-looking feature. From coast to coast, adventure seekers like myself have been drawn to seek out the hidden and sometimes forgotten treasures of the world. As popularity in overlanding has grown over the years, many of these landmarks, hidden features and works of art have become a playground for many to visit. Some of these destinations have gone from a secret spot to a global hot spot that seems to trend on social media, then they get left alone. Maine or the East Coast is no exception, but we seem to be a little more forgotten. With social media as large as it is and with the popularity of overlanding taking the west coast by storm, it is no surprise that the East Coast is left in the dark more often than not.

One big factor that the West Coast has over the east is the availability of public lands. With many more national parks open with trails that reach all skill levels for off-roading and overlanders, it’s no surprise it has become the mecca for this growing hobby. The East Coast, and mainly Maine, deal with the complete opposite side of this. Maine, being 90% privately owned, makes adventuring extremely tricky and at best difficult. With little to no public trails or national parks open to offer such adventures, Maine becomes one of the trickiest places to explore. Fear not! With a little planning and understanding of the North Maine Woods rules and regs, anyone can enjoy exploring the back country of Maine.

Now it’s time! Word has it one can see two steam locomotives lost in the North Maine Woods, but wait - what is the North Maine Woods? Well, glad you asked. The North Maine Woods is 3.5 million acres of wilderness between two of the wildest rivers in the northeast, the Saint John and Allagash. With over 3,000 miles of dirt roads ranging from goat paths to dirt logging roads, you’ll have no shortage of fun and excitement while driving. You might even see a Maine moose! Owned by Maine’s big paper companies, the North Maine Woods is in the heart of the logging industry. Plan ahead; there is a charge to enter the North Maine Woods, and they accept cash or check only. So, are you ready to find the trains? Here are a couple different ways. Start by picking yourself up a Maine Gazetteer and get familiar with the legend and what the symbols stand for, then look for

the tramway. You can buy a Gazetteer at most gas station or retail stores in Maine. Second, head north towards Greenville and stop into one of the local Maine stores and you might get there by word of mouth. I will not give more than that out; I mean, the best part of exploring is planning. The other way would be to pay a guide service to take you. Maine has a couple guide services that would be more than willing to take you to the trains and maybe even find a few other hidden spots like the ice caves.

What to drive!

Maine offers off-roading and overloading for all kinds of skill levels, from a hardcore buggy park to easy fire service roads that flow deep into the back country all the way to Canada. For this trip, we recommend a stock 4x4 or all-wheel drive car. The roads can be extremely rough and full of washboard and washouts, and mostly traveled by overloaded logging trucks that speed down them with little to no care. So, keep your eye out for the dust cloud and move over to the right as far as you can! They have the right of way ALL the time. This land is owned by the private logging companies that supply much of the lumber to the Northeast. Though our truck, a 2016 Toyota Tacoma TRD OR, which is overly built for just about anything, is most definitely overkill, but fear not: This is stock 4x4 friendly. With much of northern Maine being covered in shale, a very sharp rock that loves to cut tires, be prepared and have a spare or two. We recommend an all-terrain tire with a reenforced sideway. Much of the trip in is done on a logging road there are opportunities to find a hidden trail or two that gets a little technical. Oh, by the way do not forget that gas. Once north of Greenville or east of Millinocket you will not find a gas station for miles! Camping can be found all along the back roads that are wellmarked in that Gazetteer you picked up. Bring some cash; they charge a small fee for camping and a fee to enter the North Maine Woods, all worth it when you wake up next to a rolling stream or a quiet pond with M\moose feeding on the shoreline. Each campsite varies a little, but you can expect a fire ring, an outhouse and a picnic table.

What to expect

Once you find the parking lot for the tramway it’s a short hike into the tranquil North Maine Woods. Along the trail you’ll find the walking easy and the forest open with an overhanging canopy. The best time of year to find these trains is fall when the foliage is bright and the bugs are low, but the black flies can be as thick as a dense fog during spring. About a third of the way in, you will start to see the remains of the trains. The first part you come to is an overgrown track which the hiking trail follows to another set of tracks that also has old signs and foundations spread across the forest. The last part of the trail leads you down the center of the track to a clearing that holds two steam locomotives sitting majestically in the open. These 100ton trains from the 1920’s where once used to transport logs and pulpwood 13 miles to a 3,000-foot tramway that ran from Eagle Lake to Chamberlain lake. The remains of thick steel cables, long saw-like teeth, still remain in place. Once you get over the sight of such amazing trains you can walk down a path which runs along the tramway to the old steam room. This was a what powered the pulleys that took the logs from Eagle Lake to Chamberlain Lake. This surely is a sight to see and one you won’t forget.

So, the next time you’re planning a trip, think of Maine and come find out what adventures there are in the Northeast.

Andrew Jordan

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