If there was one thing I wanted to see while we were in New England, it was moose. Maine has the largest moose population in the lower 48 states, so I was particularly excited about this part of the trip.
This post is about just one stop on a much longer trip. Click the appropriate link to read about our time visiting New York, Canada, and Vermont.
In this post, we’ll talk about a very impressive campground, a 5-star tour experience, a dog-friendly hiking spot, and more.
Table of Contents
Driving in Maine
Did you know there is a Mexico, Maine? It’s true. Mexico is a small town (less than 3,000 people) about 25 miles east of the Maine-New Hampshire border. It was fun to see the road signs saying Mexico was 20 miles away, then 10 miles away, etc.
It’s worth noting that ME-16 is sooo bumpy! The RV made it, but everything was pretty shaken up. I’d suggest avoiding that road if you can.
Where We Stayed
Moose Creek RV Resort
Moose Creek RV Resort is a relatively new, but very impressive, campground in central Maine. It’s about 60 miles northwest (as the crow flies) of Bangor, or two hours and 40 minutes by car from Portland. The first thing to impress me was their camp information/map. It’s folded up as a brochure and was well designed.
At the time we visited, the campground was practically empty. There were a number of RVs that appeared to be parked there seasonally, but few appeared to be occupied at the moment.
| Campground Name | Moose Creek RV Resort |
| Location | Greenville, ME |
| Dates | June 1-4, 2025 |
| Site Number | #131 |
| Site Surface | Large gravel |
| Hook-ups | Full hookups |
| Cost | $97.77 per night (including taxes and fees) |
| Water Pressure | 50 psi |
| Voltage | 120-125 V |
| Verizon Speed Test | 96 Mbps down; 10 Mbps up |
| T-Mobile Speed Test | 160 Mbps down; 7 Mbps up |
| Campground WiFi | 227 Mbps down; 81 Mbps up |
Our site was lovely. It was level and had enough trees to provide a sense of privacy from nearby sites. All of the sites around us were empty, but even if they had been full, the site was spacious and fairly secluded.
One thing we noticed is that not all sites were like that. Some sections/sites seemed to be more spacious/private than others. Some sections also have little to no grass.
If you’re looking for Wifi, this is the place to be! Their campground Wifi got pretty good results on the speed tests (see table above).
The bathhouse is very nice, as is the laundry room. We took advantage of both during our stay. If you want a long, hot shower without worrying about your grey tank filling up or your hot water running out, take a trip to the bathhouse.
The pool is beautiful, and I believe it’s heated. It was brisk, but not as cold as I expected a pool in Maine to be on the first day of June. There’s a pavilion with a bar and a restaurant by the pool area, but it wasn’t open when we were there.
The dog park is small; however, a second, slightly larger dog park was in the final stages of being built while we were there. It’s probably open by now. On another dog note, there are multiple trash cans throughout the campground for disposing of their business.
A Note About Plants
There were several plants here that I’d never seen before! Like these that look like a relative of dandelions. Are these just New England dandelions?
There was this that looks like a regular dandelion, but bigger. Does this turn into the ones above? I have no idea.
Then we started seeing all of this plant fluff.
At first, I assumed it was coming from the dandelion relative, but then I found one that wasn’t quite as far into the fluff stage.
And then I found a bush with flowers that look like an earlier version of that half-fluff flower. So now I’m wondering, do these turn into all that fluff? Please, if you know, tell me!
The campground also had cute little flowers. I don’t know what these are either.
What We Did
Moosehead Area Guide Service
We decided our best chance to see a moose in Maine would be on a tour. We did a sunrise moose tour with Moosehead Area Guide Service. That meant meeting our guide, Harold, at 4:30 a.m for the best chance of a moose sighting. Fortunately, the meeting spot was really close to the campground, so close we could have walked. It was cold and dark, so we didn’t, but we could have.
This tour was a land/driving tour, so Jesse and I hopped into Harold’s Ford Expedition and Harold drove for several hours to various moose-sighting locations. If you want to see moose while you’re in Maine, I cannot recommend this enough. Harold knows the area like the back of his hand. He knows where and when to go to have the greatest chance of seeing them. By the end, we saw five moose, including a mom with her two young calves.
Harold basically let us call the shots. When we found a moose, he stayed put as long as we wanted. If we wanted to watch, we stayed, and if we wanted to move on and look for another moose, we moved on.
Because it was a private tour, we didn’t have to worry about another family wanting to keep a different schedule or see different things than we did. The moose tour is all about wildlife-watching from the car, so the experience is accessible for family members who aren’t up for more strenuous activities. Harold also offers fishing charters, so be sure to look into that if fishing is of interest.
At one point, we were watching a female when Harold mentioned it was possible she had a calf hidden in the bushes that we couldn’t see. After a few minutes, we saw not just one baby, but two! I could have watched them for hours. I enjoyed seeing the way the mom stripped leaves off branches while she ate and the way the babies were already trying to eat leaves at such a young age.
I think what I enjoyed most about this tour (aside from the moose sightings, of course) was all of the knowledge and experience Harold shared. He talked about moose behavior, but he also talked about the complexities of what’s going on in the area and the relationship between moose, tourists, and logging companies. He talked about the ecology of the area and how the numbers of one species affect the others.
My inner zoology nerd was in Heaven and could have listened to this for days. I’m putting more details of our conversation below, but it’s in an expandable format, so anyone who isn’t interested can skip it. (I realize not everyone shares my fascination with this subject.)
