The Moosehead Lake region is one part of Maine that we haven’t spent a lot of time in as a family. It might sound crazy to some but Maine can be overwhelming at times with its size and beauty. You can’t see and do it all, especially with full time jobs that have nothing to do with camping, hiking and sightseeing. It’s just far enough from Portland that day trips are tricky with little kids and with no real connections to the area, it doesn’t always rise to the top of our running list of weekend adventures. We did have an incredible camping trip at Lily Bay State Park a couple years back with Eloise, who wasn’t much older than Adeline when we returned this summer. 

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Since we’ve camped at them all, we are now starting to revisit our favorite state park campgrounds but for longer stays. So when we planned a day visit to Mt. Kineo State Park on Moosehead Lake, we decided that it would be better to camp out for Labor Day weekend than to rent something near-by. It was cheaper to camp for 3 nights and 4 days at a lakeside site than it was to get a room for one night near Greenville. No-brainer in our book! 

Mt. Kineo was the last Maine state park on our list! #34 of all the ones listed with the title of “state park” in it. There are about 48 Maine State Parks and Historical Sites and there is a good chance we visit those as well but it wasn’t part of the original family mission back in 2017. That list is also not including preserves and Maine Public Lands either so if you thought we were going away after Mt. Kineo, you were wrong. There is too much to explore in Maine and not enough time but we are going to try to continue to make time as a family and then hopefully share it with others because the following and the feedback has grown too big and too special to walk away from. 

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First stop on this trip was to Turning the Page Brewery in Monson. We’ve wanted to stop here ever since Aislinn Sarnacki wrote about it back in 2018.

It did not disappoint and we timed it perfectly with a pee break, lunch and a couple beers…oh and goat cheese! We’ve never been big brewery parents. Our kids are just too nuts and if we can’t sit back and relax with a beer, we would rather not do it at any of the many breweries in Portland. But here, there are goats and goats mean entertainment and that meant we could sip a cold one and smother fresh goat cheese all over crackers. Within a blink of an eye, there were a ton of cars and most were from out of state so this place doesn’t need our help with spreading the word. The owners were on site and treated us like we were guests at their home for Thanksgiving. Both took turns assisting customers or just chatting about the beer, the cheese and the names of all the goats. Cinnamon was a crowd favorite! 

We may have camped at Lily Bay again but we were here for Mt. Kineo. What a sight to see, a mountain that’s also an island located in the middle of Maine’s largest lake. There is a small ferry service to this island and we planned to visit based off the weather on day #2 and morning #1 because of the projected high winds on the other days. It was about a 45 minute drive to the boat launch in Rockwood from our tent. The boat ride to Mt. Kineo felt like the helicopter scene in Jurassic Park as they approached. Have you ever thrown a stepping stone into a river or stream to walk across? That’s what Mt. Kineo looks like in the middle of Moosehead Lake. The best way to try and comprehend what you’re actually seeing is through the eyes of a child. Eloise had a lot of questions with a mix of excitement and concern in her voice as we got closer to shore and talked about hiking to the top of what she was seeing. 

If you’re a golfer, grab your clubs and come here asap! It has to be the most unique course in Maine and possibly New England. It is one of the oldest courses in the north. Located near what once was the biggest island-waterfront hotel in the country. Like everything else historical in the northeast though, it burned down, more than once. So when the ferry lands, you can take a right to the golf course or take a left to the hiking trails. We took a left and planned to summit the mountain.

Because we had the kiddos we wanted to play it safe with the longer but least ledgy and steep trail to the top, Bridle Trail. This trailhead was about a quarter mile from the boat and then it was a mile straight up. As you can imagine, a mountain that is on an island, it wasn’t a gradual climb. You just take the stairs. It’s kind of mind-blowing as you walk along the water on the Carriage Road. The water is on your immediate left and then its pure rock on your right, and this trail is the middle ground. Before we turned up Bridle a bald eagle blessed us with a quick passing above. Doesn’t matter how old you get, this creature will stop you in your tracks every time. 

What’s known as the largest mass of rock in the US, also has an elevation of 1,789 feet at its highest point. We carried the kids to the top but Eloise hiked the whole way down.

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Once on the summit, there is a fire tower with views that can’t be captured in photos so we didn’t really take them. The stairs up aren’t for the faint of heart if heights aren’t your thing. Luckily there is at least one incredible lookout near the top if you get shaky legs on the tower. So no matter what, your eyes won’t leave disappointed. I think we drank all our water and ate all our snacks that morning/afternoon.

The ride back on the boat felt a bit strange. Of course there was a sense of accomplishment, visiting our last park but there was also a quiet appreciation. Not just for the 30 plus parks we’ve been to over the last four years, but what we just did and saw. Maine continues to surprise us and at times, it leaves us speechless. 

Someone who wasn’t speechless was Adeline. On this trip she learned 5 new words. Just on the hike alone, “dog” and “baby” were mastered. “Dog” happened in front of a group of people on the summit, and I think they were more excited than we were. Seeing your kids come into their own while being outdoors is something that can’t be bought in a store. By the time we got back to our campsite, “duck” was added to the list because we had visitors.

Another big life moment was Eloise’s first crush. Yes, she’s only 3.5 and it doesn’t sound possible, but she was smitten with this kid from a nearby campsite. A 10 year old farm boy who was the closest thing to Huck Finn neither of us had ever seen in real life. When he pulled a frog out of his pocket, a piece of her heart was gone for good. It was cute and absolutely hilarious to watch over the weekend as we shared a beach area; she asked to go down to the water A LOT. Even now when we talk about him she gets bashful and smiles. Certainly a hilarious experience for us parents!

This was the summer of sunsets. Yeah, we’ve had our fair share of rough weather at times but it just seemed like no matter what the day was, we got a full display in the sky before tucking in for the night. It was no different each night at Lily Bay and we soaked up every second.

Being our last official camping trip of the season, we were a little tired, the kids were tired and fussy, so we thought maybe we would cut it short by a day. We NEVER plan camping trips with something like the Mt. Kineo hike because we know that it’s too much to add things like that. We camp to escape so full day excursions aren’t a priority, at least for now while the kids are little. For the same reason why we don’t normally do this, was the same reason why we were close to packing up and heading home a day early, but it’s amazing what a canoe ride, a fire and a couple beers will do. Before we knew it, we scratched this new plan and settled in for our 3rd night and we couldn’t have made a better choice. Now we were finally just camping and doing what we normally do and it felt so right. Oh, and Eloise got to bring her bike for the first time! She was on team stay another night and the girl knew what we did not. The temps dropped at night into the low 40s, but we bundled up and snuggled up. Don’t let fall time scare you, it is easier to sleep in the cold than the heat. 

After 15 or so camping trips as a family, we have gotten pretty good with meals. At this point about 99% of everything is made on the fire. The menu for this long weekend was better than anything we eat at home. Cast Iron mac & cheese, chicken nachos, gourmet blue cheese burgers and all of the breakfasts were off the chain. Meal planning has turned into a fun challenge and nothing tastes better than something you wouldn’t think of being able to eat outdoors. 

If you’ve been following us for a bit, you know we normally rate each state park with a Ruby scoring. Not this time, you just need to visit Mt. Kineo State Park. It doesn’t need a rating because it’s a must see for yourself. You could probably already guess how we feel about camping at Lily Bay. There is a reason why it is one of the most popular destinations in Maine and it is for good reason. We already have a stack of memories here that we can pull out and cherish for years to come, and it hasn’t dropped out of our top 3 places to camp in Maine.