Expand to read more information about the moose population in Maine
Disclaimer: I’m not explaining this as well as Harold did. I’m sure I’m getting parts mixed up. For the best information, I recommend going to Maine and taking a tour with Harold.
Much of the land in Maine is owned by logging companies. Because pieces of land are logged at different times, the vegetation is in different stages of regrowth, which provides lots of favorable moose habitat. So, logging companies are basically responsible for the high concentration of moose in Maine.
Harold drove on the logging roads to get to all the good moose-watching spots, but Harold knows how to do it safely. He has proper tires on his vehicle, knows what time of year the roads turn to mud, and respects that logging vehicles always have the right of way. The trouble comes when tourists use the roads without knowing proper etiquette. If it happens too often, logging companies may prohibit people from using the roads.
Even though the logging is what created suitable moose habitat, the logging companies are not managing for wildlife populations. They are managing for trees, and sometimes, to that end, they do things that are not in the best interest of the wildlife. Some of those actions are legal, while others take a step too far.
One bit of our conversation stood out enough that I want everyone to know about it. The subject of kayaking tours came up, in which guides take some number of people out on kayaks to see moose. At first, it sounded like a great way to see them, since moose spend a lot of time in or near water. Harold explained that he doesn’t offer those tours. He thinks they are too often detrimental to the moose.
Everyone is tempted to get “just a little closer” for the perfect picture. But if a moose gets spooked and leaves or won’t come to the water because it’s waiting for the tourists to pass, that isn’t fair to the moose. If it only happened once a day, the moose would probably be ok, but when you think about multiple guides taking out multiple tours…it’s too easy to end up effectively chasing the moose in and out of the water all day. This results in the moose not having the time to consume enough water plants to get the nutrients they need.
I really respect a business owner who’s willing to pass on an opportunity to make money because it’s not the moral thing to do.
Combine Harold’s moral compass with his knowledge of moose, and I think he’s the best choice if you want a moose tour.
Exploring Town
Mud Puddle Mercantile
If you’re looking for traditional souvenirs, this is a good place to start. Everything seemed very reasonably priced. There was a good selection of t-shirts, sweatshirts, and other clothing (including kids’ clothing). They also had many many cute earrings! I also found the most reasonably priced postcards I’ve ever seen!
The Corner Shop
This is the shop I was looking for! I didn’t want a Maine mug or a t-shirt with Moosehead Lake on it. I wanted gifts for family back home that weren’t your typical souvenirs, and this is where I found them!
There were cute (and classy) purses, greeting cards, humorous sayings on various items, clever puzzles, books (including both field guides and novels), pottery, and more. There is so much to look at, I’m sure I missed some really cool things. They also sell a few varieties of fudge.
We left with some candy made in Maine (chocolate-covered blueberries, chocolate-covered espresso beans, and something called a Needham, or Maine potato candy), a book of MadLibs, and two cute stickers (even though I have no idea what I’ll do with them). Also some chocolate fudge (which was delicious by the way).
Indian Hill Shop n’ Save
We stopped here mostly because we were curious about what brands they would have in a small grocery store in a tiny town. When we shopped in Canada, we had trouble finding many of the brands we use at home. We were really surprised at the selection. They also had an impressive produce section and several intriguing bakery items.
The Golden Road
We attempted to drive to Abol Bridge via the Golden Road, hoping for some scenic views of Mount Katahdin. I say attempted because we didn’t make it.
We knew when we started that much of the road was unpaved. What we didn’t think about was the varying quality that’s possible for a paved road. We have 10-ply tires on our truck, so weren’t terribly worried about getting a flat tire from the sharp slate pieces on the road. The concern was all the bumps shaking something loose since our truck has a fairly stiff suspension. After the pavement ended, the road was fine for a while. Then we started to see rocks in the road. Then the rocks got bigger and the road was clearly less traveled.
Eventually, we came to the top of a hill and could see a good bit of the road we were supposed to follow. At the bottom of the hill, we could see water over the road, so we decided to turn around.
Lily Bay State Park
After our unsuccessful trip to the Golden Road, we changed our plans and stopped at Lily Bay State Park. It’s only 15 minutes from the campground.
We stopped at the guard house to pay the park entrance fee ($12 for two adults). They gave us some park info which included a map. After parking in the lot near the Rowell Cove boat launch and picked up the trail that follows the shoreline. The trail was beautiful, and there were lots of opportunities for the dogs to get into the water.
If you’re looking to do some hiking while you’re in the area, this seems to be a good option.
Where We Ate
Stress Free Moose Pub & Cafe
The burgers were good, but the fries were the star of the show. It was a little more expensive than other places we’ve been recently. For one soda and two burgers with fries (one with extra cheese), it was about $50 before tip. (I didn’t save the receipt, so I don’t have the exact amount.)
Wildlife
The campground was a great place for wildlife sightings. The pond had a family of Canada geese, complete with a few goslings.
We also saw two pairs of hooded mergansers.
I’m no expert, but this looks like evidence of beaver to me. What does everyone else think? I found these along the edges of the campground while walking the dogs.
The campground pond had more tadpoles than I’ve ever seen in one spot! See all the black specks? Tadpoles!
And here’s a closer look at some tadpoles.
While on the way to our next destination, but still in Maine, we saw an osprey perched on this pole.
We came across this beautiful bird (a swallow, I think) on our moose tour. It was drizzling, and he was less than thrilled about it.
More Photos
Happy travels!
